Holidays

Hello, I've opened a new topic title today. Memories, or holidays planned, disappointing holidays, whatever. Anything to share? Looking at past photos of holiday venues, it's hard to imagine that a bloke wearing a suit could be sat in a deckchair, sometimes wearing a tie, but supposed to be a holiday. What do we think?

The holidays I've taken were never still for very long. Even when on a beach I had to be building a sandcastle or hunting for shells. Most holidays were in search of views, so if there was something lumpy I'd end up at the top of it... transport permitting. I've never seen the appeal of mountaineering, but boats, chairlifts, cable cars and railways have transported me to some fantastic locations. Museums, tick. Old buildings, tick. Coventry's highlights, tick.

Now here's the thing. I have been longing to air this one. Holiday Camps. I won't name it as it may still be in existence. Very popular in the late 50's. Arriving with my friend and her parents we had travelled by bus and I just had to go to the Ladies. I quickly left the bus and saw the Lad.....sign half hidden by the landcaping of bushes and trees so off I scampered and as soon as I went in found what was obviously the Laddies. Instead of course the Lassies which were round the other side. I came out as quick as a rabbit and it took all the weeks holiday to live it down.

Some of you know although I love Cov - I also love Italy so we're hoping to be returning to our happy place back to Lake Garda during the summer hols...............

One of my most memorable holidays was in my late teens. My friend and I booked a package holiday to Austria, cheap because we were still on junior wages. We started off flying from Southend to Luxembourg. Nearing the south coast my friend said one of the propellers had stopped going round. ( you can tell how far back I am going ) so we had to land at Bognor Regis Airport and wait some time for things to be sorted out, we weren't able to go into the airport building as we had been cleared through customs so we had to sit in a sort of shed. We eventually got going again and arrived in Luxembourg. Arriving at the hotel late they had stopped serving meals so we had to go and find something to eat in strange streets. As we were travelling by coach the next morning we had to be ready for the coach for 6am. Got on the coach nd it wouldn't start for a bit so we were late leaving there. We travelled mostly on the Aoutobahn with 1 stop, no loo on board of course. Arrived at Myrehofen late again to find we weren't actually staying in a hotel but many of us were dropped off at various residences. We had the bedroom in an old ladies flat but we never saw her, breakfast was layed out when we got up but she had gone out. We had vouchers for Lunch and dinner meals at various hotels in the town. Fortunately the rest if the holiday went well apart from going up in the ski lift and waiting to come down at lunch time they shut it down so they could have their lunch so we had to wait another hour and then be rushing round to find a hotel we could get a meal at. Yes, a memorable holiday but not for all the right reasons.

Hello, Thank you for your holiday stories. Please keep them coming. Fancy holidays or simple. I'm all for simple, you know me. I remember a group from Coventry traders guild, being on holiday in Eastbourne, where they joined a mystery coach tour, that came to Coventry. You ave' to laugh!

Hello, Thinking of that mystery tour event, that may have had quite an effect on me, a twelve year old at the time. I was on holiday with my mum & dad at the same hotel in Eastbourne. Mum & dad weren't much for traveling far on hols & boring me spent most of my time trainspotting. At evening dinner, the mystery tour group were full of their enjoyment. Having had lunch at the Leofric hotel, then tea in the Cotswolds. That's when I realised that other than rail routes, I hardly knew anything about where I lived. We travel hundreds, possibly thousands of miles, to various resorts, when I didn't know my own back yard. My current volunteering takes me all over the Midlands, so I'm able to make the most of it.

Very true Philip. I found driving into Coventry so stressful that when I lived there, I only ventured into the centre a few times a year. For a brief period I went to evening classes at the Poly but for the life of me, I've no idea where I parked or how I got there. I just remember massively tall lamps over the street level carpark. I'm afraid to say that I knew almost nothing about the city's history, buildings or people. I thought Godiva was a myth.

My volunteering took me to Shirley yesterday, which when completed, I boarded the following train, to the boundary limit of my Westmidand bus pass. It's nothing more than a park & ride, yet in the middle of the day it was so pleasent, even with a few spots of rain. It started to brighten up, so I went back to Shirley, bought a meal deal from the local Sainsbury's, then returned to Whitlocks End & relax in middle of nowhere.

