The Britsh Seaside, Nostalgia and lashings of Ginger Beer............

"Hey you down there..."

"Who me"?

"Yeah you...the broad with the camera..Now I know I'm kinda handsome and look great against this beautiful blue sky but it's too good a day to waste in September. Stop taking my picture, get your lunch packed, grab the kids and follow me on down to Dorset...."

"But Mr Seagull, however much I'd love to I can't. My daughter has a star part at the Harvest Festival at our local church, she has to hold the 'H' up in the spelling of Harvest Festival. According to her it's a HUGE responsibility and they couldn't do it without her!"

"OK, OK, I'll let her off, let's all be grateful for a fruitful harvest, I know I am, but make an effort, yeah"?

So I did.

How I managed to get towels, changes of clothing, lunch etc, ready before our very own Child Star arrived home with her father I'll never know. As soon as I packed a bag, Beatrice would go along behind me unpacking it... At one stage I went downstairs to find her lying out on a beach towel, stripped down to her nappy with her sunglasses on. However much I tried to be annoyed with her for unpacking my bags, she did look funny!

Imogen arrived back with Mr PL and was promptly changed out of her Sunday Best, put into t-shirt and shorts and back in the car heading in the direction of Dorset. Mr PL did try and protest that by this time of day the road would be really busy but myself, captain Seagull, and the girls argued SO loudly he had no choice.

Now when Mr PL protests it's usually with very good reason and this time he was right...Us and half of the UK were on the A350 last Sunday morning, but hey, it was worth it...well I wasn't going to suggest otherwise. I can never admit that I'm wrong, well not to Mr PL anyway.

Two and a half hours later we arrived. Where? Studland Bay. A favourite haunt of ours, both Summer and Winter. A National Trust beach which just goes on and on, grassland, sand and beach huts. Shallow water inviting children to paddle, a lovely restaurant with tasty food and a great breakfast on a Winter's morning, and of course a lovely National Trust shop for me to peruse all the lovely gifts..... We love to walk on the beach in the Winter too, dressed in thick coats, gloves, hats and scarves, watching the horses gallop on by, wind beating against our rosey cheeks...

We were lucky, we managed to pick a day when a Triathlon had just taken place, so whilst making sand castles, we were able to listen to a great live band in the background and drool at the mouth with the smell of the hog roast. Too cruel for words for someone that's on a diet (Oh, and by the way is sat here typing away in her size 10 jeans...hurray...it's working!!).

Thought you might like to meet the family...

Beatrice - Aged 2.5 yrs, queen of eating sand and making a mess!


Imogen - Aged 4, future movie star


Mr PL - Aged OLD, and owner of a very large forehead! (He'll love me for that!)


Me (Petticoats) - Aged 36, not realising quite how much cleavage I was showing to the beach!

This will probably be the ONE and ONLY time that you get to see a picture of me. I HATE having my picture taken and realised recently that if something ever happened to me the girls wouldn't know what their mother looked like, probably a good thing!! Then they could imagine I looked like Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White.....

Well, after a fabulous time spent on the beach, we decided to stop off at Corfe Castle on the way home. I love Corfe, it's like stepping back in time, stepping into the pages of an Enid Blyton book.

We picked a great day too as there was a re-enactment weekend at the castle, everyone dressed in 17th Century costumes.

Now as fellow bloggers, most of you can imagine my total dismay when the battery ran out on my camera!!!! How much did I swear? (silently of course!!). The girls loved it, well that was until the battle took place and gunfire wasn't something that Beatrice took a shine too, I'm not sure what was the loudest, Bea's screaming or the gunfire!

How I struggled to leave and look around all the shops..... lots of shops full to bursting with loveliness. The girls dragged Mr PL to their favourite sweet shop whilst I snuck away to indulge in my favourite shop.... the Ginger Pop Shop.

This is a fabulous shop run by a lady by the name of Vivienne Endecott, a life long Enid Blyton fan. Enid Blyton holiday'd in the Dorset area three times a year for over 20 years and there are many links to local landmarks, particularly in the Famous Five series. Vivienne is dedicating her life to keeping her memory alive. She gives great talks and walks around Corfe Castle village; 'In the Footsteps of the Famous Five', which looks at how this part of Dorset influenced some of the world's best loved children's books.

