The [not] secret holiday diaries
of Emily Cobb, aged [nearly] three.
June 2005.
Saturday.
I woke up excited because I knew that we were going on holiday. I didn’t expect my toys to have gone already though; most of them were already packed. Daddy said that we would be seeing trains and boats and sheep and penguins. I had a sleep on the way to dream about it all. We stopped at Wolds Way Lavender to have lunch. They have got a new little railway to pull people and lavender. It wasn’t working but it looked great. I think Daddy will bring me back again to see this. I had a toasted teacake for lunch which Mummy and Daddy enjoyed eating for me. Then they let me have some yoghurt, which is what I really wanted in the first place. We drove through the Moors and through Goathland and Whitby on the way to the caravan. I saw sheep and boats before we even got to the caravan. The caravan is really smart with a long kitchen and a settee around one end so there are loads of places to run and jump. I explored all the cupboards and found I could open them all apart from the high ones. I like to be busy and helpful so as soon as the suitcase was opened I started putting things away. It’s not my fault that they didn’t see me and thought they had forgotten things. Once we had settled in, me and Daddy went for a walk to see the cliffs at the edge of the caravan site. I could see big boats too and even better I could see them out of the caravan window because we were on a slope. We looked for boats out of the window every evening and every morning. I have two beds in my room and one of them has a safety rail that is like a cage and made my bed into a play pen. I went to sleep ok after a busy day.
Sunday.
Lots of rain so we stayed in the caravan until the middle of the morning. I chilled out with my toys and the telly, but we can’t get CBeebies. Me and Daddy looked at all the maps and leaflets and worked out where we would go. We are going to see the trains a lot so we read my Thomas the Tank Engine comics and Daddy made sure that I knew what signals, level crossings and water tanks were. By the middle of the morning it was fine, so we went for a drive. I saw a big church and then we went through Whitby and onto the moors. We had discovered a forest drive on the map so we headed there. We had to go along a narrow road to get to it. This was great fun. We drove right through two rivers. Daddy said the first one was called a ford and the second one was called a Vauxhall. This language thing can be very confusing. Best of all there were three gates so Mummy had to get out of the car to open them and then close them again as we drove through. Me and Daddy made up a new catch phrase; “open the gate Mummy-shut the gate Mummy”. This was really funny but not as funny as pretending to drive away when Mummy had shut the gate, just before she got back in the car. When we got to the forest drive it wasn’t very good so we turned around and went back through the gates and fords and Vauxhalls, which was much more fun. We stopped at Whitby on the way back for some food shopping, but first we went over the bridge to the shops; toys for me and books for Daddy. There were some people catching crabs on a string beside the bridge. I liked the look of that.
I was worn out but decided that I didn’t like being in a cage after all so I joined Mummy and Daddy in the middle of the night. I did my impression of a starfish while I was asleep with arms and legs spread. When I woke up Daddy had gone to my room and slept on the bed without a cage.
Monday.
Sunny and warm, but Mummy said sunny and cool. We went on the trains today. We started at Grosmont and watched the trains before we got on. Daddy pointed out signals and a level crossing. We went all the way to Pickering on the train and went through a long tunnel. Mummy told me not to be scared of the dark, but I know that she was the one who was really scared. At Pickering, I got a Thomas sticker book at the shop before we got back on the train. I finished them before Goathland and we got off there for a walk. Apparently Goathland is also Aidensfield and is on telly, but it is not on CBeebies. At the station Daddy pointed out a water tower and I remembered that the tall signs were called signals. We walked up to the village and looked at souvenirs in the shops. There was a lorry belonging to a man repairing a dry stone wall that Daddy liked because he said it was a Land Rover. It doesn’t look like one to me though and I should know because I always point Land Rovers out to Daddy. We saw a cheap rucksack too. It was very smart and black. Daddy said we should get it because my blue checked rucksack for all my nappies/food/toys is getting worn out. I think that Daddy is being crafty. I don’t always want my buggy now and I think Daddy would rather carry a black rucksack than a blue checked one. We didn’t get it. Mummy got a bracelet that is also good in case Arthur Itis hurts her. I don’t understand that because I only know Arthur the aardvark and he doesn’t hurt anyone. We went back to the train and as we left the station I waved to people on the platform and gave them the thumbs up. They did the same back! When we got back to Grosmont we went in the shop and into a big shop over the engine shed. This meant that we had to walk through a small tunnel beside the big one. The railwayman liked my trainers because they light up when I walk and he could see me in the dark. I got some more toys.