Are you sitting comfortably ? Then I'll begin . It's 1983 . I booked a villa holiday in Menorca several months in advance for myself , wife and son .I chose this particular villa because it was on a golf course and I was mad keen on the game and because it had a pool and was near a lovely little bay with a sandy beach - perfect. A week before we were due to fly I got a letter saying my holiday was cancelled and offering me my money back , minus admin charges etc .Apparently the villa had not actually been built .We were disappointed and pretty annoyed . I phoned the company and asked what the very realistic photos in the brochure were all about .Artistic impressions they said . I got very shirty and threatened them with Sale of Goods Act , Trading Standards , Solicitors and so on and told them to find me another holiday PDQ . I didn't really know what I was talking about but it sounded pretty good to me. They offered another villa in another part of Menorca .I said "What about the golf ? " They offered free car rental . OK , I can live with that . We were flying with DanAir from Manchester at 0700 .We arrived at the airport just before 0500. Very long queue for check in. We were almost last in the queue , just a family of four behind us . Got to the desk only to be told "The flight's full ." " Can't be , our seat numbers are on our tickets ." "We must have made a mistake ." "Well unmake it , shift them from our seat and let us on ." "Can't do that , go to the DanAir counter and they will sort something out ." DanAir people said to take a seat and they would find out what the problem was .Couple of hours later watched our plane take off. About 1130 girl on the deck told the seven of us to go to the restaurant ( remember them ?) have a lunch on DanAir and they would carry on sorting out. Waiter very solicitous and attentive , lots of sirs and madams etc .We were so mad we had little appetite anyway . He eventually presented me with the bill and I told him DanAir were paying . "Oh , it's a freebie is it mate ?" We were told to get a taxi to Stockport station and travel by train to Birmingham where we were due to fly at 1900 that evening . On the train the steward spilt scalding hot coffee on my thigh , beautiful blister . I described his dubious parentage. Back then passengers waited in individual flight lounges , sort of large glass sided rooms . Our flight was delayed returning from Greece , new ETD about 2200. Saw our plane land and reps came around telling us to be quick getting ready for boarding so the plane wouldn't miss its slot . Another problem .Two passengers had checked in , their luggage was loaded but they were missing .Eventually they were found , all alone in another lounge . Off we go , getting the safety briefing on fast forward as we were taking off. Arrived in Mahon and met by a couple of reps with "You're the group who missed their flight are you ?" I told them they were mistaken . Taxi to our villa , pitch dark but seemed OK . Next day , actually seven in the b***** morning , another rep turned up to take me to pick up the car. We had a chance now to see the villa properly .It was beautiful , four bedrooms , roof solarium , massive gardens . Unfortunately no pool but we could share with the property next door .OK , no problem. We had a wonderful holiday , beautiful beach at Son Bou ,long afternoons splashing around the pool . There was a lovely elderly German lady who swam for an hour or so every day .She always said "Hello , Guten Tag ." Our last morning arrived and the rep turned up for the car and then asked us to take our luggage next door where a minibus would collect ourselves and the people from there . "I'll give you a hand ." The rep offered and picked up a case. She took the case and started walking to the villa on the other side ! We'd been using the wrong pool. We had been swimming in a private pool with the owner there and she never said a word . Both DanAir and the villa company are , not surprisingly , long gone.

I feel a few grey hairs coming on just reading that! Glad it had a happy ending. We flew Dan Dair quite a few times to Bern in Switzerland. It was one of those airports that was really too short for jets, so landing was always a bit dodgy. I swear some of the flats on the landing path had skid marks on the roof. The terminal was literally a wooden hut but you were out of passport control in about a minute. The only real drama was one time it was too hot for the plane to take on fuel and we had to stop off on the way back. A curious sight to see the pilot have his credit card go through the carbon copy device before we could take off again.

