The Great British Holiday Camp#HaylingIsland

                        Relaxing by the pool at Sinah Warren holiday camp Hayling Island

                                      Stunning views of the solent from the pool

I spent a glorious day today courtesy of my lovely friend linda at Sinah Warren holiday camp on Hayling Island here on the south coast. Holiday camp is such an old fashioned term and concept, it takes me back to my childhood when families like mine, on lower incomes, escaped the drabness of the city for a holiday at the seaside.

The golden age for holiday camps was in the 50s and 60s, comprising of blocks of chalets within a boundary beside the sea, the camps offered entertainment and food for families on a budget. However, in the 70s holiday camps started to decline as people began to holiday abroad and by the 80s many had shut down.

Warners was the first large chain of holiday camps, founded by Harry Warner who opened his first site on Hayling Island in 1931. Having spent the day there today I felt it still had an air of that era, something charming and reminiscent of past times when people made polite conversation and dressed for dinner. It could be argued that because this particular camp is for adults only and consequently caters for the older generation, old fashioned etiquette prevails, it certainly made for a very relaxing atmosphere!

The outdoor pool is situated overlooking Langstone harbour, surrounded by sea and boats I felt as if I was floating on a cruise ship

I struck up conversation with two lovely ladies, Dolly and Grace, mother and daughter in their 80s and 60s respectively, Grace was sporting a beautiful costume complete with matching head scarf like a character from an Agatha Christie novel. I asked the ladies why they had chosen this location for their holidays, they said it was like being in Saint Tropez! And that's the thing, we tend to take things for granted, I live on this beautiful coastline but don't really appreciate it, I don't take regular walks along the beach or sit and contemplate all the natural beauty which surrounds me.

After a leisurely day of lounging by the pool and taking in the sea air I felt seaside drunk, a feeling of exhilaration mixed with too much sun and total peace, a heady mix. Fortunately I had prepared some steak burgers that morning and made a sweetcorn relish the night before.

Sweetcorn relish

Recipe
1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
100g caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
125ml white wine vinegar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 teaspoons English mustard powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
650g sweetcorn kernels (fresh or tinned)

Place pepper, onion, chilli, sugar, salt, 125ml vinegar and 125ml water in a pan, simmer for 5 minutes
Whisk flour, mustard powder, turmeric and remaining vinegar to a paste
Stir paste into veg mix and simmer for a further 5-10 minutes
Pour into warm sterilised jars, seal and cool
Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks

'Don't you wish you could take a single childhood memory and blow it up into a bubble and live inside it forever?'
-Sarah Addison

Hi-De-Hi
Love Donna xxxxxxxx