Beach boy

IT MAY not be as glamorous as St Tropez, Acapulco or the Bahamas, but if you want a great family beach holiday, and you don't want to travel too far, Mablethorpe takes some beating.

The small Lincolnshire seaside resort boasts some of the cleanest beaches in Britain; it has a Blue Flag award and an Encams seaside award and is also included in the Good Beach Guide.

The wide, golden sands stretch for miles, so there is plenty of room for everyone, even in the school holidays.

Our young son Elliot, who was enjoying his first beach holiday, was in his element making sand castles, playing football, flying kites and collecting sea shells.

The sand dunes on the northern side of the resort are great for exploring and, if you are tired from all that walking, you can hop on the sand train, which runs along the beach to the town.

When we visited it was blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the 80s every day, so the breeze off the chilly North Sea was welcoming.

Our base for our four-night stay was Haven's Golden Sands holiday park, which is only a few minutes walk from the beach.

The centre has had £4m spent on it over the past four years. It boasts indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools complete with flumes, fishing lake, go-karts, ten-pin bowling, adventure playground, children's indoor soft play area and amusement arcades.

There is also a brilliant outdoor all-weather sports pitch for football, basketball and netball.

For youngsters who want to get away from the grown-ups for a while, there are various clubs to join.

Some of the activities have been designed by David Bellamy, who has given the park a gold Conservation Award for its work saving water and energy, recycling, introducing wildlife-friendly landscaping and helping to protect wildlife.

In the evening, the action moves to the entertainment block where shows and events keep the family amused - from circus tricks to wrestling and disco dancing to cash bingo.

It is worth remembering that the Star Is Born talent contest at Golden Sands was won, not so many years ago, by a boy called Gareth Gates.

For the very young, Rory the tiger has early evening shows to keep the youngsters entertained - including a daily "goodnight" parade where children get to meet and greet the Haven mascot.

Our accommodation was a luxurious three-bedroom "gold Olympic" caravan, which had everything we needed for our four-night stay.

It came with a fully-fitted kitchen complete with microwave oven; a shower, dining area, lounge with colour TV and video recorder - and plenty of room for Elliot to run around.

If it had turned chilly, which thankfully it did not, there was heating in the bedrooms and bathroom.

The holiday park has its own supermarket, but if you don't fancy cooking there are plenty of places to eat, including a Harry Ramsden's fish and chips takeaway and an Italian diner.

About a mile away from Golden Sands is Mablethorpe - a traditional British seaside town in every sense of the word; amusements, novelty shops and fish and chip takeaways. There is also a boating lake, mini funfair and donkey rides. Tidy, but not too tacky.

The town is also home to the Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary. Here you will find a host of animals, including wildcats, iguanas, birds of prey, as well as rescued seals and seagulls. There's a caf and gift shop, too.

Those wishing to travel further afield should visit Skegness; it is about 40 minutes drive away and well worth the trip. The Fantasy Island theme park and markets at Ingoldmells, where plenty of bargains are to be bagged, are also worth visiting. The city of Lincoln is about an hour away by car.

We enjoyed our first visit to Lincolnshire so much that we tried to stay an extra night, but sadly the park was fully booked. Oh, well, there's always next year.

Fact file:

Golden Sands Holiday Park, Quebec Road, Mablethorpe. Tel 01507 477 871

How to get there: Head to Hull, cross the Humber Bridge and then travel down the A16 until you see the signs for Mablethorpe. It should take about two-and-a-half hours from York.

Prices: Costs vary depending on the type of accommodation and time of year. Some half-price deals are available this September.

The brochure cost of our four-night break in a three-bedroom Olympic caravan was £380.

To book, and for more information on Haven Holidays, or its sister company British Holidays, phone on 0870 242 2222 (open 9am to 9pm), or click on to www.havenholidays.co.uk

Updated: 10:21 Saturday, July 31, 2004