In the 1950's, young Martin Skeffington was taken by his parents, who lived at Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, on holiday each year, normally to the east coast, but sometimes elsewhere:

We also went to Southsea, with neighbours Mr & Mrs Hawkins, where I remember the shingle beach, nearly being knocked down by a car crossing the road, and a trip round Southampton Docks to see the Queen Mary. Again we had to travel from Leicester Great Central Station but this time south.

Martin Skeffington's parents 2nd and 3rd from the right sharing the sea air with neighbours Mr & Mrs Harry Hawkins 1st and 2nd from the right. The other two ladies are strangers.

The pier at Southsea, 1952

The smell of the smoke from the engines, the countryside rushing passed and the clickety click as the carriages went over the points was the stuff of childhood. We took this route also when we went to the Isle of Wight and stayed at Sandown. The train took us to Portsmouth Harbour where we boarded the ferry for Ryde Pier.

There we boarded little steam trains which took us to Sandown Station. It was on the Isle of Wight where I first sampled arctic roll - How did they get ice cream inside a sponge case?

Coming home I brought back an enormous fuchsia plant with which I successfully negotiated the crowds boarding the ferry - it seemed as if they were evacuating the whole island.

It was on the Isle of Wight where I discovered I needed glasses, where I showed my parents how I could swim in the sea. This was at Cowes, which Aunt Frances insisted in pronouncing 'Coos'. I must have been 11 or 12.


Other seaside towns where the Skeffingtons went on holiday to included Cleethorpes, Skegness and Southsea.

The liner Queen Mary at Southampton Docks, 1952