In the evening we walked along the seafront at Whitby to see the lighthouse and fishing boats. Me and Daddy saw a crab fishing line in a shop window. It was getting cooler and Mummy was cold. Daddy said it was tropical but we went back to the car anyway. On the way back to the caravan we stopped and took some pictures of the big church, which Daddy said is called an Abbey.
Tuesday.
Hot and sunny. We drove through the moors and stopped by a bridge to watch the trains go by. Then we went to Helmsley Castle. I had great fun jumping over bits of old walls and climbing up and down stairs to see everything. There were some big statues of knights and on the way out we walked around the bottom of the moat. Daddy said that this used to have water in. I think he is getting confused with fords and Vauxhalls. On the way back to Whitby we stopped at a big hole in the ground called Hole of Horcum. We stopped again at a different place to watch the trains go by. Then we stopped at Whitby to see the boats and things again. People were still catching crabs.
In the evening we had a drive again and took pictures of the car outside Scripps garage. Apparently this is on telly too, but I have never seen it on CBeebies.
I went to bed quite tired but refused to settle. Daddy joined me in the early hours. I like this because we thumbs up and giggle until I am really tired and in the morning we get up before Mummy. I watch telly and play while Daddy has tea and toast.
Wednesday.
Hot and sunny again. We went to Scarborough sea life centre. The seals and penguins were brilliant and there were loads of fish and things. There were two huge turtles swimming too. We had lunch there and I had a sandwich in a box with crisps and a drink and a free toy otter. It was a bit like a McDonalds. I played in the little kids play area next to the tables while Mummy and Daddy ate their scampi. I think that is cruel because scampi should be in the sea life centre not on plates. I think eating animals is cruel so I only eat chicken nuggets not whole chickens. I got a box of toy fish and animals. I got a cuddly penguin too because Mummy liked it. Then we walked along the beach. I had a play on the sand but we had forgotten my bucket and spade. Daddy let me have a paddle though. Next we went to the castle. More steps to climb and big open spaces to run around in. Great fun because I am quicker than Mummy and Daddy. “Emily come back” really echoes when you are on a cliff top inside the castle walls. I thought it sounded good so I made them say it loads of times. The lady in the shop was nice and helped us choose our ice creams. Mummy’s looked nicer when it was opened though so she had to eat mine instead.
Thursday.
Hot and sunny. We went to the big church. More steps and running around. The visitor centre was good too. Lots of buttons to press and brass rubbing to do. Then we went to Whitby and walked around the harbour and shops again. We had to wait while they opened the bridge to let a boat through. The whole road moved on the bridge. People were still catching crabs. I like the look of this and Daddy said that we could try this at Wells. Drove through the moors again and stopped at Goathland for a drink. Daddy asked me what those tall signs were. He has already forgotten that they are called signals. We wrote our postcards and then we went to a place called Robin Hoods Bay. I was worn out by now so I had a sleep in the buggy. That was a wise move. Apparently we walked down a steep hill, looked at some quaint cottages and shops and them walked up a steep hill. Mummy and Daddy had to sit down and pretend to admire the view before they went back to the car.
Friday.
A bit cooler but sunny. We stopped in Whitby to buy some presents to take home. Daddy got that crab line too. Drove along the coast road near Robin Hoods Bay so that Daddy could take pictures of an old chapel. It was something to do with smuggling too. We drove through a different part of the moors and stopped at a visitor centre. They had a little room with activities in which was quite good. We had a piece of cake too. Mummy must have left her money at the caravan because she paid with something called a mortgage. We drove back through the moors and saw the trains for the last time at Goathland. We got that rucksack too and posted our postcards. In the evening we walked along the top of the cliffs at the caravan site. Daddy said that we could walk all the way to Whitby on this path but we went back to the caravan instead. I like this holiday thing and think I will suggest that we do it again.