I awoke on Saturday 1st June 1974 to realise that I was in heaven, I was lying next to the girl of my dreams and we were about to go away on our honeymoon. We had stayed our wedding night at the Balcony Farm Hotel in Skelmersdale. Then it struck me, how were we going to get to Barry Island? Chris was with Helen at Ormskirk hospital and he was supposed to be driving us all down there. The same thing had occurred to Heather as well. I said not to worry as we could rebook for later in the summer when Helen was well. We dressed and went down to the restaurant for breakfast, as we ordered our full English Chris arrived and he joined us for our meal. Helen had spent the night in the hospital and was going for a D & C later. Chris said that we must go on our honeymoon and he would drive us down as we had arranged. He said it would be easier to see the people at Butlins face to face and sort out about their holiday too. We were amazed but did not argue with him, Chris has brought my wallet too. He had been looking after it for me during our wedding when Helen was taken ill. We finished our breakfast, settled the bill and packed our cases in the car and set off down the motorway. It was a three hour drive down the M6 in Chris’s Volkswagen 1600 fastback.
The day was beautiful and sunny and we got to Butlins Barry Island just after lunch time. Heather and I booked in, Chris explained about why he was having to cancel, they were very good and gave him a full refund. We said our good byes and thank you to Chris, he said he would see us in two weeks time to take us home.
We watched him drive off and turned to go to our chalet, it was on the first floor and had a sitting room a bedroom and a bath room. It was extremely sparse with just the bare essentials but we did not care. It was enough for us and we were going to have a good time no matter what. There was lots to do, not that we wanted much entertaining. There was entertainment in the theatres and bars every night, a roller skating rink, snooker and billiard tables, tennis courts, outdoor and indoor swimming pools and organised games all day if you wanted to join in. The food was good basic style and plenty of it too, we certainly would not starve. Three meals a day and restaurant style service. That evening, sat in the bar, we got such a surprise when two of our friends from the Burscough football club, Les and Anne, turned up and asked what we were doing there. We told them why and they congratulated us. They were on holiday booked at the last minute. We thought it was so much of a coincidence that they were there at the same time.
Heather decided that she did not like her long hair and made an appointment at the camp hairdresser to have it cut short again. I was so disappointed because I really liked it long, she real suited it I thought. It had taken her over a year to grow it so long. I had to admit that it did not matter how she had her hair cut she was the only girl for me.
The weather was really warm on the first Tuesday and we spent all day around the swimming pool. I did not notice how hot it was and did not think of any suntan lotion. As the day went on I kept going in to the pool now and again to cool down, I was really enjoying this mediterranean style weather. At the end of the day I was really sunburnt and got a mild case of sunstroke. My pale blonde skin was like a boiled lobster and was so tender that I could not bear even a sheet against it. I was blistered and had an intense headache. I had to stay the next day in the chalet with the curtains drawn. I recovered quite quickly but then I started to peel everywhere that had got burnt, it was so itchy. I was like a reptile shedding its skin.
We decided by the middle of the second week that we could not get enough sun in South Wales so we decided to try something different. Fake tan that was the way to go, we got some from the camp shop and went back to the chalet to apply it. We followed the instructions that told how to put it on and the results were not that good we looked like we had been coated with a paint roller with bits missing. It was streaky and patchy and looked really terrible, just like a poor army camouflage. Even a bath every day could not get it off. It took weeks to fade away. We really had a good laugh over that.
We did not have any transport so did not leave the camp for the whole two weeks but that did not worry us. We were so much loved up every day seemed to go on forever. Bob Monkhouse was booked to appear in the late night cabaret but we did not fancy it as we were told that he was rather blue and may pick on a honeymoon couple. The days seemed to fly by too quickly and I did not want it to end but the final Saturday morning came round and Chris was good to his word and came to collect us. Helen had had her operation and was recovering well at home. We drove home up the M6 to start real life together with memories of a special two weeks.
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