Goodbye grockles

In Poole (Dorset) they call people who have holiday cottages and apartments "grockles". Apparently they arrive in their 4x4s from London to take over the local bars and cafes much to the amusement of locals.

Our grockles do much the same thing. The difference is that visitors here come from a bit further afield and stay for two weeks or even longer. Many stay for the whole of August. Most are Spanish with a sprinkling of English and other nationalities thrown in.

Our grockles bring much needed revenue to the coastal towns. For that short period, bars and restaurants spill out onto the pavements to accommodate them; the owners making the most of their opportunity to earn some cash.

There is a downside for residents though; it's probably the same in Poole. Parking anywhere near a beach becomes impossible and roads in the area get busy. When you finally arrive at the beach, it can be difficult to find a spot to place your umbrella especially if you want to be near the sea.

However, taking everything into consideration, grockles do add life to the place and it is a little sad when they return home. The consolation is that we know next August they'll be back. Some may return even sooner if they can spare the time from their busy lives.As long as they bring their wallets, we don't mind.