No one mentioned this plan until we were near the resort entrance

As we drove up to the holiday park entrance my girlfriend’s father ordered me out of the car and into the trunk. WTF is going on? Oh, didn’t I tell you, we only booked for 6 people but you’re number 7?

I was only 17 and had been dating a local girl for almost a year. Her family decided to go on holiday to Butlin’s, as they did every year. For non-British readers who may not have heard of Butlin’s, it’s a chain of seaside resorts that started opening n the 1930s.

I don’t know what they’re like these days, but when I went the accommodation was pretty basic. Imagine staying in a small pre-fabricated building. There was nightly entertainment and lots of things for families to do.

The holiday was booked for my girlfriend, her sister, parents, uncle, and aunt. It was booked quite far in advance. I was invited.

A couple of weeks before they left her father asked why I didn’t come as well. He said I could share a cabin with my girlfriend’s uncle and aunt. I decided to go and he said he’d arrange everything. I assumed this meant booking an extra place for me.

On the day we drove in two cars. I was in one car with my girlfriend and her parents. My girlfriend’s uncle, aunt, and sister were in the other car.

As we approached the resort my girlfriend’s father said I needed to get out of the car and into the trunk.

He said he hadn’t bothered adding me to the booking because he didn’t see much point. Just hop into the trunk for a few minutes, he said.

At first, I thought he was teasing me but then realized that he was serious.

These days most cars are hatchbacks, so sitting in the back isn’t much of a hassle. But the car we were traveling in was one with a completely enclosed trunk.

I didn’t have any choice, so got into the trunk. If you’ve never lied down in the trunk of a car you may not realize how claustrophobic it is. I was probably only in there for a minute or so, but it felt much longer.

I felt the car moving forward and then stopping. I assumed we must be at the entrance having the booking checked. Then the car moved forward again and stopped shortly after that. The trunk opened. I was alive. I was so glad to get out.

We had a great week there. On the way out I was allowed to sit in the main part of the car, as the guards only checked people on the way in.

I offer my profound apologies to Butlin’s.