SWANAGE  August 2015 Part One.


We usually have the kids at some point during the summer holidays. They come over to us and we have a few days out here and there. This year we thought it would be nice to take them away somewhere. We took them to our friends house in Swanage. Its just a little two up two down but perfectly fine for a short break. What we weren't planning was a week in the pouring rain.
Jo and Andy were also on holiday nearby in their caravan. We saw them most days which was lovely as the kids all had a whale of a time playing together.
First day on the beach.   RAIN !

 Abigail was not impressed, with Phoebe or the rain
Madelyn wasn't bothered by the rain. She just wanted to dig.
   

  

Grandad wondering if it was going to rain all week,umbrellas at the ready.

We did have a few dry spells and during one we went to Kimmeridge Bay. It's not a beach really just a very rocky shoreline, no sand at all. Its claim to fame are the fossils that can be found in the soft slate cliffs and in the rocks on the beach.

No idea what this creature is but it shows the layers of slate really well

Looking for that special find.

What was really quite worrying was the fact that bits of slate fall out of the cliffs all the time.Where people walk along the beach on it it turns into a crumbly grey mush. I guess that's why so many fossils get uncovered.

 Kimmeridge Bay

Jo and Andy suggested going to Lulworth Cove. It's  not sandy there either but it is very pretty. Grandad got lumbered with sorting out the kite but it wasn't windy enough and everybody bogged off to search for fossils and play with stones.

Who needs sand?

 

William discovered that when grown ups say "don't climb on the rocks, they are slippery" they really do mean SLIPPERY! He got soaked but in true William fashion laughed it off with good humour.

Lovely smiles. Madelyn just being cheeky

 We finished off the afternoon with ice creams. Yum.

We had a morning of sunshine so headed down to the beach sharpish. Understandably it was fairly crowded. William and Phoebe decided to dig a hole, as you do. Grandad was drafted in to do some of the preliminary work while the girls did some swimming

 Beach babe!

A "Baywatch" moment

A boy, some sand, some sun, perfection

 They dug for ages and made a car

 Wills just wanted to dig a hole. He sat there for the entire morning just digging. Phoebe helped and eventually they dug down to the manky black sand that nobody usually sees.

 Quite revolting.

 William had sat in the sand all day. He didn't want anyone else to "steal "it so there he sat. Of course the inevitable consequence of sitting in sand all day is that you get it in places where it clearly shouldn't be. We had no idea how to get it off without scratching his delicate little places! Phoebe had a few suggestions, none of them helpful. We got most of it off with the towel but in true fashion he just pulled on his shorts and said it would "just fall off by itself. " Most of it did I think, the shower sorted out the rest.