Holidays in 70's... those were the days!

Yes, that is me on the donkey (aged about 7 or 8 I think) - and yes, I feel sorry for him/her too!

Living near the Norfolk seaside, we're surrounded pretty much all the time with the typical British holiday scene: beaches and donkey rides, ice cream and donuts, "kiss me quick" hats and fish & chips on the pier. Whilst its great to see the bustle of holiday makers in the area at the moment (usually sitting on the beach wrapped in coats), I have to confess I prefer the out of season seaside resort. When you get to be the only nutter sitting on a bench on the prom eating chips while the wind blows all your vinegar off!

Now that Amy has just started her school holidays, its definitely got me into the holiday mood though. My childhood holidays were usually spent in motor caravans, touring the English countryside. We would camp where the mood took us, even on the beach at times. I still can't drive past a good, big lay-by on the side of the road without thinking "good place for the night"! Because we were usually in the middle of nowhere, the nights were usually pitch black - very thrilling for a Surrey townie like me. I seem to remember we all pretty much went to bed at the same time (not much else to do when it got dark!), and as a family we'd lie in our sleeping bags singing silly songs. My mum would recite that fantastic monologue by Stanley Holloway, "The Lion and Albert", then we'd all round it off with a blast of:

"Chips and Fish, Chips and Fish,

Eeh bah gum, it's a champion dish!"

There were other verses which have escaped my memory but that's probably because we'd all end up in fits of giggles before we got to the end of them. Aahhh, simpler times...!

This little ditty was the inspiration behind four new canvas designs I've just added to the website today - all designed to keep you in the seaside holiday mood, no matter what the time of year. Hope you like them! Simple, typographic designs in a choice of blue and white, or sand/navy and white, I think they are stylish but a bit of fun for your home too. You can find them in the "For Him" and "For Her" sections of the canvas gallery:

• Kiss Me Quick
• Sand Dunes
• Beside the Seaside
• Chips & Fish

Now, if anyone does know the rest of that song, do let me know!

Sarah x