Blissful childhood memories of the beach

Some of my very best memories of childhood are from our family excursions to the beach. Lazing on the sand, building sandcastles, frolicking in the shallows, surfing down the waves, eating ice cream from a cone.  All these memories are a form of bliss.  You can see a big, delighted smile on my face in all the photos.  My favourite beaches as a child were Muizenberg, St James and Boulders.

So many of my beach memories involve Gran and Gramps (Sorrell) and Granny and Grandpa (Station).  Gran and Gramps always came to the beach with us on their holidays to Cape Town, sometimes with Granny and Grandpa in tow. I have a particularly fun memory of paddling out in an inflatable boat with Gramps at Boulders Beach. Gramps always went a beautiful bronze colour in the sun. Grandpa (Station) used to take me to Muizenberg by train for long walks along Muizenberg beach which I absolutely loved. 

Dad and his amazing trains

Dad's passion was making model steam locomotives. The larger ones he made were capable of pulling seven adults and at school fetes and club family meets, he brought much joy to adults and kids alike. Some of the larger trains he made took up to 6 years to make. They were a real work of art.  Every inch of each train, including even the screws and rivets, was handmade on metal lathes he had in his workshop where he would spend many hours, immersed in his labour of love.

His club friends, including Jimmy, his best friend.

Bringing joy to kids at a school fete

Working on his lathe

Smaller trains he made earlier in his life