I visited the English seaside town which is just as good in the rain and you can even surf near dolphins
BOBBING on surfboards in the shallows off Branksome Beach, my son Ralph, instructor Indie and I are the only creatures in sight.
Until, that is, a fin pops up 20ft away. Swallowing my panic at the (admittedly unlikely) prospect a Great White is making its way along the South Coast, we watch as a dolphin pootles past.
It’s pretty amazing — the stuff of exotic holidays rather than a weekend at the British seaside — and makes braving the day’s torrential rain worth it.
Though I did still have to contend with the humiliation of being outclassed at surfing by a seven-year-old who can’t tie his own shoelaces.
On the bright side, in July, the beach hosts the UK Dog Surfing championships, so I could have been put to shame by a chihuahua.
When I booked a weekend in Dorset with my husband and three boys, Rufus, nine, Ralph and two-year-old Gabriel, we’d hoped for an Indian summer — but got more of a British one, with rain, rain and a bit more rain. Fortunately, it did not make the weekend a washout.
While Bournemouth might be best known for its amusement arcades and golden sands, the weather forced us off the beaten track.
Up early on Saturday courtesy of Gabriel, we left our lovely Vrbo apartment, Bournecoast, and its sea views, to jump in the car and drive ten minutes down the road to Hengistbury Head nature reserve.
On a grey day, the bursts of bright purple heather on the headlands are stunning.
At times it feels more North Yorkshire Moors than South Coast — and there are great views from the top of Christchurch harbour and Bournemouth Bay.
Rounding the corner we meandered on to the soft sands of Mudeford Spit.
Sheltered from the breeze, the beach enjoys a little microclimate and a line of pastel-coloured beach huts that add to the summer vibes — even when the weather doesn’t.
We saw a semi-circle of women starting their day with silent beach yoga — peaceful until we arrived. Our boys yelled like banshees, while hardy souls braved the waves in swimming costumes and woolly hats.
Humans have lived on Hengistbury Head for 12,000 years, and while our little tribe didn’t have the attention span to look for evidence of Iron Age man, we did find more recent settlements, including a cafe serving great coffee and breakfast beers to the other sleep-deprived parents.
We sheltered from the drizzle, supped our drinks and watched the ferry cross over Mudeford Quay every 15 minutes. The boys were delighted to read that while it is £3.50 for adults, parrots travel free.
With the heavens opening again we ran back to the car and headed to Boscombe Beach to refuel at the Flamingo Cafe, where we tucked into fried chicken tacos and skin-on chips, loaded tater tots and parmesan fries.
If you’re a fan of Thai food, visit Nusara Thai (it has several locations nearby) where we enjoyed the best Thai cuisine I’ve had outside of Bangkok.
Parrots travel free
It wouldn’t be a holiday in Bournemouth without a trip to the pier, which is home to the RockReef climbing wall.
It is indoors, so a great option in drizzly weather. The boys spent two hours happily shinning up the walls and running around the High-Line — an obstacle course 20ft in the air.
Rufus also managed the Leap of Faith, where you climb a firefighter-style ladder 20 feet up, walk the plank and throw yourself into the abyss. Not for me, but he loved it.
Just so they can check off every primal fear, there is also a network of caving tunnels, where kids wear a hard hat with lamp and wriggle through tiny bumpy tunnels to get to a ball pit.
With the kids exhausted, we left for giant pizzas and chocolate puddings at Stables Pizza before piling in the car to return home. Turns out, rain doesn’t have to stop play.
GO: BOURNEMOUTH
STAYING THERE: Bournecoast costs from £172 per night, based on six sharing. See vrbo.com.
OUT & ABOUT: Private three-to-one surf lessons at Shaka Surf school cost from £60pp based on you and two friends sharing one instructor. See shakasurf.co.uk.
A two-hour pass to RockReef costs £84 for two adults and one child with access to the Clip ’n’ Climb, High Line, Pier Cave and Vertical Slide. See rockreef.co.uk.