Monthly Archives: August 2016

Top 10 Beach Safety Tips from a Pro

We heard on the news that 5 young men tragically lost their lives out on Camber Sands Beach in Sussex, England while in the sea yesterday, 24th Aug. They appear to have caught out in a possible rip-tide which dragged them out to sea.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost their sons, siblings who have lost their brothers in this tragic accident.

Speaking on the BBC Asian Network this morning, I was joined with Aaron Dhanda who is a Community Drowning Prevention Officer with The Royal Life Saving Society UK who gave some great advice on safety when out at the beach, and in particular this applies to parents with young children.

Here are his top 10 tips for beach safety shared with daddydze.co.uk

  1. Seek advice from your travel agent when booking a holiday to ask if the beach is safe and whether trained lifeguards will be on duty
  2. Be aware that the most common time for children to have accidents on holiday is within the first hour of a holiday when parents are unpacking and distracted. Parents should take care during this time to make sure that they know where their children are
  3. When you have unpacked, visit the beach and look for yourself what the potential dangers are before going into the sea
  4. While at the beach, never let your young children out of your reach –supervision is the key to preventing serious accidents
  5. Always ask for local advice, for example from lifeguards, tourist information offices, local coastguard stations, or even local fishermen, on where and when it is not safe to stroll on the beach or enter the water
  6. Do not swim near or dive from rocks, piers, breakwater and coral
  7. Water safety signage can be very different in different countries, so find out what local warning flags and signs mean – and adhere to them
  8. Inflatable dinghies or lilos are a well-known hazard – there have been drownings as people on inflatables are blown out to sea and get into trouble. Do not use them in open water. Use them in sheltered and confined spaces, such as rock pools
  9. If you get stuck in quicksand or mud do not stand up. Lie down, spread your weight, shout for help and move slowly in a breaststroke action towards the shore
  10. If you witness an emergency, whether it is in the UK or overseas, know how to call for help

This is not an exhaustive list – but with all things, be sensible, know the risks and precautions, and be safe.

Summer Holidays.. Uh oh!

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OK so it’s that time of the year. That dreaded time of the year, when parents look to their diaries (and wallets/purses) to plan out activities for their kids, who are now let loose from their restraints of school, and free to roam the world and drag their parents along with them.

Sid is only 2 at the moment, and so my experience of this is quite limited. Much to my satisfaction I must say.  That said, he is a very demanding and inquisitive child and always wants things to do to entertain him.

I have found that off all his toys, from the least to the most expensive, his favourite toy is his £2 bubble-gun.

I don’t quite know what it is with kids and bubbles, but my God, Sid loves them.

So over the past 6-8 months, Sang and I have found a few things that are just superb for kids, that don’t quite cost a lot of money, yet provide hours of fun (depending on the age of the little one)

The best we have found for kids up to about 6/7 years old is our local farm, or a local farm.

They are free to get into, have lots of animals in enclosures, and plenty of fresh food to buy.  One of my favourite ones is Lizzies Farm and Tea Room in Worcester.

I was taken here by my wife as part of my first fathers day present from Sid, and what an event.  It was his visit to a farm, and he was overjoyed at the sight of the lambs, rabbits and the giant bovine.

And what was great for me and the Mrs, they had a lovely little tea room, serving fresh cakes (and what a selection!) and home made sarnies, with fresh pickle, all home made.

Details can be found on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lizzies-Farm-Tea-Room/471481752954768


Find a local farm, support your local producers, and have fun!