There’s nothing so pretty

As shrimping net city

Where rock pools are tempting

And hermit crabs charm

In gingham and sandals

With sand between our toes

A spade and a bucket

Held in freckled arms.

 

The grannies are wiry -

Running down to the ripples

A chorus of children

To left and to right.

As the gulls wheel and deal

On their pasty patrol

Keep a beady watch out for a tasty free bite.

 

With sun hats as big as

The babies beneath them

With sun factor forty

We’re all fortified.

And the beach is a peace camp

Of red blue and yellow

With awnings and tents stretching down to low tide.

 

And the two seals who follow

The boat to seal island,

When the tourists all get there

The seals disappear.

In the harbour they’re waiting

With grins on their faces

“Fooled ‘em!” they’d say if we could only hear.

 

The sand is all tingly

Our hair is all tangly

In salty wet ringlets

It tickles our ears

And we just can’t stop crying

When a big wave comes rolling

And our lovely sandcastle just disappears!

 

Yes the beach is a rainbow

Of canvas and nylon

And cups-of-tea-mothers and pot-bellied-dads

And we all love the summer

It makes us all children

Here’s to the best summer

That we’ve ever had!

 

words Ann Foxglove  tune Susie Farmer