Holidays Past

[Kev Keegan]

Wales is legendary for me when it comes to holiday in the 1980s. It all began with the North Wales Holiday Camp (sadly now demolished) , staying in small concrete chalets (pronounced shallee), where the beds were the couches you sat on in the day time.

Entertainment was provided by a club and competitions included 'yard of ale' which my mum won many times, knobbly knees, even back then and fancy dress for the kids.

It was also the time I began playing in 'arcades', space invaders, pac man etc.. and those 2p machines with the moving shelves. I set the alarms of many times trying to shake the bloody unit to get more cash.

We progressed to staying in caravans on The Robbin Hood Camp down the road, still there I think.

The we progressed onto Butlins and then Spain when I was 15.

Good times back then



Where did you used to go on holiday?

[john]

We did not have family holidays, but lots of days out to Southport, New Brighton Baths, Rhyl and Frith Beach.
Went to Sun Valley Holiday Camp just outside Rhyl for a week.
Fist Hoilday abroad was to Jersey with the boys, two weeks of highjinks as you can imagine.
Then aboard to Spain, France, and further afield to South Africa, and Russia.

Robin Hood Camp is still there between Rhyl and Frith Beach,

[Gerard]

We did not have family holidays, but lots of days out to Southport, New Brighton Baths, Rhyl and Frith Beach.
Went to Sun Valley Holiday Camp just outside Rhyl for a week.
Fist Hoilday abroad was to Jersey with the boys, two weeks of highjinks as you can imagine.
Then aboard to Spain, France, and further afield to South Africa, and Russia.

Robin Hood Camp is still there between Rhyl and Frith Beach,

Remember the Robin Hood well John,My Mam later had a Caravan in the late 60's on The Long Towyn Road and we spent a lot of time there..I've been tryin' t' remember the name of the place all afternoon and I give up !!..
Brought the Kids when they were Small to that big Haven site,Ty Mawr I think its called and the weather was Roasting everyday for 10 days and not a drop of Rain..Portugal is my place Now and I'd be there like a shot if I won the Lottery..I've drove around 3,000 miles along the Coast Rd to and From Cape St Vincent and all the Little inland Villages and to Seville in Spain,Loule Market is great on a Saturday for your Bargains !!..
Cyprus has got to be the Most Scenic place Ive been,Stayed in a Quiet little complex in Coral Bay and People were (Germans !!) claiming Sunbeds and using them at 9 in the Morning as it was that Hot (February ) and me and the Mrs would be off in the Car up Mount Olympus in the Troodos Mountain range about a 45 minute drive away and it would be Snowing and People Skiing...Off then Visiting Local Monasterys where you cant get in with Shorts on and you have to "Hire" long Keks..Absolutely Beautiful is Cyprus...not that Aya Nappa or what ever its called...Might as well go to Blackpool if the Booze and Clubs are all yer after !!

[john]

Benidorm Liverpool by the sea

On ITV later starting Johnny Vegas from St Helens

[Brenda]

Cyprus has got to be the Most Scenic place Ive been,Stayed in a Quiet little complex in Coral Bay and People were (Germans !!) claiming Sunbeds and using them at 9 in the Morning as it was that Hot (February ) and me and the Mrs would be off in the Car up Mount Olympus in the Troodos Mountain range about a 45 minute drive away and it would be Snowing and People Skiing...Off then Visiting Local Monasterys where you cant get in with Shorts on and you have to "Hire" long Keks..Absolutely Beautiful is Cyprus...not that Aya Nappa or what ever its called...Might as well go to Blackpool if the Booze and Clubs are all yer after !!

Gerard, Cyprus is the one place I'd go back to, I was there about 12 years ago and loved it, The Troodos mountains are beautiful with the 360 degree view and Makarios's tomb, also the monastery where the woman had to have their shoulders covered, I loved every minute of it.
We even went on that cruise across to Egypt from there to see the pyramids.
All in all, that was one holiday to remember.

[victorialush]

We did the whole Wales thing when we were kids... (Brendy, got any pics?)
Pwhelli, Rhyl etc
Then did the 10 hour drive in the Cortina to Devon... that was nice...

Then when I was about 14 we got the coach (Dad was scared of flying) to Lorette De Mar in Spain, I think we did that for a couple of holidays... that was a swollen feet and sore backside experience

[Brenda]

(Brendy, got any pics?)
:

I'll have a look and scan them.

[Gerard]

Gerard, Cyprus is the one place I'd go back to, I was there about 12 years ago and loved it, The Troodos mountains are beautiful with the 360 degree view and Makarios's tomb, also the monastery where the woman had to have their shoulders covered, I loved every minute of it.
We even went on that cruise across to Egypt from there to see the pyramids.
All in all, that was one holiday to remember.

I agree 100% Brenda,,in Fact if I won the Lotto I'd buy a place there as well !!!..
Ive Got Photies stashed under the Bed or somewhere.....I'll have to dig em out and scan em and get them Monastery ones on with me squeezin into a pair of Hired Keks so I could get in..Not a pretty sight girl !!!..Im Sure we found this Chapel or it was Part of some Monastery and it was Made from Solid Gold and had a 24hr Armed Gaurd...Now where are thee !!!

