Visiting the past...

This sofa is in Dulverton in a holiday let, and it is a strange comfort.

On a grey February day in 2006, our youngest 4 kids were struggling to wake up for school. They stumbled into our bedroom tousled of hair and bleary of eye.

‘Oh it’s started to rain!’ I said gaily as they groaned. I think one of them headed back off to bed. ‘Why don’t we go on holiday instead of going to school.’

The child stopped uncertainly, half wanting to believe me, but knowing it must be a joke…

They turned and frowned at me. ‘Seriously?’

I don’t know how many other parents have noticed this, but young children wake up early on weekends and holidays [when we want to lie in] and are so very tired and can't get out of bed on school days [when we are in a frantic rush]. The confirmation that we had indeed booked a week-end away for them, and yes we were leaving on Friday, and yes they would miss a day of school [you can’t do this now folks, sorry] immediately glavanised them into action.

They leapt off the bed whooping with joy; they were in their clothes, had eaten breakfast and brushed their teeth before I had finished my second cup of tea.

I can recommend this, people. Or no, I can’t because you will be fined £60 a day per child. But still.

We were in the car and off to Dulverton, which is a place nobody has heard of. I imagine it is a bit like Ambridge. A pub, a Pharmacy, a couple of tea rooms, a Church, a butcher and delicatessen and a solicitor. In the middle was the most useful building for us, which was the Library where we sat most of a rainy morning reading books – which I had to say was very much like going to school, but without the teachers. But the kids were happy.

We went on trips to Exmoor, saw wild ponies, ate in cafes and watched films in the evening. We even did a bit of art.

But the thing is, my husband and I came back here this weekend. We are in the same apartment looking over the main street, at the same table, by the same bookshelf that was here when our kids were small. Wait there – a visitor book is on the top, and if you turn back to 2006 my kids entries are there for me to read…

One boy who was 13 at the time and is now pushing 26 this year, wrote in the book; ‘I think this was one of the best holiday homes I have ever been in. It was really nice….’

The two youngest boys; ‘I really enjoyed my stay here,’ [9] and the youngest [6] drew a picture of the TV, which says it all really.

But it was reading the entry of my youngest daughter that was the most poignant. She was 11 at the time, and is getting married next month. She wrote;

‘I would probably say that was one of the best holidays I have had. I had an amazing time, I thought the village was great, loved the sofa and the little chair by the bathroom, the kitchen was amazing…it was the best… thanks very much.’

Thing is guys, your kids will leave you one day. Let’s make sure we give them good memories while we have them….