Farewell to Haddocks..

When did I start getting sensible?? I've been looking forward so much to our holiday a week on Saturday but I have noticed an alarming number of "sensible" thoughts creeping in.

Take the booking, for example. I spent an age looking stuff up on the internet, talking to people who had been to Pembrokeshire (as I have not) and selecting the "right" town/village for us. My younger self would just have plumped for one at random. My considerations encompassed all sorts of sensible thoughts like, shopping opportunities, pubs and restaurants without having to drive or taxi (if readily available taxis even exist in such a remote spot - they don't really round here).

Then actually trying to plan our holiday more than 2 weeks before we go - this is new behaviour for me. As it happened we had an epic fail here but that is more because a suitable week suddenly became free in our diaries earlier than we'd expected. (We had blocked it out as we'd fully expected to be going to Wembley for the play-off final so getting automatic promotion was a brilliant bonus.)

Then, while trawling exhaustively the extremely limited selection of cottages for rent which will accept 2 dogs and are located centrally within my chosen town (well, city actually as St David's is Britain's smallest city), I got it down to a shortlist of 2 and this is where my newfound sensibleness really kicked in.

The first, the cute, trendily furnished and extremely chic looking "Haddocks' Rest". The second, unimaginatively referred to on the website as "Bungalow".

My younger self would have plumped for Haddocks' Rest immediately without a second thought. The bespoke website packed with a gallery of professional photos. The sanded down wooden floors complete with bright rugs and one-off pottery and pictures. The gleaming paintwork in just the "right" shade and the pretty stonework with tiny, flower crammed rear patio/garden. It's central location bang in the middle of the village. Who could resist?

Especially compared to "Bungalow". Dull white and grey 2 bed bungalow on a cul de sac just off the village centre. Fresh but generic furnishings, boring garden.

Well, I went for the grown up choice and I still can't quite believe it. And for such sensible reasons too.

Haddocks' Rest opens straight out onto what passes for a busy road in St David's, no hallway or parking out front - not great for muddy dogs and humans after clifftop hikes. The parking is in a carpark at the rear so would have meant walking round. Bungalow has a driveway. This is golden when you have 2 dogs and play golf! Our dogs do not sit quietly in the car waiting for their leads to be attached then exit the vehicle in a calm, controlled manner. Oh no! They hurl themselves like the demons from hell at the doors and windows in their desperation to get out into the traffic, all the while barking, howling and wriggling. Trying to deal with that either on a busy street or in a public carpark would have got old quickly. Also lugging golf clubs around is not amusing after a while.

So - just call me Ms Sensible!

But I find I like getting old and staid. I like throwing myself into the anticipation of a holiday: the planning and laundering and making of lists; the research and poring over websites. It's part of the holiday itself and one I have not fully appreciated in the past.