V. Growing up in the South of England allowed us many happy days at the seaside. Our father's family lived 40 miles north on a tiny island off the Thames River, called Canvey Island.

Dad used to pile us all into the car, usually in the middle of the night, with pillows and blankets and our favourite teddy's, and off we would go to visit Nan and Grandad.

It wasn't a long drive, but back then the motorways weren't built and the long narrow roads to London took much longer than it would today.

Once there, my favourite memory would be of all of us eating cockles out of a little bowls swimming in tangy vinegar. Our mother, God Bless her, would always order Welks! ...something I don't even want to remember!

But the cockles, Oh they were heaven! Alive, alive Oh!