Share your favourite holiday memories and anecdotes, your favourite destinations and why they are so - from Wales to Wyoming, Bognor Regis to Barcelona, Pontin's to Prague.....

We've all been on them so let's re-open that memory suitcase.......

Butlins Bognor Regis 1963 ish - I threw my shoe in the fountain!

Well I don't actually remember throwing my shoe in the fountain as I was only 18 months old, but apparently I did! I even have a picture of me in front of the said fountain with the very shoes on! (obviously taken before I threw it in the fountain) :blink:

A 4 day trek into the jungles of Borneo in December 1995. Went on longboats for some of the trip, stayed in Longhouses, and saw shrunken skulls. Explored one of the biggest cave systems in the world, saw them gathering birds nests (for the soup). Then watched over a million bats snaking out through the evening sky.


The memory will live with me forever - it was one of those once in a lifetime trips.

Oh my, so many places!


Best of all perhaps was Turkey, a fantastic place...hiring a tiny boat and discovering the many small islands around Fethiye...the sunsets, the exotic calls of the muezzins...the fabulous unspoilt scenery...the spice bazaars and wonderfull food. Time really stood still and I fell in love, hopelessly!

Reno...between bright lights and 24 hour fun and the silent beauty of the desert. The almost Alpine beauty of Lake Tahoe and real cowboys and native Americans :) Gosh I love Reno!

Fuerteventura, a desert island (MY desert island!) endless skies, endless white beaches, fabulous surf and brilliant people. Volcanoes, mysteries and roast kid with garlic! Mama Rumba Salsa Club, peace and quiet under an Afric sun.

I wish I was Michael Palin!

M

!

Reno...between bright lights and 24 hour fun and the silent beauty of the desert. The almost Alpine beauty of Lake Tahoe and real cowboys and native Americans :) Gosh I love Reno!


I wish I was Michael Palin!

M
You must try and get to watch "Gumball3000" if you haven't already. They stop at Reno en route to Miami from San Fran. Some of the landscapes shown throughout are quite breathtaking, especially as the sun goes down.

We all WISH we were Michael Palin.....

I miss AWOL Allstar. She'd love this thread.

Because didn't she used to go to holiday parks or something? She didn't talk about it that much.

cheerio!

A 4 day trek into the jungles of Borneo Explored one of the biggest cave systems in the world, Then watched over a million bats snaking out through the evening sky.


The memory will live with me forever - it was one of those once in a lifetime trips.
Sounds awesome "E-turn"

Japan...I swear they have the most high-tech toilets I have ever seen. Those toilets do everything. lol.

China...there's so much I could say about going to this place. It's one of those huge eye openers. Interacting with people of a culture so vastly different is just amazing. Seeing all the places I've studied in my classes on Chinese history was pretty cool too.

Arizona...it was a family trip several years ago..and we didn't plan anything for while we were there...just woke up each day and did whatever we thought might sound interesting. Having no official plans on a vacation is the best way to go i think...the most memorable moments I think are the spontaneous ones.

West Runton - Cromer.

I must have been about 10 and we were staying in a caravan. I remember running down the really steep sand dunes to the beach...you went so fast you lifted off the ground and felt like you were flying...

Wonderfull.

West Runton - Cromer.

I must have been about 10 and we were staying in a caravan. I remember running down the really steep sand dunes to the beach...you went so fast you lifted off the ground and felt like you were flying...

Wonderfull.

The fondest holiday memories for me were the caravanning hols also. The ones where the site was so close to the arcades that you could hear all the noisy effects (inc. the old bingo calling) while you had your pj's on and was all set for bed. Other holidays brought ocean views and I used to love looking out to the sea late at night and watching the lights of the boats twinkling away.

Wonderful always one "l"

Gosh sooo many memories.....

Camping in the New Forest - (early 1982) - I woke up on my sponge matress thinking I must have peed myself only too sit up and see my mum and brother bobbing around a huge puddle on their lilo matresses - Yes we had been flooded out.

Outward Bound - Aberdovey, Wales 1991 - Hillary Group - 3 weeks of fun adventure, back packing and problem solving - memories of flapjack with prunes, shattered scours (weather annoncement), the back of my trousers splitting as I sat next to my tent (in the middle of no-where).

2 amazing summers working on a summer camp in Washington DC - 1995+96 - to many amazing memories to list including the fabulous Yubba Yubba tribe, funky monkey and the knights that drive on the right side of the road and say nee!

Uganda 2002 - 1 month exploring this beautiful country - safari, dug out canoe trip, white water rafting and bobbing down the Nile and the monkey that stole the marmite sandwhich.

Los Angeles 2003 - My movie dream come true - seeing the sites, seeing the movie locations, visiting studios and seeing shows being made, blagging our way into a world premiere - road trip in a convertible to Vegas and gambling $5 in the Ballagio on the 5 cent slots.

