Owning a horse was a dream for me from a very early age, looking back now at some of my old photos brings back some very funny memories. I think that one of the very first memories that I have of riding has got to be riding a donkey on the beach at Weston, when you would beg and beg your Mum and dad to let you have a go, and then scream your head off when they get to the end of the beach and turn around and run like crazy all the way back, and then stopping sharply in front of their hay stack where you pulled them away from five minutes ago. OK, now I am older I realize that they turn and trot back, but when you are only five years old it feels like they run flat out and that it goes on for miles.

Going on Holiday with your Mum and Dad, no matter how old you are it always seems boring because you have to do the stuff they want to do, not what you want to do. Unless you think that you are going to get something out of this then you get bored and start to play up, well, I was no different and I bet there is not a child out there that is.

Now on this one day my dad had decided that we were going to go to Clovelly for the day, so we packed up sandwiches and loaded up the car then we were on our way. I could not wait, we were going to go somewhere new, thinking aloud I said, “will there be a sweet shop there Dad,” laughing he said that he thought there might be a few shops but it was a long walk to get to them. We arrived about midday and sat out on the grass to eat our lunch, then we made our way into the shop at the top of Clovelly, dad bought us all a drink to take with us and then we were on our way, down, and down, and down we went, it seemed to take forever to get to the bottom because Mum and Dad insisted on going into all those boring little buildings, why, I had no idea all I wanted was to get to the bottom and onto the beach.

Eventually we hit the bottom and I ran out onto the beach, running in and out of the water, it was great fun. My mum and dad went into the pub but I stayed out not wanting to waste any time in playing. About a hour later they came out and called me over, boy oh boy was I tired from all that playing, my dad said that it was time to go home now and maybe I should not have run around so much seeing as though we now had to walk back up, “walk back up,” I said, “no way,” I was too tired. Straight away I started to moan and whinge, and then started to cry.

My Mum came over to comfort me, and then she said that if I walked up without moaning then I could have a go on one of the donkeys that we had seen on the way down. Being only young I did not realize that she was bribing me, but at the time it did not matter, jumping up I started running over to the bottom of the steps, “come on,” I shouted to them both, “what are you waiting for.”

My legs and back were aching so much but I was determined not to say anything, I just kept on going and going until eventually we were half way back up, and there right in front of me were the two donkeys, one white and the other one brown, yes I had made it. Mum and dad caught up then paid the lady who was looking after the donkeys, my dad came over and helped me onto the white donkey, and do you know what happened next? Absolutely nothing! Because it was such steep path the donkeys were only there for you to have your photo taken with, they never moved a step, not even one, well to say I was gutted was a understatement. So I just sat there and smiled for my photo not really knowing whether to laugh or cry, this was so not fair, after I walked all that way to, without any complaining I might add. Even my Mum and Dad thought that the donkey would take me for a little walk, but no nothing.

Stationary Clovelly Donkeys

Stationary Clovelly Donkeys

Getting back off I looked up at the steep cobbled road that we had to walk to get back to the car, I did not think that my little legs could do it without moaning this time. So we set off again. Up and up we went and I never once complained the whole way, brave of me or what?

When we reached the top my dad went into the shop, when he came out he was carrying this huge bar of chocolate which he shared between us all, well if he thought that was a peace offering for making me walk all that way he was going to be in for a surprise. But because the chocolate was so nice I thought that I would wait a while to get even with them and it would have to be when I had finished eating my lovely chocolate. Lying down on the grass in between taking bites out of my chocolate, I was already wondering how much it would cost in owning a horse of my own.

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