That if you were in Charmouth today and are a male above 13

[ThePosieParker]

building a damn that prevented small children from paddling in the estuary as you made it too deep one side and dry the other that you are a selfish twat that has no consideration for others?

Not only rough boys, who were rude to many Mums that intervened, but fully grown men organising the damn building.

Damn building is fine, it's a good activity, but then intimidating smaller children and mothers who wanted to remove the damns is shit. One builder, before lunch, did so and then would release the water swiftly with great excitement.

One father started shouting at me for removing one small damn that had been built and left for over ten minutes.

Then the rough boys came along and shouted at small children everytime they went near it.

Ruined lots of peoples' day, about four families left the beach altogether. .

Apparently the bloke who gave me a very evil look before making the mistake of having a go at me said I shouldn't ruin other people's fun and look after my own children. Poor man.....

I told him that part of being a responsible parent was teaching children that playing at the beach also meant considering others and whilst I hadn't intervened at the building stage I didn't see why it should be left there to ruin other people's fun. He called me a stupid woman and I responded as he was well over fifty wearing 'ripcurl' people in glass houses and all that!!

I did say the Ripcurl bit!! My mother was both shocked and embarrassed, the beach was entertained.

Ahhh Charmouth beach is my favourite beach in the world. I spent many a happy hour there as a child. To be honest the river was always a bit manky so I would have been tempted to go and play in the surf instead. It's got a very gentle incline.....or go to the rock pools up the beach - which are great.

I wish I had been there today I would have had a great time and just gone elsewhere.

Ah, the politics of dam building. A woman shouted at my boys last year for building one at Sandsend, apparently they were going to spoil the beach for everyone. Seeing that they were 5 and 3 at the time I don't think they were going to do too much damage. Grown men building dams is a bit sad though.

dam not damn......doh!! SORRY.

I really didn't mind the little ones doing it, especially as they just wanted to redirect the water, it was good team work and cooperation.

The river has been thoroughly cleared and cleaned.

"Grown men building dams is a bit sad though."

Oh I don't know, we have spent many happy hours building damns on a beach. Where's the law that says that you have to stop doing fun things just because you are an adult?

Having said that it sounds as though the dam builders OP encountered were being a bit inconsiderate. I don't know this Charmouth of which you speak so I have trouble picturing the scenario, any dams we have ever built would be on a much smaller scale.

I am thinking <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=dam&hl=en&sa=X&tbm=isch&tbnid=Voy-H64eyGmP5M:&imgrefurl=en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Glen_Canyon_Dam_%252526_Lake_Powell.jpg&docid=efykug6PgqxQZM&w=1280&h=826&ei=vqA5TvCuHImD-wbX0qydAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=147&vpy=160&dur=51&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=122&ty=122&page=5&tbnh=154&tbnw=205&start=32&ndsp=8&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:32&biw=1024&bih=485" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this but a bit smaller.

Surely there was enough beach for everyone? Or is it miniscule

Well they do sound a little inconsiderate but there is no shortage of beach at Charmouth - I'd have just moved along a bit rather than got het up tbh.

I had four children with me, to avoid the open sea and slimy rocks when sea had gone out it was the best/only place to play.

i think it's a bit sad that you told them off but i have no idea of the beach size etc

My dcs are 9,8,4 and 2.

I didn't tell anyone off!!!!

fortunately mine were at nursery.no sea view.no windows
maybe a wonky cd of beach sounds to stop them chewing the rugs
but then again no dam builders or anxieties about beach etiquette

It does sound odd

Why didn't you just build sandcastles?
And criticising his clothes? Not a good example to set the kids....

If grown ups do not know how to share and be considerate, I pity their children

Ooh we there today but further along. It was heaven warm sunny shallow sea fab rockpooling. Weren't near river bit though.

Tell scottishmummy what a ripcurl is please, because I don't know either.

was he wearing \link{http://www.rip101.com/product/Rip-Curl-Wetsuits-Rip-Curl-Dawn-Patrol-2-2-Shorty-Wetsuit-Blk-Bl-W.aspx\ this?}

Did you speak to any of the other families that left the beach?

So was the problem that their dams were actually effective and kept the sea at bay....or that they got pissed off when the little ones were breaking up the dams?

I was told I was anti-social last time I was on a beach.............for digging a moat around my daughter's castle. Apprantly digging on the beach is no longer acceptable.