I was a love child – so why did I go off the rails?

A trip to the beach in Dorset on the hottest day of the year so far brings back some family memories for Charlotte Cripps

Illustration by Amara May

We set off at crack of dawn to get to Dorset. I had no idea that thousands of other people would flock to the coast in the sweltering heat – as we did. It’s a Thursday – I’ve got the day off – as it seems does most of Britain.

I’m on the beach with the kids wearing a bikini with a T-shirt over the top because I’ve put on weight during lockdown; it’s all the covidcarbs. I just don’t look beach-ready – I look more liposuction ready.

But after a refreshing swim in the sea, I’m dripping wet, so I take off the T-shirt to let it dry in the sun. That’s when I get the shock of my life.