Golden Holidays

A Memory of Babbacombe.

From our home in Kent, we went every year on holiday to Babbacombe during the 1950's and early 1960's. We stayed with my 'Aunty Amy' and 'Uncle Matt' at their boarding house, 18 Perinville Road. It was the most magic time imaginable. I can't remember it ever raining! It must have done, of course, but it seems as if the sun was always shining. We would spend the morning on the beach - usually Redgate Beach (now sadly closed because of landfalls) or Oddicombe and have such fun, splashing about in the sea, exploring the rockpools, etc. We would then go back to the house for lunch, stopping off on the way at the Mason's Arms for a pre-lunch drink in their garden overlooking Wallshill Downs. The smell of cider still takes me back there every time! Then, after lunch, back to the beach again for the afternoon before high tea at about 6 p.m. Once - and only once - during each holiday we were allowed a knickerbocker glory at one of the cafes. Every year it was the same and it was always wonderful! We would meet the same people, including Chris who was the beach inspector on Redgate Beach and the ice-cream man at the entrance to Wallshill Downs. The journey from Kent in my Dad's old Austin 10 used to take about 12 hours! No motorways, of course, and there was always the Honiton by-pass to navigate..... my brother and I would get so excited as we got nearer and nearer, past Exeter and through into "proper" Devon and then through St. Marychurch and then at last, at last we were there. Aunty Amy would be waiting at the top of the drive at No. 18 and we would burst out of the car and run up into her arms. Wonderful, wonderful memories.

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