I've lived in Swanage for over 20 years , and never tire of telling others what a great little place it is, and it's great to see this happening in a National Newspaper ( Even if is The Mail....!! ) But it's not just because it's my own Town that I find Mr. Evans' article so appealing. What I really like is to hear of a Family , be they "Celebrity" or otherwise, appreciating the "simple" pleasures of Life. We are surrounded by ever increasing Technology these days, kids are constantly bombarded by more and more Machinery that Advertisers try to convince them they simply can't exist without , so it genuinely warms the Cockles of my Heart to walk along the Beach and see some youngsters construct a Sandcastle with paper flags flapping from the turrets, or to stroll along the Jetty and see a line of kids dangling Crab Lines into the water , eagerly trying for a catch.
We are constantly getting told by our Government that we are in for many years of Austerity , that we will all have to get used to spending less, so it's vital that we start to see the wonders of simple, inexpensive pleasures , and to realise that they can actually be far more rewarding than their more expensive alternatives. In my life , I've been fortunate enough to have seen some of the more exotic locations the world has to offer....I've seen a Storm over Ayers Rock, been on a train through the Canadian Rockies, paddled on Californian beaches, climbed up a volcano in Hawaii and slept under a blanket on the shore of The Sea of Galilee....All of those experiences will always stay with me, but the best Sunset I've ever seen was over Chapman's Pool....I can cycle there from home in under half an hour.....Some of the scenery I have within 30 minutes of my front door is as good and you will find anywhere in the world , and sometimes it's all too easy to overlook this , and to take it for granted. I try not to do this.....
The Government is currently running an expensive Advertising campaign to try and encourage people to take "Staycations" , to holiday in Britain. I'm all for this , and intend to try and see a bit more of our wonderful Island over the next few years. I'm slightly ashamed to say that I've seen more of Australia than I have of Britain. BUT.....The Government needs to realise that it's not simply enough to have Stephen Fry or Julie Walters telling us to take a British Holiday....It's money that talks, and quite frankly , it's bloody expensive to have a break in this Country. This needs to be looked at . We need to start realising that Public Transport should be run as a much needed Utility , and not as a way for Share Holders to make a profit. If someone in London is thinking of coming down to Swanage for a day at The Seaside , the thought of being stuck in a Jam on the M3 for 4 hours is likely to put them off.....Equally , the thought of having to spend over a hundred quid on a Family Rail Ticket would be just as much of a deterrent.
I would love to do a Barge Holiday on a British Canal , for example. It's wonderful, stress free, beautiful scenery , waterside pubs, camaraderie and escapism. It's also about a Thousand Pounds in the Summer. And for that we could all go to the South of France for a week. So we all do.....
It's not just about Holidays. I firmly believe that we ALL need to start exploring the simple things again. We know how to do it when we're 3 years old. When there's nothing more exciting than a Muddy Puddle to jump in. Then 15 years later , to attain that same level of wonderment , it takes a 400 quid iPhone with an endless array of Apps, or a shiny Sports Car , or a Jet Ski, or......
Give it a go.....Jump in a Muddy Puddle......Dangle a Crab Line......Build a Sandcastle ( and don't forget those flags....) Rediscover your Simplicity.......
Ah yes, I remember the lovely muddy puddles. I didn't jump in them though - I used to scuff my feet through the deepest ones to feel the cold water fill my best school shoes. This could only be done during a downpour on the way home from school, because that way it was feasible that the rain had done it and my mother would not give me a good old telling off. I loved the squelchy noise my shoes made with each step, the feel of the cold water soaking into my nice, white socks. Oh yes, I was a horrible child!
ReplyDeleteI didn't deprive my own children of muddy puddle pleasures though. After one very stormy night, my six year old son wanted to go out to play. I told him that's fine and it didn't matter about getting dirty as he was wearing his old play clothes. He took it literally and purposely sat in a muddy puddle. Well, what could I say? I could only laugh as I remembered my own stolen joys of muddy puddles...