I spent many of my childhood years in England

At the time I was bored as my parents were traditional

They drove a traditional car and wore traditional clothes

Our holidays were so comfortably traditional

Things never varied that much with only nips and tucks

We stayed in traditional boarding houses

With middle aged landladies late of the war

The meals were always identical in time and low menu

My parents never changed for the beach

They just sat deeply in brightly coloured deckchairs

And read the days newspapers

Before enjoying a hastily prepared lunch

My sisters and I wore sensible swimming costumes

We paddled and swam and sought memorable sea shells

We were beyond sandcastles but not coloured beach balls

We thought these honest years would never end in their repetition

But these days did end when my parents moved to New Zealand

For various reasons I have never returned to my England until now

I must say that a great deal had changed and not much for the better

And never has this been more evident than it is in our seaside towns

Which I knew so very well before the light faded and the darkness returned