As you'd probably expect I'm not an avid reader of the Daily Mail!

But I was chatting with a young woman, about 18-20, the other day. She'd never flown, she confided. She'd never been on holiday at all. She's off to Mallorca later this year.

Which is why this article caught my iPad eye...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2470078/Britons-view-holidays-essentials-optional-extras.html

As a lad we went mainly Scarborough & Brid, renting caravans. Or on a couple of occasions, by train, to Croyde Bay Holiday Camp...more Hi de Hi than it's TV counterpart! I thought NALGO was a place in Devon, not a trade union!

My first flight was when I was 17, a school trip to Italy.

As a family, we spent 20 plus years with a touring caravan, went all over Britain, 2-3 weeks in France in the summer. We all loved it. Still talk about our adventures now. Our kids first flew when around 8 & 12. To London, as a treat. They've now been as far afield as SE Asia & Down Under!

But back to the Mail's ABTA survey. "We", on average take more, just more than 3 hols a year! We "Baby Boomers" do even better! We here in the North West get more than other regions!

Overseas "packages" are 46% chosen. 70% of us have a "staycation" every year.

Our parents probably, theirs definitely, wouldn't believe how lucky we are.

I hope my young acquaintance enjoys her "maiden" holiday.

What are your childhood memories of beaches, caravans, boarding houses?

Where's your favourite place to go? Where would you love to visit? Why?