{"id":14454,"date":"2016-08-12T10:19:09","date_gmt":"2016-08-12T10:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=14454"},"modified":"2016-08-12T10:22:37","modified_gmt":"2016-08-12T10:22:37","slug":"beach-introductions-bournemouth-southbourne","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/beach-introductions-bournemouth-southbourne\/","title":{"rendered":"Beach Introductions – Bournemouth & Southbourne"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bournemouth from the pier<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Mr R finally realised that the dates for a big technological conference he absolutely had to attend<\/em> clashed with the dates I had wanted to take the Small People for their first British Seaside experience, all was not lost – we would make Grandad come with us. \u00a0Thankfully he was more than happy to…<\/p>\n

After the relatively short drive to Southbourne (which by the way is my favourite area of the lot down here!) we arrived at my Aunt’s seaside apartment she kindly lent us for a few nights, unloaded all children and gumph to discover we were actually at the wrong building (apologies to those people who thought they were about to be burgled). \u00a0Two minutes later (and two buildings up!), we were frantically unpacking in the correct apartment, determined that the by now squally English Seaside weather wasn’t going to stop us doing anything in the Small People’s first introduction to a British Beach (apart from perhaps sunbathing!)…<\/p>\n

As I was under the impression that my Dad had visited several times before (so would obviously know the distance from everything) we found our way to Southbourne’s cliff tops in time for a spot of lunch in a typical Seaside Pub (i.e. a big tall ceilinged affair, full of the people talking about how rubbish the weather was and the faint waft of Sarsons vinegar!)… \u00a0 As the clouds looked like they might actually lift at some point, we left our dry haven and decided to walk to Boscombe Pier. \u00a0 On and on we walked, getting gradually more soaked to the skin (it turned out my Dad had only visited once before, and had about as much of a clue of how far things were as I did!). \u00a0Thankfully by some absolute miracle I had remembered the baby’s rain cover, as his older siblings were by now becoming a little hysterical – as was I – mostly at the optimism of my fellow Brits, who were going to wear summer seaside clothes whatever the weather. \u00a0 \u00a0 Boscombe pier finally appeared on the horizon, and wasn’t quite what I had in mind in that it lacked any sort of building we could take shelter in really (apart from a Harvester pub, but we were there to visit the seaside, not sit in a pub all day; however much that idea seemed very tempting at the time!)… \u00a0 It did however have a small shop where we were able to buy three ridiculous “pac-a-macs” which turned out to have short sleeves. \u00a0 By now the Small People were beginning to take on a “where on earth has she bought us now?” kind of attitude, whilst my poor Dad who shouldn’t really do miles and miles of walking, didn’t fancy my suggestion of getting on the Peppa Pig coastal train and meeting us at the bigger, glitzier Bournemouth Pier (there wasn’t room for all of us!) we could just make out through the sea mist in the far distance…<\/p>\n

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For their privacy, I don’t post that many pictures of my older two, but this needed to be done to illustrate the scene. My daughter is grimacing, not crying in this picture in case you were wondering, however much she might have felt like it at the time…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thankfully the last leg of the walk didn’t seem too bad, and with lots of positive talk about “how it could be worse” we were soon in the dry and very warm (and actually like something out of a weird parallel universe)\u00a0Amusement Arcade. Here the Small people enjoyed an introduction to the delights of various penny fall machines, like some kind of alternative maths homeschooling session, wrapped up with a lesson on the perils of gambling, and how most of the crane\/grab type machines were rigged! \u00a0 Grandad could have a bit of a rest here though, and baby was fast asleep (bizarrely considering it was noisier than around 50 jets landing) – and in the time it took the Small People to work their way through \u00a32.50 each in two pence pieces, we were able to dry off a bit…<\/p>\n

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Rested, and by now prepared for whatever the weather would chuck at us, the next day proved a little better in that it didn’t rain quite so much. \u00a0We were also clued up in all matters bus, and got to Bournemouth in relatively quick time for a walk through the gorgeous Winter Gardens and up to the end of the Pier.<\/p>\n

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“Can we have this rock please Mummy?” “Um, no…”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As I said in my instagram pic that day, there’s something so nostalgic about these places, full of the ghosts of holiday makers past, and those present reliving their childhoods and introducing their own children and grandchildren to the delights…<\/p>\n

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Empty deckchairs on the pier. When it’s quiet there are so many echoes of days and people gone by here… #seaside #visitengland #familytravel<\/a><\/p>\n

A photo posted by Emma (@bavariansojourn) on