I only ever get to the thinking about it stage because the cost is so prohibitive.

As a single dad the financial hit of holidaying abroad in the peak season is a credit card-busting, overdraft-inducing one. It's either that or incur the wrath of the school by removing them during term time.

And so we decided to stay in Blighty, like I'm convinced most cash-strapped parents will do this summer.

We spent the weekend at a Haven centre in nearby Caister. I used to be quite snooty about English seaside holidays. But it's surprising how quickly you can get used to windbreaks and deckchairs and sand in your food – and it is less hassle than going abroad.

In fact, there is something about English seaside holiday resorts that I love. It's the lack of pretension, the resort mascots with curious names like Anxious the Elephant, the intimacy and cosiness of the caravan and – yes, believe it or not – the entertainment.

Places such as Haven uphold the best traditions of variety entertainment which kids seem to love – even slightly cynical, above-it-all teenagers like my eldest.

Rather than play rounders or wanting you to make sandcastles, your teenaged offspring just hang around scowling, being difficult and wanting to go home. Instead, my two joined the T-co club which is billed as a place for teenagers to "chill out together". It gave me a bit of "me" time too.

The resort was situated on the beach front and we looked out over two dozen or so giant wind turbines. I happen to think they have a unique, almost mesmeric, beauty, despite what some Fen folk might think.

Great Yarmouth, a five-minute drive away, was all I'd expected from a quintessentially English seaside resort, a mile-long stretch of seafood stalls, chippies, fair rides and arcades. Sadly, the quintessentially English summer was in overdrive so we took cover in the Sea Life Centre on the seafront.

The aquarium was an excellent value for money two hours of eyeballing sharks in a walk-through aquarium, marvelling at an octopus attaching itself to glass and handling starfish and sea anemones. My only grumble would be that, in common with a lot of UK attractions, a family ticket still means two adults and two children. How about a family ticket for a single adult and two or three children?

Mindful of the increasing trend towards more single parents, Haven, which is involved with a charity for lone parents called Help, is now contemplating a dedicated single parent break.

Over the forthcoming weeks I'll be seeing how the leisure and travel industry is adapting to this subtle change in the traditional 2.2 family.