Our day out at the seaside

Yesterday Matt and I jumped into our automobile and headed south for a nice summers day out at the seaside. This may conjure images of sun, sand and swimming in Australia, but in England it means clouds, an icy wind and lots and lots of pebbles.

Our first stop was the coastal town of Worthing, a must see for me as it is where my Grandad grew up. We had a delightful lunch in a seaside cafe and watched the seagulls and a few brave tour
ists battle the wind outside from behind the glass.

A short drive on was the summer resort city of Brighton. After battling to find a car park big enough for our motorhome, we headed to the famous Brighton Pier for some holiday fun.

We exchanged some pounds for ride tokens and were quickly enjoying the ghost train, rollercoaster, dodgem cars, mighty mouse and log ride, many of which were a first for me (yes Matt, it is possible to have never been on dodgem cars before).

We also munched on the mandatory fairy floss, doughnuts and crepes seeing as we didn't have any parents telling us we couldn't and, as to be expected, it was deeply regretted.

After all the fun and excitement of the pier we walked to the striking Royal Pavillion, which is unlike any royal palace we had seen in London, and joined the masses lazing in the sun. That is one thing I have noticed here in England - the parks are full of sun bathing bodies. I guess it's because attempting to lie on their windy "beaches" is so unpleasant and in London impossible that they make use of the wind protected grassy parks. Needless to say they are a great place for a nap.

Another thing we noticed about Brighton and Worthing was that it seemed like we had stepped back in time. Although the buildings were so gaudy, the rides and arcades so wonderfully tacky and the music along the pier so from the 1980's, it creates a charming allure - a picture of when days were simpler, longer and slower.

'Our Day Out' had taken its toll so we dragged our tired and grumpy bodies back to the car. Apparently it's not that easy being a kid! We wound our way back to Horley through some breathtaking country side and down some remarkably narrow streets.

We finished the day with a much deserved beer and dinner at Ye Olde Six Bells - a pub in Horley built in 1450. Matt even had to stoop when ordering at the bar because the ceiling was so low. It's credited with being the second oldest in England having had a presence on the site since the 9th century.

We got home to realise it was only 7:30pm but quickly fell asleep before 8. That means it is now 3am and, after 7 hours of sleep, I am WIDE awake. It does however create the perfect opportunity to write this post :)