A Weymouth Holiday I'd like to tell a story from way back in my youth. My memories might have faded, but most of it is truth. These days, a holiday might mean an airline trip or cruise, But way back then these options weren't among those you could choose. I guess I was nearly five years' old; my sister only three. And Mum and Dad decided it was time we saw the sea. For Coventry kids that used to mean a tortuous six-hour drive In grandad's jet-black Austin 10, which only seated five. But with gran and grandad in the front, and mum and dad in the back, We kids were nice and comfortable, sat on our parents' laps. Young uncle Tony had to follow on his motorbike; Fiancée Pauline on the pillion seat, which she really didn't like! Now, bits of the old A429 were built by the Romans, you know! Through green and healthy farmland where ancient crops still grow. And they're lined with old, thatched cottages built of Cotswold stone. An ochre-coloured sandstone with a beauty all its own. And the villages' names, like Moreton in Marsh and Stow on the Wold, tell tales Of when England was a pleasant land criss-crossed by these Roman trails. With ancient Brit names mixed with Latin, these towns can help you learn, Like Cirencester -the Choren castle, on nowadays river Churn. Then Salisbury to Dorchester via the Downs, and all was going well, Till uncle Tony's motorbike began to smoke and smell! At the top of a long, relentless climb, the motor breathed its last, And we all searched for a good Plan B - and needed it quite fast! So I was sat on grandma's lap, my sister on dad's knees, And Tony cuddled Pauline, on his mind the birds and bees. We stopped at a garage in Dorchester; the mechanic was very kind; He'd try to fix the motorbike we'd had to leave behind. So, just to recap, there we were - all eight of us in the car, Crammed into the Austin Ten, hoping it wasn't far. The afternoon had been so hot and, packed in like sardines, The only ones enjoying it were those two in their teens! Twenty more miles to Weymouth; would we make it before dark? In time to pitch the tents in the Caravan and Camping Park? The Park was almost full when we arrived, dog-tired and late, And the only spot for campers was over by the southern gate. So we pitched our tents at the back of the Park, in the shelter of the hedge. Oblivious to how close we were to a hundred-foot cliff edge. It was a dark and really stormy night - the wind gusts shook both tents, So mum got up to close up all the flapping tent's air vents. In doing so, she brushed against my dad's antique bike lamp, Which then crashed down from off the roof and woke the entire camp. With screaming kids and howling dogs, the site a sea of mud, At midnight, the storm got worse; we heard a massive thud! But morning came; we tried then to forget our sleepless night. But the story on the radio news gave us all a real fright Describing how a caravan, that was parked two fields away, Had been blown right off the cliffs there and landed in the bay. The occupants, by lucky chance, had left the van and fled, And had spent the night in the Dog and Duck - the local pub - instead! The new day dawned quite sunny, so we went to see the sea, And to look for where the caravan fell and check out the debris. My sister and I, with our buckets and spades, building our sandcastles, And the grownups, fish and chips and beer, oblivious to all the hassles. That mechanic came with Tony's bike, the motor running true, But all good things must reach an end, and holidays do too. Now, thinking seven decades back, I wonder what I'd choose. A family outing just like that, or a million-dollar cruise? I might not choose an Austin Ten; perhaps we'd go by train, But if I were only five years old, I'd want to do it all again!

In the 1960's my wife and I went to Mallorca. We stayed in a nice new hotel near a beach.What we didn't know was that they had not finished building it. after a couple of days my wife had a shower and said there was someone watching her through a hole in the wall. After inspecting the hole we shrugged it off as imagination. At a later date there was a storm and water cascaded down the stairs as a waterfall. That was when we realised that the buiders were still there and hadn't finished the roof. Later still we were in the bar when the ceiling started to bulge in one spot. The manager removed one of the bamboo poles from a decorative display and punctured the bulge to release the water then casually replaced the pole and moved away. On one occasion we were at dinner in the dining room and water began to spurt out of the middle of one of the support pillars near us, so we had to move. We arranged a day trip to the other side of the island and the hotel provided us with a packed lunch. I carried this with me when sightseeing with the rest of the coach party and began to notice that we were surrounded by a cloud of flies but ho other passengers were. At an opportune moment I chucked the lunch behind some rocks and that solved the problem Depite these problems we did enjoy the holiday.

I think I have seen that Hotel on one if the Carry in films ! Sounds horrific.

Anne , I don't think that experience was unique in the early1960;s that is probbly where the idea for the film came from. Believe me the events I described are authemtic