Frinton on sea – prides itself in possessing NO ice cream kiosks around the beach area and is therefore spotlessly clean. It also has no arcades, amusement areas or in fact anything for older kids to do. So really, it’s genuinely the most perfect Jude beach you could possibly imagine.
This weekend, we took a family trip to Frinton on sea and it was fab. My definition of “fab” has drastically changed over the years and now I consider anything a success if, by the end of the day, Jude has a smile on his face. Thankfully this day was one of those.
We left late morning thanks to Elsa’s bassoon lesson and arrived in Frinton at a rather later than planned 2pm. The traffic wasn’t on our side so it took a bit longer than normal to get there. The children weren’t too fractious in the car and Jude even had a few moments snooze in the front seat.
First stop was to buy chips for the beach which we consumed sitting on the steps by the sand. Jude was so content, it was a miracle. Chip box in hand, he was happy to watch everyone go about their business – children whizzing down the ramps on scooters, toddlers splashing in puddles and a group of friends playing cricket by the waters edge. He loved it all.
How funny is this – standing in exactly the same pose!
I wanted him to feel comfortable the whole time so never asked him if he wanted to do anything. It all had to be Jude led. The girls were playing in the water or collecting shells so Jude and I chatted on the steps and relaxed in the warm sea breeze. Blissful. After a while, Jude said he wanted to go in the water (little did he know how flippin freezing it was). So holding Elsa’s hand, he wandered down the beach and stood, toes in water, laughing every time a wave tickled his feet. It was so great to see all three children having fun together. It doesn’t happen that often any more so was beautiful to witness.
Anyway, it was a super day out. The sun shone and Jude was at his best. We treated ourselves to ice creams on the nearby grassy bank, on our way back to the car. Jude coped perfectly with this additional transition to the day and sat happily on a bench, stroking a random dog who had wandered over to us and sat on Jude’s feet. He thought it was hilarious!
I have always loved the beach huts that line this typical English seaside. I was thinking to myself how wonderful it would be for us to own one of them, especially for Jude – it would be a great little space for him to chill out in when he needs somewhere for himself. He’d love it. But then I looked online at how much these bad boys cost. OUCH. Maybe not…
Anyway, I’m hoping this day is a vision of how the rest of the half term holiday is going proceed. Lots of happiness and fun for everyone involved.
I hope you’re having a great bank holiday weekend (if you’re in England!) – what have you been up to?
A x
