EVEN the most middle class families sometimes have no choice but to visit a horrendous British seaside town. Here’s how to survive the experience.
Beware of the food
Shockingly, seaside food like doughnuts and novelty sugar dummies are rarely sourced from organic Fairtrade suppliers, so take carrot sticks and hummus. The grease-laden death tubes known as ‘chips’ are allowed, so long as you only have one each.
Look out for learning experiences
Middle class family holidays are all about educating, so use an otherwise pointless go on the dodgems as an explanation of AC versus DC electrical current, thus giving your child a valuable head start in GCSE physics.
Have a swearing strategy
Plebeian folk swear constantly, so make your children wear industrial ear guards. This will also protect them against your foul-mouthed meltdown when you can’t get the f*cking ball through the f*cking windmill on the f*cking Krazy Golf on your 46th attempt.
Do not visit ‘amusement arcades’
Unlike Tuscany, British holiday resorts contain terrifying amusement arcades with video game machines that actually demand cash payment for screen time. These are guaranteed to give your children the underclass ailment Attention Deficit Disorder, so make them look at some cliffs instead.
Expect middle class staples to be absent
Don’t ask a shaven-headed, bulldog-tattooed man where the local farmers’ market is. The inarticulate but cutting mockery will bring back painful memories of asking the builders doing your extension if lapsang souchong was okay.
Stay in your car
If Clacton is overwhelmingly ghastly don’t be afraid to stay in your Prius listening to Radio 4. During the summer they’re bound to have a programme about the magical heyday of working-class holidays, which is much more agreeable than actually experiencing one.