Lots of other wonderful holiday memories inc. Snowdonia and the wasps.....Catalunya and the sanitary towel....Switzerland and the singing on the mountain side....Italy and Rome....Yugoslavia aid trip.....and learning where ever I have gone in the world people are amazing! :cool2:

Ooooh forgot to mention ref LA Trip in 2003 - I witnessed the Oscars and Morgan Freeman get his star on Hollywood Blvd. :cool2:

Gosh sooo many memories.....

summer camp in Washington DC - 1995+96 - to many amazing memories to list including the fabulous Yubba Yubba tribe, funky monkey and the knights that drive on the right side of the road and say nee!
......Monty Pythons....

For the first ten or so years of my life, I only ever thought there was one more country in addition to England - and that was "Wales". In fact, to attempt to rediscover those holiday experiences anytime now until the day I drop dead, would prove rather fruitless. You can't.

Your dad drives into the site for the first time, you're worried that for the next week here you'll be stuck with your sister the whole time. You get out of car, enter the caravan, have fight with sibling over the best sleeping quarters, help mum unpack for 8 seconds, grab your frisbie or black plastic bats with the yellow foam ball, trip over on the nasty metal steps, get mum to apply Band-Aid, try again to exit caravan, and the moment you step outside you've already made some new friends for the next 7 days in Joanne and Elaine from Warrington - the two girls from the caravan adjacent. The next day it's as if you've known them most of your life 'cos you're all off to Conwy Castle for the day with their mum and dad. the next day your own mum and dad return gesture and you're all off to Rhyl SunCentre. Life is grand.

Crappy fishing nets - you took them over to the largest pool and chased some elusive little ****** of a fish for an hour-and-half before you turn your attention to Mr.Crab who'll prove a much easier catch. Your curiosity of Mr.Crab means that you end up crushing his body between your little fingers 'cos you wanted to see how hard his shell was.....not very apparently! - sorry Mr.Crab.....

You see your first ever jellyfish....and you get a brief shiver down your spine 'cos they look f***ing hideous. Before your mum can shout "Noooooo!"
you've gingerly tested how wobbly it is with your foot and it recoils but thankfully this time you've avoided being stung. Then dad tells you all about Portugese Man-o-Wars and you swear to yourself you'll never go within a 20 foot radius of one of those buggers again.

South of France - Autumn 1991
I can't put into words how amazing driving across the entire length of France is, so I just hope you've experienced it yourself. The scenery is just fabulous - so much so that you don't even mind your dad's golden oldies playing on the stereo (tracks such as "My Little Runaway", "Going to the Chapel" etc etc - and even the Singing Nuns....O....M....G!!) One might even say it added to the experience...

Finally we reached our destination - Frejus, a few miles down the coast from St.Tropez (which I was later to discover had a topless beach - there is a God after all!!) Huge, and I mean HUGE tent/caravan site, and very nice set amongst the numerous trees. At one point it rained for 3 days solid, and it was absolutely deafening against the caravan roof. We took in Nice, Monaco, St Tropez, Marseille, and many other delightful places I'd never heard of. I shall definitely be doing that same drive myself sometime in the future. Perfect, perfect holiday.


Going further back to the first holiday I had any memory of - Newquay. It was a coach excursion involving all of my dad's workmates and their families. It was at that stage of your life where you are both conscious of what's happening - but at the same time don't know what the ******'s happening....
I recall getting pally with a girl on the coach and we must have been the only people still awake as it was dark and quite late. All I remember is her singing some dumb song ".....pleeeeease remember to tie a knot in your pyjamas.......etc etc...." When we arrived the hotel was amazing - I had endless hours of fun journeying from floor to floor via the elevators. My first ever dance was to be had here during one of the kiddie's evenings. I must have been 6, and she was about 5 - I fell in and out of love in a single evening and it was fabulous! I also won the stepping stone competition that followed the dancing. I can still remember everyones eyes cast on my new found partner and I as they clapped away. Ahhhh.....

Also been to Venice (Uni trip) nice little romantic place, and Paris twice - once with g/f - argued a lot, and once with best friend - argued a lot. If you want to remain in your current relationship, don't go to Paris. On the other hand........:)

I've renamed it the City of Quarrels....no it's actually an amazing place for those who haven't experienced it.

Oh yes, Gran Canaria (college trip) lots of booze, jet-skiing for first and only time. Was okay but it seemed they were still developing the area at the time. Nice place to walk your way through a holiday.....and very very hot!

Dunbar, Scotland - caravanning holiday. Most miserable weather I've ever experienced. I thought we were going to be flooded - it was quite a scary experience with us being right next to an angry North Sea! Took in Edinburgh for first time and Loch Ness (needless to say, the monster was shy on this occasion....)

