In the end there were only 16 of us so could have had a dorm room each. But kiddie sleepovers were the preferred option. Each dorm had its own set of bugs and key pad lock, so to avoid children locking themselves out in the search for a midnight loo (the grown-ups nicked the 3 en suites obvs), we took the precaution of sharpie-ing everyoneâs code on to their forearm.
Only thing this didnât solve was childâs unwillingness to find bug-free toilets on their own in the night, requiring a 4am accompanied tour.
Top tip â close the windows as soon as you get there.
An interesting history of the school (struck by lightning in 1905 and evacuated for the US DDay beach landings rehearsal â Operation Tiger during the war) and photos of monochrome children from yesteryear adorn the walls.
The Start Bay Activity Centre is run by the Field Studies Council, which has historically delivered courses to school groups who want to learn about the outdoors. They now offer affordable all-inclusive family holidays to enable families to get active in nature together, with a mixture of organised activities and free time to explore the countryside and coastlines which surround their centres.
We just booked the school building for a weekend though Airbnb, but a whole family activity package is available in this large group accommodation.
In good weather there are enough school based activities to entertain â BBQ, firept, ping pong, assault course, but we thought, having travelled to within a mile of the coast, we ought to venture abroad.
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