The invitations to attend a summer’s afternoon beach party at Knott End had been sent out in good time. Blue skies and warm sunshine had been ‘ordered’. Cool boxes packed with ice cream, juice and cakes were organised. The tide was out. Only the guests were missing…
But at 3:00pm, on the first Saturday in August, small and tall silhouettes from the Over Wyre Benefice could be seen converging on the sands, clutching buckets and spades, picnic blankets and towels, armed and ready with an assortment of beach paraphernalia for a grand afternoon out.
Toddlers and teenagers alike, revelled in the open space and were excited by the prospect of the sandcastle building challenge ahead. Without hesitation, they got stuck in, marking out their ‘territory’ and digging out their moats. Some children practised making sand pies, while others went on a hunt for shells, feathers and samphire sprigs with which to decorate their creations.
It wasn’t long before one party of intrepid ‘explorers’ found a pool of water and engaged in some junior ‘Olympic’ water sports, competing with each other to create the biggest splash!
A steady flow of freshly baked cakes, ice cream topped with sauces and sprinkles and bottles of juice kept the energy levels super-charged throughout the afternoon.
Naturally, the accompanying adults could not resist the opportunity to relive fond childhood memories and help ‘supervise’ and ‘lead’ building operations. They could be seen gripping tiny spades, digging bigger, deeper moats, in a bid to create more elaborate structures.
As the countdown to judging began, the pressure ramped up. Big ones and little ones doubled down in their efforts to complete on time and there was a frenzy of activity in the final minutes of the competition.
Three judges toured the fortresses, noting design intricacies, the use of innovative embellishments and robust structural detail, before conferring. After careful consideration, winners were announced for various categories and prizes were awarded. Needless to say, everyone was a winner and there were treats for all.
Was it an afternoon to remember? It absolutely was. 100%!
