Even though our babies are now adults, we haven’t really felt any empty nests. Our eldest took an extended gap year, then commuted to university, and moved out 5 months before getting married. When he moved out, we were working at the same school, so I still saw him every day, and they live about a mile or two from us, so we see lots of him and his fabulous wife. Our youngest went to university 2 years ago, and although the initial plan had been to spend some time at uni and some time at home, it quickly became apparent that commuting from home would be better for his mental health, as well as his bank balance. Our children may be in their 20s, but there had been no empty nest emotions…..until Cornwall.

We got back from a fabulous 3 generational holiday to Cornwall. We went down with our youngest, our eldest and his wife joined us later on day 1, and then my parents trained down and had a week with us from day 6. We did some things all together, somethings just the two of us, somethings with us splitting into groups and going in different directions. It was a relaxing well needed break.

On the last day, my parents and our eldest and his wife had left early, so it was the three of us for a day of pottering around Padstow until late afternoon when we were going to head back up the M5 to home. We holiday in the seven bays area, and for about 12 years, we holidayed in Harlyn Bay. We stayed in a flat that was a 5 minute walk from the beach, so we would pack a picnic and head down to the bay, spend a few hours beach combing, swimming, surfing and building sandcastles. We had a ‘spot’ that we used to go back to each year, near the top of the beach where we could let wetsuits and swimwear dry on a rocky outcrop. I have so many pictures of sandcastles, slate monoliths and henges that we used to build each year, and I can track the years with the beach tent(s) that we had to take for toddlers napping and for getting changed and hiding from the rain – or seagulls. So many memories on this fantastic little beach. But times change, and flats get sold, and little children grow into bigger children and then adults who want different adventures.

We now stay on the other side of Trevose Head, and we haven’t been on Harlyn beach since 2021. On our last day of this year’s holiday, we went to see what the new pub that has replaced the Harlyn Inn was like. We arrived a little early, so I left them waiting by the pub, and went for a walk on the beach.

I cannot express how emotional it was. It’s not our little beach any more – there are new families now, the age we were when we started holidaying here with little children. No one was in ‘our spot’ but weather and seasons shape the beach, and our spot didn’t look quite like it used to. I retraced the steps we used to take, where slate meets sandstone that can catch your feet when the tide is in. I walked through the sea pools that the tide leaves on its way out. I looked out at the children and teenagers body boarding in the waves, and I saw echoes.

I saw the echoes of us when we had little ones, and when we had bigger ones, and when we had teens that wanted to go into the sea by themselves. I saw us dragging body boards through the shallows. I saw us waiting for the tide to go out so we could go and look at the rock pools.

I hadn’t felt an empty nest until I stood on our beach, in our spot and saw that all we have now is memories – fantastic memories – but our babies are grown up, and seeing and feeling the echoes of the amazing summers we had with them on this little beach in Cornwall moved me far more than I could have imagined.

For those of you reading this with little ones, or bigger ones, or nieces and nephews or grandchildren, breathe it in. Laugh at the sandy foot prints, take photos with your mind, and then, one day, you too can go back and smile at the echoes that are left behind.