Nothing lifts the mood more than a sea view-sit back and watch the waves ebb and flow

FIVE OF THE BEST DRIVE-ON BEACHES IN THE UK

1 Pendine Sands, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire Originally known for land attempts at the world speed record in the 1920s. You can drive on for a small fee but there is limited access as it is partly owned by the Ministry of Defence. 2 Black Rock Sands, Porthmadog, Gwynedd There are miles of sand here, which you can drive onto if you pay a small fee. 3 Ainsdale Beach, Lancashire You can drive and park on this beach from May to September. 4 Benone Strand Beach, Co Londonderry Beautiful long beach with views to Scotland and Donegal. Dogs are welcome, but there is a dogfree zone from May to September. 5 Brean Beach, Somerset Cars can be parked on the beach in certain areas, though some signed sections are muddy. Dogs and horses are welcome. Campervan hire, from £325 for a short break (Friday to Monday), Pembrokeshire Classic Campers (07816 119490; pembrokeshire classiccampers.co.uk).

TAKE A SEAT Pack up a collection of deckchairs, stools and cushions in jaunty stripes.

Opposite Campervan curtains in Fredrika cotton, £4/m, Ikea. Steamer chair in Suffolk Stripe, £120; rocking deckchair in Suffolk Stripe, £70; camping

stool in Suffolk Stripe, £25; Pembridge picnic basket, £42; Perfectly Drinkable bottles, £4 each: all Garden Trading. Wicker

basket (next to steamer chair), similar from Not On The High Street. Cushions made from Ascot Stripe, £29.50/m, Ian Mankin. Home Front enamel

mug (next to van door), £6.99, Temptation Gifts. Fishing net, from a selection, ebay.

Quilts made from Hobbs poly-down wadding, £13, Hobbycraft; Bilbao Chalk cotton, £18.50/m, Villa Nova; Deep Sea cotton by Emily Sutton, £66/m, and The Captain’s Pattern cotton by Jonny Hannah, £48/m, St Jude's

SHORE FINDS Sandcastles have a timeless appeal for children; comb the shoreline for interesting pebbles to decorate them.

This page Cushion made from Ascot Stripe cotton, £29.50/m, Ian Mankin. Camping stool, picnic basket and bottles, all as before. Catapult (in basket) from a selection, Etsy. Pebbles

painted in Sky no 9; Sage no 5; Rose no 8; Ruby no 10 pigment paints, £5.99/125ml each: all London Vintage Paint Company. Boys’ shorts and T-shirts,

all from a selection, Boden. Fishing net, as before

SEASIDE MEMORIES Children love racing along the sand, bucket in hand, to find shoreline treasures.

Opposite Girl’s cotton-rich short denim dungarees, £16, Marks & Spencer. Buckets and spades, from a selection, ebay

LUNCH BY THE SEA Pack a mix of practical picnicware, such as enamel or melamine cups and plates, miniature milk bottles and a traditional coffeemaker that you can use on a small camper stove.

This page, left Campervan curtains, as before. Ice-cream cups, £3.50 (for eight); paper

cups, from £2.25 (for ten); wooden cutlery, £3.99 (for ten of each); straws, £2.85 (for 25): all Pipii. Pezzetti Luxexpress two-cup moka pot coffee maker, £13.75, Espressodrinker.

Drinks bottles, from £1.99 (per 250ml) each; similar traditional enamel pie plates and coloured plastic containers: all Lakeland Above Picnic basket, bottles, camping stool, cushion and fishing net, all as before. Miner’s lantern in Dorset Blue, £8.50, Garden Trading