WATCHING Robson Green at Duridge Bay on ITV's More Tales of Northumberland when the skinny dippers were changing reminded me of a day more than 55 year ago when I was on the beach at Crimdon Dene.

My grandfather was the second person to have a caravan there in the 1950s. He had a large roofing business in Gilesgate, Durham, called Simpson's Roofings.

The whole family were on the beach this day. I was coming up to 15 and we had enjoyed a picnic with egg-and-tomato sandwiches.

I decided to go for a swim and was changing into my cossie under a towel.

When I got it on I threw the towel aside to head for the North Sea only to hear my ultra glamorous Auntie Marjorie, who was as good looking as Jane Russell without her stunning assets, say: "Eh, our Malcolm."

Somehow I had left my wedding tackle outside my cossie.

I ran into the sea. My uncles were still there two hours later trying to persuade me to come out. I had almost died of embarrassment.

Mind you, when I did come out my wedding tackle was very insignificant as it was very cold.

M Rolling, Durham.