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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to go on holiday to... (moderately lighthearted)

28 replies

elfycat · 02/02/2017 22:52

Portsmouth.

We live in Suffolk now, but the DDs (8&6yo) were born around the West Sussex/Hampshire border. I want to go back on holiday to where we were and show them:

  • The church where DD1 and I were Christened, which is historically very interesting.
  • Historic Dockyard with the Warrior and Victory that the DDs wandered around as babies (OK they were mainly asleep in a wrap). The Mary Rose which we've watched the raising of on YouTube etc. And the harbour tour.
  • The Billy Line walk that I took them on organised weekly walks that kept me sane (so not kidding) when they were newborn.
-Marwell Safari Park - It would be free as we have Colchester Zoo membership.
  • Portchester Castle. Also free as we have English Heritage membership. DD1 will be doing Romans soon and they left some stuff (the huge wall) there.
  • Fishbourne Roman Villa. See above, we get a discount and the mosaics are unbelievable.

DH hasn't said no exactly, but he keeps dragging me off to Yorkshire on holiday (his employer has a cottage for staff. Amazing location but there can be an issue with a noisy neighbour working fog signal station )

AIBU to want to want to go to Portsmouth?

OP posts:
Crispbutty · 02/02/2017 22:58

YANBU

I took dp to Bolton last year.. and bury and Blackpool

That's where I grew up and where my parents are buried.

We went to lots of places of historic interest and also places of my misspent youth.

It was good fun.

WhoKn0wsWhereTheTimeG0es · 02/02/2017 23:05

Absolutely not, we live not far away and love all those places (well, the DCs hated Fishbourne Roman Villa, thought it was beyond boring) but the rest is all good. I remember going to the beach after school to watch the Mary Rose being raised.

Original poster
elfycat · 02/02/2017 23:19

DDs will love Fishbourne. They love 'art' (rolls eyes. Today we bought storage drawers for all their colouring/art stuff. There's a drawer for our beachcombing supplies which we make mosaics from). If I tell them it's 'art', and about the edible snails in the ground they'll be disgustingly enthusiastic.

Not dissing Yorkshire. I love it there and we are going this summer. It's a lovely cottage at a very good price but I want to show them the stuff they were too young to remember.

The fact I've posted here has already made DH look at possible self-catering options Grin

OP posts:
Fizzyknickers · 02/02/2017 23:21

Nope. My Dd's dad is from Surrey but his dad was in the navy so we holidayed down there to show the kids similar sights. we live up north.

WhoKn0wsWhereTheTimeG0es · 02/02/2017 23:37

Mine love art too, but they really moaned about Fishbourne (they went with grandparents, I've never been).

PandoraMole · 02/02/2017 23:41

Yanbu at all, although ironically I live quite near Portsmouth and am finally (after 7 years of now STBXH saying no) going on holiday to Yorkshire this summer Grin!

Original poster
elfycat · 02/02/2017 23:44

Dh is currently Merchant Navy. He was Army, which is why we were down there when DDs were born (and how we ended up in Suffolk).

It was pretty down there. I do love the South Downs and the Sussex coast. I was born a few roads back from the East Sussex coast and most of my family live within walking distance of the English Channel.

OP posts:
Original poster
elfycat · 02/02/2017 23:48

Pandora You will love Yorkshire. I don't care which bit you're going to it's all gorgeous. We're near Bridlington the first full week after Summer break starts.

If you are anywhere near Whitby I strongly recommend seeing if they're having a touring theatre group putting on a play within Whitby Abbey. Their 3 person 'Dracula' was a tad amusing (British understatement at play here). We'll plan our day out there according to the English Heritage timetable for events.

OP posts:
MrsderPunkt · 02/02/2017 23:53

Four on four off!

FireInTheHead · 02/02/2017 23:53

I have so many happy memories of my 3 years as a student in Portsmouth. There are so many very pretty and interesting places around there, sounds like a lovely holiday for your family.

Original poster
elfycat · 02/02/2017 23:53

Three on, Three off...

OP posts:
MrsderPunkt · 02/02/2017 23:54

(the lighthouse)

PandoraMole · 02/02/2017 23:54

I lived briefly in Waterlooville as a toddler before moving to West Sussex and went to college in Portsmouth.

We're staying near Haworth first week of August, just me and DD...can't wait!

Hope you get your break in Pompey.

Original poster
elfycat · 03/02/2017 00:07

Our view (and noise from neighbour if this works)

OP posts:
MillionToOneChances · 03/02/2017 00:29

All night??! Shock

ForalltheSaints · 03/02/2017 07:17

Going to show them the places of your youth or theirs seems a good idea to me.

TiredBefuddledRose · 03/02/2017 07:23

I live in Portsmouth!
Don't forget to take them to Staunton Country Park and the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum just outside Chichester x
And all kids love to watch the iow hovercraft coming on and off Southsea beach.

WhoKn0wsWhereTheTimeG0es · 03/02/2017 09:29

I still love watching the hovercraft come and go Smile

ShotsFired · 03/02/2017 09:56

I went to the Dockyard last year and loved it - especially the Mary Rose. Fabulous and we will return to see the rest of it because it def takes more than a day trip!

However one note - I recall some mention of them closing the MR exhibition for some extensive maintenance at some point, so do check before you turn up and get disappointed.

LemonyFresh · 03/02/2017 10:04

You can also go to the Isle of Wight for the day on the hovercraft they would love that.

Original poster
elfycat · 03/02/2017 10:09

MillionToOneChances

It beeps twice, then pauses for 5 mins, then 2 more beeps. It does indeed go on all night. It went off for 36 hours straight one August holiday (it was foggy).

That's not the problem. It's when the mist lifts enough to stop the regularity, and then gets worse. So there might be a half hour pause at 1am, 3am, 4.30am, 5.20am etc. When it starts again I wake up. I took that clip outside, the cottage is double glazed so you can still hear it but not quite as loudly.

And to think we were dissapointed the first year when we didn't hear it once.

OP posts:
Original poster
elfycat · 03/02/2017 10:19

LemonyFresh

I would love that. My parents took them over for the day when they were baby/toddler and I didn't get to go!

DH is looking into self catering flats (Possibly Southsea).

OP posts:
FireInTheHead · 03/02/2017 16:31

Anyone know if The Still & West pub is still there in Portsmouth? Used to love that place, roaring open fire and big picture windows overlooking the Solent, spent many a happy evening watching the ferries and hovercraft come and go. Actually, think I'll google it, this thread has got me planning an itinerary to include Pompey next time DH and I come back.

TiredBefuddledRose · 03/02/2017 17:27

Yes the Still & West pub is still there!

Crumbs1 · 03/02/2017 17:43

We did it the other way round. East Anglia to Sussex. Lots to do with children locally and lovely beaches over on Isle of Wight. You could stay on South Downs if he didn't fancy a city break or New Forest isn't far. I'd go IOW and do a couple of day trips to Portsmouth though.