‘Our daughters woke to the sound of waves, just as I did years ago’: a return to the beach that defined my childhood

Sophie Goddard’s summers were full of weekends at the beach, an experience she can now share with her twins Photograph: PR

In a series to celebrate XPENG’s partnership with new movie A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, four writers share memories of the journeys that made them who they are.

There are few childhood memories that truly stand the test of time. Favourite haunts or trips so often fall flat when heading back years later – somehow smaller, less whimsical and devoid of the unmistakable charm or magic they once held over us. It’s something I’ve thought about lately, having recently revisited a childhood beach-hut holiday in Dorset – only this time, with my fiance Adam and our twin toddlers in tow.