The planning for our annual holiday had started weeks before with my Mum ordering a three-room tent from Greens Glasgow, but as time wore on it never arrived in time for the Glasgow Fair Fortnight when we as a family were to go on holiday. So, nothing daunted, Mum was able to borrow a ridge tent, flysheet and ground sheet from our next neighbour, we as children never knew this till much later.
At last, after weeks of preparation we set off, the same neighbour offered to take us and all our gibbles to where we were going to camp, along the coast to Pittenweem. We, the family -three children (age 9-15 years), one small dog and our parents were so excited to be on our first adventure camping. When we arrived and started to put up the tent the same neighbour stayed to help us which my Dad was glad of. Soon we were settled in and Mum was cooking our first meal on the gas camping stoves, we were all given our jobs to help out and by now it had really become an adventure.
Each day started early – sorting the bedding, tidying up and cooking breakfast. Then we were off to the beach and here we spent all day in and out of the water, exploring rock pools till it was time for dinner. Mum had the primus stove working in a sheltered spot to cook bacon, so we had bacon rolls and juice while the adults had tea. By this time our Grandparents had joined us as they were staying with relatives in the town. (Maybe you’ll have worked out that our family belonged to Pittenweem, East Neuk (Fife Riviera). As each day dawned, we as children had a ball and such freedom to visit friends and family, but we knew all good things come to an end but for us it was sooner than we expected.
One night it started raining but we were warm and dry in the tent, but through the night the wind and rain got wild till the ridge pole in the tent snapped and the middle of the tent started to collapse inwards. It was a rush to put on our clothes and help pack up. We had to wake up my brother who was in a small pup tent, to help us- he never even heard the storm or felt the rain on his face – as his small tent roof had split open down the middle, hence he had to step out of his tent, to help us dismantle and pack everything away.
This happened in the early hours of the morning, between the weather being windy and raining and getting our camping gear together was a problem and we were soaked through, but we were lucky the ground the campsite was on was part of the local football ground and as they had a changing hut, we were able to spend the rest of the night safe and dry till morning. It was a busy night as we weren’t the only ones whose tent had blown down.
In the morning our parents had to arrange with the local railway transport to take our camping gear home while we all travelled back home by train. As it was a local train from Pittenweem station, Mum asked if it went straight to our home town station Kirkcaldy, the guard said yes. So, when the train stopped at Thornton Junction, we stayed on and as it continued its journey Mum and Dad found out it was going the wrong way to Kirkcaldy and the next stop was Cardenden where we all had to get off.
The guard told our parents the only way back was by bus. And so, we all trouped down the stairs to the bus stop- two adults, three children, one dog, with all our bags. As my sister is not a good traveller on buses she was not too keen. At last, we were all glad to be back home in one piece. What an adventure! The railway company paid for our bus journey as it was the guards’ fault for the wrong advice. The tent from Greens finally turned up in late August! So, Mum returned the tent and got a refund. Many a laugh we’ve had about our first camping adventure, especially my brother stepping out the roof of his tent. It didn’t put us off camping as we had many trips after with friends with our own tent.