[Brenda]

I'll get the old cardboard shoe box out and see if I can find some as well. god this will be all our yesterdays ....

[victorialush]

I'll get the old cardboard shoe box out and see if I can find some as well. god this will be all our yesterdays ....

I can't wait to see these... Kevs main picture up top there looks like so many of ours... the old chalets in the background... all the pictures had that pink hue on them too

[Brenda]

I can't wait to see these... Kevs main picture up top there looks like so many of ours... the old chalets in the background... all the pictures had that pink hue on them too

Yeah am sure we have a pic the very same as Kevs, in that North Wales Holiday Camp.
*goes looking for shoebox*

[Gerard]

We did the whole Wales thing when we were kids... (Brendy, got any pics?)
Pwhelli, Rhyl etc
Then did the 10 hour drive in the Cortina to Devon... that was nice...

Then when I was about 14 we got the coach (Dad was scared of flying) to Lorette De Mar in Spain, I think we did that for a couple of holidays... that was a swollen feet and sore backside experience

I'd go to Wales (Snowdonia/Llanberis) every year Victoria if we had the weather..Remember taking me Mam to Anglesey where She was evacuated,Right to the Very House Under the Menai Bridge on the Waterfront and She remembered Everything and started Crying which kicked me off !!!..
So I knock on the Front Door and Explain to the Young Couple who Answer (They were Teachers in Liverpool University)..about me Mam being Evacuated there when She was a Little girl..Me Mam by the Way is standing at the Gate calling me Everything cause I'm disturbing them !!!..
Anyway..The Young girl who lived in the House went and said to me Mam "Come In"....They brought us in and looked after me Mam as if She was the Queen and me Mam never shut up about it for years!!!..
I'll never forget that Couple or the Look on My Mams face when they Showed Her around Their House..Wheres me Anky !!!!

[victorialush]

I'd go to Wales (Snowdonia/Llanberis) every year Victoria if we had the weather..Remember taking me Mam to Anglesey where She was evacuated,Right to the Very House Under the Menai Bridge on the Waterfront and She remembered Everything and started Crying which kicked me off !!!..
So I knock on the Front Door and Explain to the Young Couple who Answer (They were Teachers in Liverpool University)..about me Mam being Evacuated there when She was a Little girl..Me Mam by the Way is standing at the Gate calling me Everything cause I'm disturbing them !!!..
Anyway..The Young girl who lived in the House went and said to me Mam "Come In"....They brought us in and looked after me Mam as if She was the Queen and me Mam never shut up about it for years!!!..
I'll never forget that Couple or the Look on My Mams face when they Showed Her around Their House..Wheres me Anky !!!!

oh god, that is such a lovely story

[Brenda]

I'd go to Wales (Snowdonia/Llanberis) every year Victoria if we had the weather..Remember taking me Mam to Anglesey where She was evacuated,Right to the Very House Under the Menai Bridge on the Waterfront and She remembered Everything and started Crying which kicked me off !!!..
So I knock on the Front Door and Explain to the Young Couple who Answer (They were Teachers in Liverpool University)..about me Mam being Evacuated there when She was a Little girl..Me Mam by the Way is standing at the Gate calling me Everything cause I'm disturbing them !!!..
Anyway..The Young girl who lived in the House went and said to me Mam "Come In"....They brought us in and looked after me Mam as if She was the Queen and me Mam never shut up about it for years!!!..
I'll never forget that Couple or the Look on My Mams face when they Showed Her around Their House..Wheres me Anky !!!!

Thats a lovely story Gerard, thanks for sharing it with us.

[SteH]

I'd go to Wales (Snowdonia/Llanberis) every year Victoria if we had the weather..Remember taking me Mam to Anglesey where She was evacuated,Right to the Very House Under the Menai Bridge on the Waterfront and She remembered Everything and started Crying which kicked me off !!!..
So I knock on the Front Door and Explain to the Young Couple who Answer (They were Teachers in Liverpool University)..about me Mam being Evacuated there when She was a Little girl..Me Mam by the Way is standing at the Gate calling me Everything cause I'm disturbing them !!!..
Anyway..The Young girl who lived in the House went and said to me Mam "Come In"....They brought us in and looked after me Mam as if She was the Queen and me Mam never shut up about it for years!!!..
I'll never forget that Couple or the Look on My Mams face when they Showed Her around Their House..Wheres me Anky !!!!

I'm lucky enough to have a caravan in wales (Towyn) and have to admit I was sceptical about buying it initially but wouldnt be without it now. Towyn itself is a bit tacky but its a great base for exploring the coast and Snowdonia and having a four year old there's also the added advantage that there are lots of family pubs to go to in the evening. Despite that I wouldnt continue to have the caravan if it meant holidays to the sun had to be sacrificed.

As a kid, my grandparents had a caravan in Gronant and I had the usual Spanish costa holidays,although we always seemed to go in April when the weather wasnt all that good.