Memoirs of GD Fell

The following morning Nick got into his swimming costume after breakfast and went to the pool where the skiing was taking place. After about a couple of hours he came back to our room and told us that after queuing for ages he got to the front and was told that he wasn’t allowed to ski and despite him arguing that he was a proficient skier with certificates they still wouldn’t allow him on the skis. I said, “Right! We’ll get this sorted out.” So Margaret and I went to the reception, asked to see the manager, told him that the main reason for choosing Pwllheli was the water skiing and that I was furious that my son had been, and was continuing, to be deprived of this facility. He asked us to leave it in his hands and that he would have a word with the ski instructors. Later that day we got a note in the room asking us to go, at our convenience, to reception to have a word with the manager.

When we saw the manager he said that he had had a word with the instructors and they had told him that the reason they had refused to allow Nick to ski was because he was so small and they couldn’t take responsibility for him. They also said that if other children saw someone so small on the skis they would also want to have a go on the skis. As a compromise they said that they would be willing to let Nick ski outside the scheduled time if he was willing to come an hour before the skiing was due to take place. This we thought was an ideal solution as it would also mean that Nick wouldn’t have to queue each day. The manager then persuaded both Margaret and myself to serve on the camp committee while we were there. This entailed wearing a badge which gave us priority going into shows etc. We were also expected to act as judges in various competitions. I was coerced into judging the shapely legs competition and Margaret the knobbly knees competition. Nick never had any more problems with the skiing and I believe got on quite well with the instructors.

During the week we were at Pwllheli there were various competitions for the children including swimming races. Nick entered all the races and although being the smallest on the starting blocks he won all the races he had entered. When Lindsay got back to Cheadle after her holiday she said that she had had a lovely time and didn’t seem bothered that she had missed going to Butlins.

Steve and Tony both settled down to their studies at South Shields and moved from the Hall of Residence to stay with Mr and Mrs Inkson (Stan and Joan) who had two daughters living at home.

Steve and Tony, with some of their friends at Julian Avenue, South Shields