The last day of term, lounging in the classroom, chatting with friends with the usual, ‘What are you doing this Easter?’. Everyone seemed generally excited for their school break, however, I did make one observation: any time the word ‘staycation’ was mentioned, it was followed by the same, solemn, distinct groan. Let’s be honest - England is not known for any glamorous beaches, any wondrous weather or any brilliant holidays. ‘So why go on a staycation?’ I wondered. That question would soon be answered when I visited Westward Ho!, a glowing beach along North Devon brimming with the same glamour and sun and fun as any international holiday ever could.

In fact, so much sun that at first, I could hardly make out the myriad of shops to my side, the swirls of cerulean water ahead, nor the glimmering rock pool in front of me, which I almost immediately slipped on. Luckily, the warm and joyful atmosphere enveloping the sand around was enough to distract me from the pain, and my family similarly seemed too fascinated by the ice cream stalls and arcade to pay any mind to my accident. We first wandered along the sand, which was perfectly untouched by any litter and almost felt like a sin to disrupt with our footprints. Other families also strolled across the beach, some swinging buckets and spades and others gripping ice cream cones. Regardless, the place was not busy whatsoever and my dog, Mr Hat, got to dart back and forth across the sand constantly, even clambering over rocks and leaping into pools of water.

Next on the agenda was to saunter past the beach huts and delve into the world of ice cream, fish and chips, doughnuts, slushies and pasties up ahead, which had been teasing us for the last hour with their delightful scents. Even absorbing the whirlpool of smells soaring across the promenade felt like a meal in itself, so when – only after a short while of waiting – we each sunk our teeth into one of those iconic Cornish pasties, it felt as though we had attained heaven itself. My dad proclaimed that they put the Tesco bought ones to shame, then sunk back into quietness as we contently consumed our lunch.

As the sunlight began shifting to an orangey hue, we checked off our final quest: visit the arcade. Mum and Dad continued ambling across the beach with Mr Hat while my brother and I marched into the flashing lights. Naturally, the arcade was far more crowded and hectic than the beach, bustling with coins clanging and the occasional toddler screaming. However, that was all made up for by its vibrance, laughter and fun. Although not the highlight of our visit, yelling at claw machines and giggling over massive plushies of Jigglypuff’s and Luigi’s was a joyful ending to our day, that left us with the taste of pennies and afterimages of coin pushers etched with nostalgia into our memory as we drove back to our cottage.

For families, kids, dog owners and ice cream lovers, Westward Ho! is the place you need to be. And before you let out that same, solemn distinct groan, remember this: glistening waters and glittery sand are not exclusive to holidays miles across the sea. Instead, you could always head down to Westward Ho!, a holiday for half the cost yet just as much charm.