GT July19

TRICIAS COLUMN:
HOLD YOUR SHED UP HIGH
It was my birthday recently dear readers,
and at my age, one doesn’t like to make
a song and dance about it. I’d rather not
be reminded about how long it is since I
was 21.
Nevertheless, my family told me they’d
organised a little gathering to celebrate.
Fairly recently, one of my children has
acquired a beach hut, and it was decided
(presumably in a fit of optimism) that the
weather was going to be kind and that
we should have the party at the hut in
question.
I know this may surprise you, given that
you all know what an exciting life I lead,
but I’d never been in a beach hut before.
I’d always felt rather immune to their
charms, I mean, it’s just a shed on some
shingle, isn’t it?
I was assured that a lot of work had
gone into the hut. My son assured me
that hours of sweat and toil had gone
into painting the thing, and scouring
charity shops for suitable furniture and
accessories. I was promised a bijou,
comfortable, vintage-style sanctuary-bythe-sea.
I was still not convinced.
In today’s connected world, who would
want to spend time in a glorified wendy
house with no electricity or running
water? How would the youngsters cope
with no Wi-Fi? What if it rained? We’d all
be pretty cramped inside it wouldn’t we?
The day arrived and the weather was
fine, perfect for sitting in a deck chair
in fact. Windbreaks were erected,
barbeques were lit, suncream was
applied, cold drinks were poured, and
we settled down to enjoy ourselves.
It was a delight. Kites were flown,
frisbees were thrown, fresh air was
absorbed, singed sausages were
consumed and a marvellous time was
had by all. Other than the fact we
listened to the Beatles via a new-fangled
wireless speaker instead of an actual
wireless, it could have been 1969 rather
than 2019. A proper, traditional family
day by the sea. From my deckchair, I
could watch the world go by with my
family all around me without a care in the
world. All of my reservations were blown
away by the sea breeze.
If you have a friend or family member
with a beach hut, I’d recommend
pestering them into inviting you down
there for an afternoon. You could even
perhaps combine the experience with
one of the cocktails from page 30!
Once you’ve recharged your batteries
with an afternoon in the sun (with or
without cocktails) and you’re full of beans
and looking for your next adventure,
have a look at the great range of
activitites and days out on the next few
pages, there’s bound to be something
there to keep you busy until I’m back in
September!
Have a fabulous summer!
Tricia
24 GOLDEN TIMES MAGAZINE JULY/AUGUST 2019