A ‘Mum’s Gone To’ travel post, aged 12

You might think I’ve only been at this travel-writing lark for a few years but take a look at this scanned page from an exercise book and you’ll see that in October 1976, aged 12, I wrote a travel diary of our family trip to Italy.

Mum was fond of booking trips organised by our local Newcastle newspaper, the Evening Chronicle. I have great memories of visits to Norway and Denmark but the group trip to Rome and Sorrento was the only time I managed to complete a holiday diary. I came across it at the weekend and thought I should share it with you even though it does make me cringe and laugh in equal measure.

Here are a couple of entries from our time in Sorrento. I won’t change any incorrect spellings, grammar or odd adjectives and adverbs, I promise. And no laughing at the back, please!

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October 29th, Friday


After breakfast we took a masaides Taxi down to the harbour to catch the Ferry across to the Isle of Capri. It was a picturesque little island and the crossing was very smooth.  When we landed our family took a fernicula (little railway) to the higher parts of Capri then we stopped to look around the shops.  At 12.00 we stopped at a cafe for ravioli, piazza and cannelloni. Finished, we caught a bus for Anacapri which winded swiftly through the mountains until it arrived.  We then walked to a special chair lift which would take us to the top of the mountains.  The chairs were steel and wooden and we were chucked in, bar put down then pushed away up across the fauna of trees, plants, forests until we reached the top.  After looking around we came back down using the same transport as before.  It really was a terrific ride, with a beautiful view to be seen.  We then took the bus back and the fernicula railway back to the harbour.  It was here we saw the back of Max Bygraves walking by.  At 3.15 the ferry left over the choppy Mediterranean until we reached land.


October 30th, Saturday


After a 7.30am call we went down to breakfast ready to go to Pompeii and Vesuvius.  It was a very windy day and cloudy too.  We boarded the coach and soon arrived at our first stop, Pompeii.  We entered the famous city and were astounded by the marvellous structure and plan of the place.  Although the Sirocco winds were blowing, it was a great trip.  We visited the House of the Vettii Brothers who were the richest family in the town and when entering we saw the rude picture explaining that this Roman man was worth his weight in gold.  We saw the rooms of the house including the atrium, peristyle, triclinium, impluvium and bedrooms.  We also visited the House of Faun where in the large garden the lucky, dancing faun statue stood.  This faun was half man and half animal.  It is also lucky to touch his tail and have a photograph taken of this movement.  The whole trip was extremely fascinating but the most impressive part of it was to realise how the town must have looked before the eruption.  One other thing we saw were the baths which were marvellous and also bodies of people living at that time in plaster casts.  When we finished our party were taken for a meal which is too revolting to write about.  Vesuvius was the next visit but there was fog at the top so we could not travel to the crater.  What we did observe was terrific and for a momento we took some lava home in a polythene bag.  We dismounted from the bus at the Piazza (square) and bought a musical sewing table, a gondola music box for me and an ordinary music box for grandma. That night they put on a party with a raffle and dancing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Maureen and Joan’s table won all the prizes so it was a fabulous night for them.


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