Ulster by the Sea

The first in the series features a proud loyalist woman whose grandchildren visit her caravan in Millisle and learn the significance of Remembrance; a group of girlfriends partying in Bundoran whose friendship transcends sectarian divisions; a gay couple who have worked hard all their lives and now own a caravan on ‘millionaire’s row’ in Portrush; a Millisle caravan site owner and Zimbabwean employee who’ve struck up a meaningful friendship.

A touring caravanner overcomes MS to live life to the full, and two best friends of 60 years reminisce about the heyday of Millisle when they worked at the funfair on the beach. In Bundoran, site owners come to terms with the death of their only child, a lady in Portballintrae provides an unexpected place of healing, and three childhood girlfriends reconnect through caravan fun in Portrush.

A happy-go-lucky lady on the cusp of 50 ticks surfing off her bucket list, and a folk musician extols the healing power of seaside life. A mother and two boys learn how to live with the grief of losing their husband and father, and a family with five caravans on the same site enjoy quality time together over the 12th fortnight. A man spends his first summer at the caravan site without his mother after caring for her full-time for eight years, and a former skinhead from the Shankill road finds healing from PTSD at his little sanctuary by the sea.

Emer has been running Coney Island Caravan Park in County Down along with her husband Michael for over 30 years. Their biggest event of the summer is coming up – their annual bingo night, with its biggest ever prize of £1,100!

In this episode, Jim takes a boat trip to the tiny archipelago of Millisle, which proves to be an eye-opening experience for him. Other summer visitors to Millisle include a group of teenagers who get to enjoy carefree days at the caravan that are hard to find at home in Belfast - and for them the highlight of the summer is the 11th night ‘boney’.

Jon survived a heart attack two years ago, thanks to the help he got from the two managers at Shanlieve caravan park in Cranfield. He is now one of NI’s few year-round caravan park residents.