Even When The Sun is Shining, I can't avoid the li

When I was little, three I think, and my sister was five. My mum used to sit me on the beach while she went to collect my sister from school.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think I can remember. I was pretty good at entertaining myself. I dug holes. I still dig holes when I sit on the sand. I dug a hole today.

I dug holes, I examined sand, all the hundreds and thousands of little grains and all the different colours. I didn't go near the water when I was alone, that was a no no. I stayed in the one spot, digging holes.

Today both my kids were down the beach, volleyball again, the beach variety this time. As I turned the corner to go back to the car, I stumbled across this little unhappy chappy.

I knew how he felt. This was always the worse thing about the beach. The sand was great, the water was great, but combined they were a living nightmare.

Times have changed, and there is no longer a cold water tap - although the mark is still on the wall where it was. When I was little, my mum or dad would stand me under the tap, with my little bucket and throw buckets of cold water over me, all the while scraping at my skin trying to get rid of the bulk of the sand.

I realise now, that leaving the sand on, and letting it dry is the best thing. Sadly however, I looked at the dad with this little boy, and thought his parents never did it to him.

It's one of lives learning experiences. Once you have been sandpapered in your knickers at the beach, you don't ever want to do it to anyone else.