The lady wagging her finger is Queen Sheila of Piel Island who I had seriously annoyed by ‘phoning her at 11.30pm on Saturday night to make a
booking for Sunday lunch. Sheila owns the only pub on the island The Ship Inn and her website warns that Sundays are busy and booking is advisable. Just don’t leave it ’til you’re in bed because there’s a good chance Sheila will be asleep as she’s up at 5am most mornings to scrub the pub.

We’d heard about Piel Island from the skipper at Atlas Sailing

That’s Skipper Andy with my kids on his bloody gorgeous yacht, learning about rigging and hoisting the main sail and all that. Andy takes groups out from Morecambe to Piel Island to teach them how to sail.

So we have Andy to thank for telling us about Piel with it’s beautiful beaches, warm seas and brilliant pub.

As you can see from the above picture all there is to Piel is the castle, the beach and the pub. What more do you need?

That there fish may look like it’s been over-fried but I promise you, the batter was delicious and the cod inside was moist and perfectly cooked.

I had two pints, as Ged was kindly driving, then had a good shuffty around before telling Queen Sheila that her website didn’t do the place justice at all. My pictures are miles better.

The place looks empty because we were all outside enjoying the sun but I’m dying to go back in the winter when the log burners are a-roaring and the sea outside is a-raging.

There’s a wondrous cabinet of curiosities that would look rather spiffing in my dining room but Ged was unwilling to make an offer.

I told Queen Sheila to sort her website out and get some decent pictures on there or she’d never pull in the punters to stay in her three ensuite doubles.

She gave me ‘a look’ and informed me that they’re pretty much booked up for the next two years.

The alternative to the ensuites is camping which you can do for a fiver a night. Bring a torch as there’s no electricity on the island and bear in mind that the shower in the loo block is cold water only.

Make sure you take shoes for beach walking and swimming too because as well as the sand there’s also a beach of scary, sharp mussel shells. Ged found that enormous oyster shell which made his day, bless him.

I swam (that’s my little head) and so did Joe who refuses to swim anywhere unless the water is tropical. So that proves how warm it was.

Unfortunately, while Joe and I were swimming the tide came in and our towel and clothes began to float off in the direction of Morecambe. That’s me trying to retrieve the towel and dry my trews.

and that’s Ged, taking over the trews drying, with Zoe’s kite way above him in the background.

We didn’t really want to leave but we did because there was no room at the Inn, we didn’t have a tent and I had nothing but a bikini to wear as all my clothes were wet.

I think Queen Sheila was sorry to see me go. “She’s my new best friend!” I told Ged.

“Yes, darling” he replied “but I don’t think you are hers.”

Don’t fret Sheila, I’ll be back with my £12 Asda tent.

PS I nearly forgot. Joe found this impossibly cute caterpillar. I love caterpillars because watching them walk always makes me laugh. This bugger did something nasty to Joe’s hand which resulted in us rushing back to the car for Piriton and performing micro-tweezering of little hairs embedded in his skin.