Saturday 25th August 07

Away on holiday today!

Up at 7am and I took down the tent in the garden and loaded the compostumbler with last night's collection. Got all the luggage together and got into the taxi we'd ordered, and we caught the 10.08 train to Peterborough, we had seats booked. A quick change and onto the Norwich train, which was hot and crowded, although we had seats on this too. Gill's sister Linda met us at Norwich, as she'd offered to take us to the campsite near Wells Next The Sea by car. She had her little dog Oliver with her, and was due to stay a night with us in the caravan.

The car journey was about an hour and a half, going past Fakenham, through Wells NTS and down to Wells beach where the Pinewoods Holiday Park is, behind the dunes and pine trees.

Got the key, we're in a privately owned caravan which is cheaper than renting one owned by the holiday park, but we had to show a little handwritten note to the park people for the key to be handed over. The caravan was easy to find, right next to the laundry! As soon as we'd unloaded and had a cuppa, we all walked down to the beach, over the sand dunes which are covered in big pine trees and gorse, and have wooden steps up and down them to make access easy and reduce erosion. The kids played and we 3 grownups chatted whilst leaning against a groyne, in the shade, as it was hot and sunny.

Linda had brought pizzas so when we got back to the caravan, we put those in, and had those followed by cake and flapjack. After a rest, we all trouped into Wells, along the harbour wall/sea defences, alongside the minature railway which goes a mile between the town and the Pinewoods Holiday Park. We had a brief wander and bought food supplies, and came back on the railway, which is a pound per adult and 80 pence per child.

It was now after dark and the children were tired, and due to this and our eldest's current behaviour patterns, he had a fit of anger and started hitting me. Gill tried to intervene, trying to get me to stop holding him, which was preventing him hitting me, but Linda, who used to be a schoolteacher and has brought up a handful of children, said that she should let me hold his wrists and Gill should back me up, as I was being firm, fair and measured. I was so glad to have Linda's support! When the child misbehaves, and ignores a warning or two, and a command to stop behaving in such a way as to endanger himself or others, the child does need controlling and letting know who is in charge. My worry is that if his behaviour is allowed to continue like this, he'll think its ok to do this kinda thing, and end up in trouble with the authorities.

The situation calmed down, but then our youngest complained of an itchy bum and I found a threadworm, oh no, not again! and there will be no chance to get us all medicated until after the bank holiday! What a holiday this is turning out to be!

Linda slept in the double bed, and Gill and I tried to get the bed out from the sofas but couldn't work it out, so we slept on a sofa each, not that confortable!