This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Last year I realised that, with a memorable big birthday looming, I had to choose between celebrating with friends or family. No contest… friends are the frills around a cushion but family are the seat pad!
So I set about arranging, with the help of my eldest daughter (whose views and taste are unsurpassed), a house for a long weekend that would appeal to age groups 7-70! There are so many websites for house rentals but we searched using dates and criteria (as we needed quite a lot of bedrooms) and whittled the choice down to a coastal location in Dorset.
My daughters and their families were invited and all 16 of us diarised the weekend. The choice of a three day weekend was deemed the best option. Even the closest of families need to do their own thing after that amount of time. Which proved to be the case as the young cousins were so exhausted after non stop days of interaction that we definitely got the length of stay right.
I was spoilt in so many ways. I have to say it was the money can’t buy element that pleased the most. Walking up to Lulworth Castle across the fields watching everyone strung out laughing and chatting. Delicious meals that I was not allowed to have any part in the shopping or preparation of. Standing looking out to sea through Durdle Door and watching matchstick children far below. The fire roaring and knowing that we were warm and dry with the evening ahead of us. A visit to the pub to sample local ales and quiet moments round a jigsaw gave an exhausted Grandpa some respite.
The marvellous memories of that weekend and the photos that were taken have been made into a keepsake album which will last me for the rest of my days.
Family is everything. Catch the moment whilst you can.
Read more from Sussex Selfie here