Butlins, Bognor, bumper cars and that cousin-thing

It's the half term break here and our house has been full of cousins, ranging in age from 5 to 16 and in personalities from divas to Incredible Teenage Hulks.
But the amazing thing about cousins is that whatever the age difference, there is always the feeling that they are " no-strings attached," bonded, that however good or bad or happy or sad they are, their moods will always be forgiven and forgotten because they are cousin and that's what cousins do.
There's always been something special about that " cousin-thing," - even Shakespeare knew that. 
And over the years, Mia and Joss have shared lots of adventures with their cousins: camping holidays, climbing small mountains, a Christmas spent in a huge slightly dilapidated watermill in France, a holiday in Sri Lanka, birthday parties in halls, on farms, in cinemas and of course, the Greenman Festival. 

Cousins hippying it up at the Greenman Festival

Cousins hanging out in our living room

Unlike siblings, you don't see your cousins every day. Which immediately makes them  better company than any brother or sister.
The normal bickering and rivalry seems to disappear and instead they become a bonded gang, taking on the world.

But even a gaggle of cousins is hard to entertain when storms and rain are forecast and there is no chance to let off steam in a park.  
Which is probably why Joss uttered those dreaded words last Sunday evening:
" We could go to Butlins tomorrow."
To which all the cousins, whatever their age, responded:
"Yes, yeS, YES."
"What is Butlins?" asked Neela, the youngest cousin, when she had finished celebrating.

Butlins holiday park in Bognor Regis is just down the road from us.
 It's a complete 24 hour sensory overload for all the family. 
With fairground rides, a Noddy train, a floor to ceiling indoor soft play area, shows, go-karts and a swimming pool with a wave machine and watery rides, there is something for everyone.
Even cousins.
 When the kids were little my friends and I would take our toddlers and over-excited pre-schoolers to Butlins quite often.  We would scan the local papers for money off vouchers and when we found them, a few of us frazzled mums would spend whole days there. 
We would watch the kids racing up and down the soft play area, enjoying the shows, riding the Noddy train, spinning in the Alice in Wonderland teacups and playing hide-and-seek in the wooden fort outside and enjoying the free shows. 

Fireman Sam at Butlins, Bognor

When the kids are that little, Butlins is like a gift.
It  gave us time for whole minutes of time for adult conversation without the constant demands that come with the first few years of parenthood. 
But as we walked through the automatic doors this time, the decade older me was hit not by a sense of freedom but by the noise and flashing lights and shouting children.
" Do families really come here for whole weeks?" asked my alternative-energy loving brother, turning pale as a trail of 6 year olds ran past him, heading for the slot machines.
" Can we have some money?" asked my 8 year old nephew.
" Can we go on the trampoline?" asked my 10 year old nephew.
" When is the swimming pool open?" asked my 13 year old nephew.
" There's Fireman Sam," said my 5 year old niece.
" Can we buy a cup of coffee?" asked Mia.
And while a glass of brandy might have been better for numbing the senses, coffee and a bag of warm, donuts won the day.
And sugared up, the cousins took Butlins by storm. 
Dodgems:

2p slot machines:

And best of all, hours of fun in the swimming pool:

"You are so lucky Mia and Joss," said Ollie their 8 year old cousin, when we finally left the Butlins bubble.
"Why?" asked Joss.
" Because you live so close," said Ollie, stroking the tasteful soft-toy dog he had won, "You can come to Butlins whenever you want."
I caught my sister-in-law's eye.
" We're very lucky Ollie," I sighed.
But he was already gone, caught up in some cousin race to the car.
And the truth is Ma and Joss are lucky. Not because we live close to Butlins but because of that "cousin-thing." And it doesn't matter if they are in a holiday park, at a festival or just hanging out in our living room, they will always have each other.