To be bloody fed up and ready to go home!

[annie987]

As is the case for many, we have missed out on a few holidays this year.
Our final holiday - a week in our caravan in Wales - was not cancelled and the thought of it has kept me going. I actually extended the 7 nights to 12!
Well we are here. The weather is shocking and is for the foreseeable. Thoughts of lazy days on the beach have not come to fruition. Instead, I am working incredibly hard to make it fun for everyone (Including two teens!) by planning outings in torrential rain (and all indoor activities are closed!) We are on the campsite next to the noisiest group of people who think playing music, swearing and shouting until 1am is acceptable!
I know I should be grateful that we have a holiday at all but it would be much easier to just go home and relax!! Obviously, I won’t but I want to!!

We seem to attract rain wherever we go.

A summer day at the seaside in Australia...

I agree with EnidPruneHat. Any charm of a poor-weather seaside holiday is spoiled this year by the “amateurs” who don’t get it.

Having to book museums etc in advance is horribly depressing. I have stumbled upon many a good museum and the dcs love them - the more random the better! I don’t want to have to decide to go to the Mudflat Museum at 3pm on a Tuesday four weeks in advance and then find it crowded with bored people who’d rather be in Spain

@Bwlch

We seem to attract rain wherever we go.

A summer day at the seaside in Australia...

Me too! Landed in Australia on Christmas day, howling gale, lashing rain and puddles everywhere. Happens every time.

Any charm of a poor-weather seaside holiday is spoiled this year by the “amateurs” who don’t get it

I love the "amateur" reference. We are definitely poor weather seaside holiday professionals. Another summer day at the seaside. Still Australia, different part, different year.

OP that sounds like a nightmare, don't blame you for going home!

We came home from a week in Pembrokeshire on Sunday, we do live in S Wales where it doesn't seem to rain as much as elsewhere, our weather is usually a bit more like the SE although cooler. But any further West or North is definitely a gamble! I studied in Swansea and I swear it had its very own climate.

Anyway, we were lucky with the Pembs weather, it was dry almost every day and boiling hot for two. We weren't camping though, my parents own a property there. Very lucky as it meant plenty of space/TV/games even if the weather was shite! I don't do camping, threads like this remind me why!

[quote OohKittens]@AdobeWanKenobi that really is shit but so typical of the place. It is hyped up as some amazing destination but it's basically mud, dog shit, rain and disappointment [/quote]
We used to take our now adult kids most years to Pembrokeshire and loved it. We'd stay either in Saundersfoot or Tenby. Shops were always open and always something different, little cafe's etc
Over the years that seemed to change, the pound shops spread, charity shops were everywhere and it was all the same. Expensive and closing early.

We'd always been lucky with weather and the odd rainy day we did have we'd go to Heatherton or Folly Farm. One year we made the mistake of going to Oakwood. Less said about that one the better.

I initially concluded I'd just gotten old and fussy in my expectations of a UK break, but I think it's more that seaside towns have changed so much they don't meet the memories I had of my children and my own childhood.

What I love is the people who come on these threads and post recommendations for things to do like building sandcastles on a rainy beach or going for a rainy walk as if that would be the most fun ever for the whole family to do when the OP has already said it's shit. No amount of hot chocolate after being in the rain will make it amazing. Giving options which are still shit will not make it less so. Go home OP, your family will thank you for it.

Oakwood is basically one big wasp nest, it really is terrible I haven't visited since someone died there. When I was a child you could pay £5 and go after dark 5-11 and it was fantastic (early 90s) but it's so run down now.

@OohKittens

Oakwood is basically one big wasp nest, it really is terrible I haven't visited since someone died there. When I was a child you could pay £5 and go after dark 5-11 and it was fantastic (early 90s) but it's so run down now.

I think it was not long after that death we visited and it was a shit tip then, Trip Advisor tells me it's not improved. Shame really as it could be really good for the area.

North Pembrokeshire is nice, Strumble Head, St David's, and Newport. Best sunset I've ever seen was at the Parrog.

If “hot chicijate” features in your summer holiday, you know it’s been pretty shit.

@Friendsoftheearth

Or bloody 'family time' come to think of it alexis I have had enough f*cking quality time with my dc to last at least one life time probably two!

#making memories #drowning in family time #mykidsaresickofthesightofme

You took the words right out of my mouth!

I love Pembrokeshire. I grew up there and we're taking 6yo DS for our annual 2 week holiday at Whitesands on Saturday.

Admittedly it might be different when he's a teenager but I liked it.

How is it going op?

I think we have ALL had enough of the summer period, if I could press fast forward to new years day and for this year to be over I would!

We are currently in the car on the way home! And I’m thrilled!
Thank you to everyone for your suggestions and humour - kept me going!

Couldn’t agree more with the hot chocolate comment! Also pretty disappointing if your SUMMER holiday features a “roaring log fire” it’s supposed to be summer not sodding Christmas.

@MinnieMountain

I love Pembrokeshire. I grew up there and we're taking 6yo DS for our annual 2 week holiday at Whitesands on Saturday.

Admittedly it might be different when he's a teenager but I liked it.

It's so beautiful, not just beaches but lots of lovely places not far away. Our Pembrokeshire holiday was one of the best ever.

It is such a pity that op's holiday coincided with bad weather when you think how hot it has been here until not long ago. It started to rain about the same time last year, I remember that because went to a funeral where everyone was soaked.

One year we went away somewhere (can't remember where), towing a caravan and it poured down all week. We had to be towed out of the site with a tractor because the 'van had sunk into mud. It's funny to look back on. However that was the end of caravanning for us, we sold it and never looked back.

I am sick of the heat now and long for the summer to be over, and a fresh autumnal day - hot chocolate and roaring fires sound amazing! Can we add snow and/or crunchy leaves!

We have cancelled our Florida holiday due to corona and have come away to Suffolk. The weather has been good (For the U.K.) but there’s bugger all to do. Just sit on the beach, walk round the town, rinse and repeat. The cottage cost us £2000 for the week. If the weather was bad it would be horrific. It’s made DH and I realise we NEVER want to holiday in the U.K. again! A tatty ‘shabby chic’ cottage for nearly the same price as a 5 star hotel for the week in the states. The prices in the U.K. for the experience you get is a disgrace and you can’t even rely on the weather.

Exactly why holidaying in the U.K. will never be the ‘new normal’.

Holidaying in the UK was the 'old normal' for lots of people to be fair.

I'm still chuckling at the idea of Teenagers enthusiastically building sandcastles in the rain

I must show DH this thread. When our holiday was cancelled due to covid he suggested we go camping in Wales, in a tent, with a 6yo and hyperactive 2yo. My response was "Ok, have a nice time!" He hasn't mentioned it since.

We’ve cancelled our September holiday in Italy. It WAS booked for May. Rescheduled (by the hotel) for September. Am thinking well never get there.

@welcometohell exactly. The weather isn’t good/consistent enough. And it’s expensive.

Holidays in the UK can work but they don't work well with having to book attractions in advance. We had perfectly good UK holidays as a child, our parents would come up with a list of the local attractions and allocate them depending on the weather for the day. Now you'd have to try and predict the rainy days and hope to get a slot and if the weather changes too bad.

@CharlottesComplicatedWeb

We’ve cancelled our September holiday in Italy. It WAS booked for May. Rescheduled (by the hotel) for September. Am thinking well never get there.

Why did you cancel? We booked a holiday in Italy in November, for September. As things stand we are going.

We cancelled because of the possibility of quarantine and DH was shielding (has a condition). The hotel have been great in that they’ve said we can look again, in the New Year.