Dublin, St Patricks' weekend, 2001 - with same friend I argued my way through Paris with. Wonderful place - lots of decent little clubs (we tried to find a club that, according to the reviews - was actually set in an old church. we were intrigued but it was a fruitless search and so we ended up at the "Boomerang" nightclub by pure chance, where we drank much Guinness for two nights running. And no, there's not a whole lot of difference between theirs and our own - not after your fifth anyway!

......Monty Pythons....

Yes...we even had a Tim who's nickname was 'The Enchanter' ...he was cute :wub:

In fact.....

New forest - Joe
Aberdovey - Ty
D.C. - Byron + Kerry + Tim (Discovered The Unicorn Song)
Uganda - erm actually Uganda was apes so no totty there.
L.A. - Venice Beach
Catalunya - Nathan
:wub:

A 10 day trip on a tall ship cruising the North coast of France was pretty amazing...Singing in the rigging...the Unicorn Song, Wild Rover, Drunken Sailor, Froggy, Mc Donalds Kitchen...in fact singing every where and anywhere and being followed back to the ship in Cherborg by the Gendarme....still singing and a little bit tipsy having led the rest of the ships crew astray (aahhhh Red Watch...the watch every one wanted to be part of)....The mad chef, the feeding of fishes (vomit fashion) and the adrenaline rush of the big storm....MARVELOUS! :cool2:

Dying and being brought back to life in Bangkok ... then being diagnosed with Vertigo!!!:laugh:



The Grand Canyon at dawn ... with three sleeping hcildren in the Camper van.


Seeing a ghostly camper van in Death Valley.


Running like an uncontrollable Penelope Pitstop down a hill in the Lake District, with my sister wetting her pants laughing at me.


Being in a mega huff on a Gondola in the romantic city of Venice, because some stinky family joined us in our gondola and I wanted it for just the two of us.


Coming across the real Santa Claus in Finland.

Caravan holiday at Berwick upon Tweed.

Staying at Port Merion in a cottage with another family, friends of my parents.
Us and their two boys sliding down the stairs in our sleeping bags.

Going to the Isle of White and having great fun in blackgang chine.

Going on a Navy boat somewhere and getting really annoyed with my brother cause he wouldn't let me look out of this binocular type thing on the ship. My mum has a classic photo of me looking daggers at my brother with my bottom lip pouting out:laugh:

Coach holidays of 5 days my dad used to arrange going either Scotland or Devon way, and playing Bingo at night in the hotel.
Oh and for some reason, one of these holidays I always remember watching the Rememberance Sunday service on TV.
Fancying one of the waitors at one of the hotels thinking he would go out with a 12 year old girl:laugh:

Seeing a ghostly camper van in Death Valley.
Coming across the real Santa Claus in Finland.

.....tell us more....... (on both counts) especially the ghostly encounter...

My mum has a classic photo of me looking daggers at my brother with my bottom lip pouting out:laugh:

lol

And you can look through anyones family photo album and there'll be a similar classic photo portraying almost-out-of-hand-but-mummy-has-it-under-control-type sibling rivalry.

If anything, holidays meant respite between sis' and I - one or two weeks break from 50-51 weeks of otherwise relentless hatred of one another.

.....tell us more....... (on both counts) especially the ghostly encounter...
Well - imagine? Late one evening, nearly dusk, driving towards and just about entering Death Valley - coming up behind a VW camper van, with net curtains billowing out of the side windows, and driving very slowly.

There was no driver!!! It just turned of down this track that [obviously led nowhere - well in my imagination] and disappeared.


And whilst walking in the woods in Finland - we came across a log cabin - the stuff dreams are made of - and we went to the door - and a huge, bearded man came out with big red trousers and boots, a t-shirt with braces - and he was Santa Claus. We went into the cabin and everything was oversized - and he sat our youngest on his knee and asked what he would like for Christmas - and there were lots of elves running about - it was magical.

There was no driver!!! It just turned of down this track that [obviously led nowhere - well in my imagination] and disappeared.


And whilst walking in the woods in Finland - we came across a log cabin - the stuff dreams are made of - and we went to the door - and a huge, bearded man came out with big red trousers and boots, a t-shirt with braces - and he was Santa Claus. We went into the cabin and everything was oversized - and he sat our youngest on his knee and asked what he would like for Christmas - and there were lots of elves running about - it was magical.
....magic mushrooms anyone....?

I'm so disappointed, I thought your story would scare the sweet bejesus out of me! I was expecting something akin to a "Hills Have Eyes" tale...

Flip.......
'Coming across the real Santa Claus in Finland.'

You aint at the masked ball now ya know!

TUT TUT

M