Our Holiday at Great Yarmouth

The weather was good as we commenced our journey at 0645 hours, from Waterlooville to great Yarmouth. Dawn and Lee in the Rover Motor Car. Grandad Ted, Nanna Eve, Lauren and Ben in the Toyota Picnic. Grandad Ted nearly didn't make the trip; his back was causing him some considerable discomfort.

We travelled for about 2½ hours before stopping at a Motorway Service Centre for breakfast. We also stopped at a Garden Centre for a drink and to stretch our legs before arriving at Caister Caravan Park, Great Yarmouth at about mid-day.

We parked our vehicles and whilst Dawn and Lee went to reception to book us in, Grandad Ted, Nanna Eve, Lauren and Ben went for a walk on the camp site.

Lauren and Ben saw a Children's Assault Course and wanted to play on it. There were rope ladders to climb, wobbly bridges to cross and tubed slides to slide down. Lauren was first to test the course and although Ben was too small to climb the rope ladder, he wanted to have a go on the slide.

Grandad Ted and Nanna Eve were very experienced at looking after children and they knew exactly what to do when Ben began crying and demanding that he be allowed to use the tubed slide. Grandad Ted lifted Ben up to the platform that led to the tubed slide and said, "Go on Ben, Grandad will catch you at the bottom." Grandad Ted positioned himself at the bottom of the slide and called for Ben to slide down. Ben in his wisdom and unbeknown to Grandad Ted, had decided to slide down headfirst. Grandad Ted heard Ben scream and looked through the tube to see Ben's face and two hands stretched out in front of him and stationary at the top of the slide. Fear was etched on Ben's face and his screams were getting louder and louder. Ben was at the top of the slide and was refusing to let go and slide down. Grandad Ted with a calm voice told Ben he would be all right because Grandad Ted would catch him at the bottom. Ben obviously did not believe Grandad Ted and continued to scream as he held on and refused to budge.

In Grandad Ted's mind he could see himself dressed in a leotard with a big "S" emblazoned on his chest. Even though he was in considerable pain from his bad back, Grandad Ted decided it was time to act. He left the bottom of the slide and began a search for a way to rescue his Grandson Ben. Grandad Ted's bad back restricted his movements but he went like a Gazelle over the wood chips covering the floor of the children's assault course.

There were rope ladders but they were not sufficient for a six feet two inch, 18 stone, unfit, over weight pensioner with a bad back to climb, but his Grandson had to be saved.

Eventually Grandad Ted found an angled wooden panel with a knotted rope to assist the children to climb to the raised platform. Grandad Ted decided this was the only way for him to reach the slide where Ben was trapped. Grandad Ted summoned as much strength as he could muster and managed to climb up to the platform, now all he had to do was cross an enclosed wobbly bridge and rescue Ben.

The wobbly bridge was in the form of a box, made of rope and was about 1 metre in height, it was not designed for use by a six feet two inch, 18 stone, unfit, overweight pensioner with a bad back, but Ben had to be rescued.

As Grandad Ted crawled across the wobbly bridge, he called to Ben "Don't worry, Grandad is coming." On the ground, Nanna Eve was at the bottom of the slide shouting encouragement to Ben and Ben's screams indicated he was terrified.

Grandad Ted had negotiated the wobbly bridge and was struggling towards the slide where Ben was trapped. He could see Ben's two tiny feet hooked over the top of the slide. Grandad Ted could hear Nanna Eve calling to Ben and giving him encouragement. Ben was screaming even louder and Grandad Ted, although in pain was crawling towards the slide where Ben was hanging. Time stood still as with fleet of foot, the distance between Grandad Ted and Ben's little feet shortened.

Just as Grandad Ted was going to grab Ben's feet and pull him out of the tube, his feet disappeared and he was sliding down the slide towards Nanna Eve.

Grandad Ted was now alone at the top of a children's Assault Course. He was hoping other holidaymakers on the site had not seen him, but he still had to get down.

Grandad Ted considered asking Nanna Eve to call for the Fire Brigade to rescue him, but this was the first day of their holiday, and if the Fire Brigade were to attend, a crowd would probably gather and for the rest of the holiday people would stare at Grandad Ted and say "That's the six feet two inch, 18 stone, unfit, overweight pensioner with a bad back that had to be rescued from the children's assault course." No, Grandad Ted had to find his own way down to ground level.

Nanna Eve was running around like a headless chicken trying to find a suitable escape route for Grandad Ted, who was finding it difficult to walk due to his back problem. Grandad Ted still had to negotiate the wobbly bridge before he could attempt a return to ground level. Nanna Eve found a fireman's pole and suggested Grandad Ted could slide down it to ground level. Grandad Ted was not so sure, sliding down the pole would be OK, but the sudden stop at the bottom would jar his back and he was already in considerable pain. No, there had to be a better solution.

Eventually Nanna Eve identified a rope ladder that appeared strong enough to support a six feet two inch, 18 stone, unfit, overweight pensioner with a bad back to climb down. Grandad Ted limped and crawled to where Nanna Eve had identified the safe rope ladder, and with some huge intakes of breath and many Ooohs and Aaahs, Grandad Ted had his feet safely on the ground again.

Dawn and Lee had now arrived after booking us in at reception and had identified the accommodation they were allocated. Grandad Ted took a couple of Paracetamol Tablets to relieve his back pain and rested.

The next day, when the event was being discussed, Nanna Eve did say how worried Ben appeared as he slid down the slide, but as soon as he stopped at the bottom, he gave her a big smile and wanted to have another go. Nanna Eve decided it was not a very good idea.

Ted Inwood