SUNBED WARS

Natasha Harding, 49, is always ready to fight for the best spot around the pool

- NATASHA HARDING

Doing a quick scan of the area, I nodded to my son Zak, then 15, that the coast was clear. We threw our towels onto the sunbeds before walking away, leaving them as our very own ‘reserved’ signs. On our way to the breakfast hall, I noticed a sign by the pool saying ‘Do not reserve sunbeds’. But with an air of feigned ignorance, I just turned the sign the other way. ‘We’ll pretend we didn’t see that,’ I winked.

It was summer 2022 in Portugal, and I was fully focused on my sunbed mission. In fact, the fight to reserve sunloungers has become like an Olympic sport over the years, one big competition between holidaymakers to see who can get up earliest and nab the best beds. And I’m unashamedly rather good at winning the war - an art I have perfected over time.

EARLY BIRD