AS a family we love the seaside so a long weekend on the East Yorkshire coast was eagerly anticipated by everyone except the grumpy 16-year-old.

After weighing up the dangers of leaving him home alone against the prospect of looking at his gloomy face for four days, we decided to double check that the contents insurance was up to date and set off without him.

Although we were driving just a couple of hours down the road, the name of the campsite – Sand Le Mere Holiday Village – conjured up images of Brittany or even the Cote D’Azur.

Driving down the A1, along the M62 and heading for Humberside, you are reminded you are a long way from mainland Europe – there are proper service stations for a start – but as you travel out of Hull and the roads become quieter and narrower, the countryside does have a kind of continental feel to it.

Withernsea though is the kind of town you only get in Britain, all pubs, bookies and pound shops. There may be a nice beach hidden away somewhere, but we didn’t stop to look for it and hurried on our way.

We found our campsite a few miles up the coast much more welcoming. The site is big, but not as big as those that resemble medium-sized towns that we have visited abroad.

Over the last couple of years the owners have spent £5m on landscaping and improved facilities.

These include a new leisure complex, which features bar, restaurants, cafe, takeaway, swimming pool, arcade and soft play centre.

The complex is excellent, with free swimming for guests and live entertainment every night in the bar. The bingo, singalongs and cabaret might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is good clean family fun, meaning the whole family can go out for the evening and nobody is left out.

The site also runs a kids club during the day, as well as games, archery and sports coaching.

Lake and beach fishing is also available at the site.

It seemed to us that many of the pitches on the campsite were for static caravans used by their owners, but there was also plenty of room for tents, motorhomes and touring caravans, which many sites seem to have abandoned in recent years.

The site-owned mobile home that we stayed in was clean and well-equipped, with a spacious – and carpeted – living area.

Keeping the kids entertained during our stay was never a problem. As well as plenty of on-site activities, we spent a day mooching about the pretty town of Hornsea, which is just up the road. The town boasts a nice, sandy beach and plenty of fish and chip shops.

On our second full day we headed further up the coast to Bridlington. Not unlike Scarborough, but none the worse for that, we had a great time in the town playing the 2p slot machines and using the fairground rides on the promenade.

We finished the day taking the miniature train up the coast to see the animals at the fantastic Sewerby Hall and Gardens. They almost had to drag the children out of the gate at closing time and we wished we had given the place more time.

As we waited for the train back to town we watched a clifftop cricket game taking place amidst the sea fret and reflected on what had been a belter of a break.

We arrived home to find the teenager had managed to avoid burning down the house. We gave him some Bridlington rock to say thank you.

Travel facts

Joe Willis and family stayed at Sand le Mere Holiday Village, where short breaks start from £97 for a family sharing a two-bedroom holiday home. Pools, children’s clubs and evening entertainment are included in the price. Find out more at http://sand-le-mere.co.uk or call 01964-670403.