1960s Holidays

A Memory of Weymouth.

My mum and dad had their annual holidays in Weymouth in the late 1950s through to the middle 1960s. My dad worked at Vauxhall Motors in Luton but always went on the train as he did not own a car! My earlist memories of visiting Weymouth was of standing in the corridor of the steam train waiting to get the first glimpse of the sea.

We used to stay in a boarding house in Spa Road which was run by a Bert and Mary Pitman who called their house 'Bermar'. Mary and Bert  became family friends and we always met up with another family that came from the Birmingham area. I cannont remember their surnames but they were called Ray and Joan and I remember playing with their son Jefferey. I would love to hear from them if they read this.

I remember the strange sight of all the passengers on the boat train passing through the shops and looking up at them as they transferred to the Channel islands boat, and thinking how these islands seemed exotic. I also remember riding on the miniture railway that runs around Radipole Lake and feeding the swans, visits to Portland and the Navy Days, but above all just playing in that wonderful sand and sea for endless hours. Happy days!

I visited Mrs Pitman in 2000 with my own family, and found her memory of me a bit wanting until I showed some pictures of the time. The memories came flooding back to her, including my memory of her making the best lemon meringue pie I have ever tasted!