There are also things for you to find;
The Wishing Chair outside the Ginger Pop Shop
The Famous Five storyboard at Corfe Castle railway station.
Malory Towers storyboard at Norden railway station.

Her shop is all about childhood and has views of the castle from the shop window, immortalised as Kirrin Castle in the Famous Five series and usually with the jackdaws flying around the towers.

I could have spent an absolute fortune in there in a very short space of time. There were 150 Enid Blyton titles, books and C.Ds, a fridge full of lashings of Ginger Beer, Ginger Beer kits and many books of childhood in the 1950's & 1960's. In the end I settled for a Ginger Beer kit (Where on earth am I going to put 26 pints of the stuff when we make it)???? Along with all these gorgeous postcards from the Robert Opie Collection to share with you all.

I used to love visiting the Robert Opie Collection at Gloucester Docks with my mother and grandmothers whilst they reminisced over all the beautiful packaging from bygone years. Unfortunately the developers came in and wanted to turn the lovely old warehouse the collection was housed in, into modern dockland apartments. The collection is now in Notting Hill I believe.

Do any of these bring back memories?

Metal Polish started to be made in a liquid form in Edwardian times; an early success was Brasso, launched in 1905.

Poster c1930.


Sunlight Soap Series
Lever Brothers was founded in 1885 when William and James Lever bought a small soap works in Warrington.
c1910 Magazine Insert


1940's Propaganda Series
The War Savings Campaign was set up by the War Office in November 1939. Local savings weeks became regular events supported by poster campaigns.
1940's Poster.



Cycle Series
Thomas Wall made ice cream a popular British taste from 1922, along with tricycles that sold tubs at 4d. and snowfruits at 1d.
Leaflet 1930.

When We Were Young Series
James Robertson began selling marmalade in 1864. The Golly symbol was adopted by the company as its trademark in 1914.
1920s Advertisement.



Picnic Series
The Golly motif came into use around 1910. The company's advertising slogan was "Golly it's Good"
Showcard 1930's




Childhood Series
Mansion floor polish was introduced in 1912 by the makers of Cherry Blossom shoe polish.
1930's Showcard.



Children's Wear Series
Gustav Jaeger believed it was healthier for people to dress entirely in animal hair, such as wool. The company did not use synthetics until the 1950s.
1930s Knitting Pattern.




Children's Wear Series
Mabel Lucie Attwell's charming and innocent pictures often appear in advertising. The Jaeger twins were used successfully to promote Jaeger wool.
c 1930 Pattern


Mabel Lucie Attwell Bedtime Series
Mabel Lucie Attwell drew as if the children themselves had created the images, whilst living in the adult world.
Box Lid c1930




Out of School Series
Originally called Sumner's Ty-phoo Tea and available from 1905, the grey pack design lasted until around 1960.
Showcard c1955



Confectionery Series
Polo mints were launched in 1948 when there was still rationing on sweets...hence the 'mint with the hole'
Advertisement early 1950's



Childhood Series
The Marmite Food Extract Company Ltd. was founded in 1902. Originally sold in earthenware pots, by 1930 the distinctive glass jars had been introduced.
Poster early 1930s.


Mabel Lucie Attwell Series
Patented as Smith's Patent Germ Flour in 1887, it was renamed in 1880 as Hovis following a competition for a new name.
Poster 1930.




Fifties, Sixties, Seventies Cars Series
Forever associated with motor caravans, the Dormobile grew from traders putting cushions into their vans to take the family out.
Brochure 1963.

Box Trolly Series
Bisto was launched by Cerebos in 1910 with the slogan "Browns, Seasons, thickens in one".
Leaflet c1930




Confectionery Series
Scottish family business McVitie's and McFarlane Lang merged in 1948 to become United Biscuits, acquiring McDonalds in 1960.
1950s Magazine Advertisement.

OK, That's me done......I haven't blogged for weeks and once I started I couldn't stop...If you got this far, 'Well Done'! Hope you enjoyed stepping back in time with me?