MORECAMBE PROVES A WISE DECISION
PETER MILBY spends a great daddydaughter weekend at the seaside
‘BRING me sunshine’ sang comedy legend Eric Morecambe all those years ago. The meteorologists must have been listening because it was an absolute scorcher when my daughter and I visited the seaside town that shares his name.
After a fairly late arrival on the Friday, we were early to rise the next morning so we could make the most of the glorious weather. We loaded up the pushchair with buckets and spades, slathered on the factor 50 and set off on the 15-minute walk to the sweeping promenade.
The first thing that strikes you is the spectacular sea view, the curve of Morecambe Bay stretching away in all its glory. With clear blue skies and the sun blazing away overhead, we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day beside the seaside. We wandered along the pedestrianised prom looking for a spot to stop and build some sandcastles and we didn’t have to walk far to find what we were looking for.
The highlight for me was seeing the statue of the aforementioned Mr Morecambe, although it’s fair to say that dad was rather more impressed than daughter. Perhaps she prefers the work of Eric’s comedy partner Ernie Wise...
Our base for the weekend was Parkdean Resorts’ Regent Bay holiday park. On site there’s a whole host of things to keep families entertained, be it the heated indoor swimming pool, amusement arcade or entertainment at the family showbar, which is open from 6pm til late showcasing a variety of live entertainment, from singers to comedy acts, bingo and more.
Alternatively, you could just relax with a drink and a nice meal in the Boathouse Bar and Restaurant. The menu was varied with options to suit everyone – the fish and chips was particularly good.
There’s also an outdoor adventure play area and multi-sports court, a handy convenience store, plus numerous activities for little ones. We opted for the Diddy Dinos session on the Sunday morning, where my daughter created a rather fetching dinosaur headdress as well as a balloon T-Rex, both of which she had a great time making.
There are children’s activities suitable for ages from birth to 10 years throughout the week, so lots to keep the youngsters entertained.
We enjoyed a splash about in the pool, although my daughter is not the most confident when it comes to being in the water.
A special mention must go to the lifeguards who couldn’t have done more to help her settle once we took the plunge.
We stayed in a two-bed holiday home which was clean and comfortable and suited us down to the ground. My daughter even went so far as to say it’s the best holiday home she’s ever stayed in. She may be a three-year-old who has never stayed in one before, but her assessment was pretty good, I must say.
The living area was spacious with a huge corner sofa that would comfortably seat far more people than a parent and toddler. There was also a dining area, plus a well-equipped kitchen with cooker, microwave and fridge/ freezer and everything you need to rustle up a meal. Bedrooms were cosy, with plenty of storage space for clothes and cases. Sadly, the infamous British weather put paid to any beach time on our final day, so we took the short drive over to Lancaster and visited a brilliant butterfly house at Williamson Park. Set in an Edwardian palm house, it’s home to hundreds of the exotic insects, while there’s also a minibeasts area along with an aviary to get a closer look at some of our feathered friends. After exploring, we headed to the cafe for a drink and a delicious piece of cake.
Not a bad way to end a brilliant father-daughter break.
So, back to that Eric and Ernie song, and a weekend in Morecambe had brought us fun, brought us sunshine and brought us a holiday that we loved.