So, everyone British can agree – this hot weather is unprecedented. I mean, it must surely be record breaking? I’ve not checked in the Guinness Book of World Records recently, but ‘longest spell of hot weather to happen to England since ever’ must surely be worthy of an entry? To wake up every day (having not checked the weather the night before in order to decide what to wear and what to do) knowing that an outdoor activity can actually be on the cards is just fabulous.
And so what to do? The weekends become filled with choices other than the previously popular (by which I of course mean unpopular with anyone over the age of 8) and obligatory soft play. Pretty much any destination becomes more enjoyable when kids can run around in the sun with ice creams, dogs and balls (apart from Lapland which would be pretty much ruined by such things (although watching Santa eat an ice-cream without getting a sticky beard could be fun)).
Mums are turning out cupboards (think Monica’s secret closet in Friends) trying desperately to find that elusive picnic blanket that hasn’t been used for two years when the sun last came out. Cool boxes – but where are the ice packs? They of course should be in the freezer, but why take up good freezer space? Rather allocate the space to something more likely to be used such as kievs, nuggets and other chicken-based items. Sun cream – aaaargh! How long is it supposed to last for? Will the one we used for two days, four years ago be OK? Sun hats that they used to wear as babies are being squeezed onto heads. Flip-flops two sizes too small with toes over the edge…. But it’s all fine. Because we must make the most of it. Because the Great British mantra is ‘How long will it last?’ By the time the August holiday arrives it will surely be raining?
So we’re all out there. And there really are so many beautiful places up and down the country for families. Castles and stately homes with beautiful grounds and gardens (in fact, the only down side to this weather is that our famously lush green grass is now scorched, yellow and dry), parks and playgrounds, rivers and lakes for fishing and paddling, farms and wildlife parks… the list is endless, and many activities are free unlike in the colder climes where the only place you DON’T pay to shelter from the elements is in your own house!
I do have to laugh at/admire those who ‘make a day of it’, coming armed with everything but the kitchen sink. Erecting mini tents and gazebos, portable chairs that fold to nothing and wind breaks, unpacking half of the M&S food hall and 8L of water. Where are they going, pray do tell? To the local football field to watch their little ones play in a 5 a-side tournament for 3 hours. But hey, who am I to scoff? I was in that very situation a few weeks ago and did not go armed with the afore mentioned supplies. We sat on the scorched and scratchy grass on our cardigans, with a few limp sandwiches and melting Babybels in a Peppa Pig lunchbox (no Moroccan spiced cous-cous, spinach and falafel wraps or smoked salmon and cream cheese on seeded bagels for us). And we were hot! So much so that I even tried to sneak us under someone else’s pre-erected gazebo until the whole team piled over to grab at the 8L of water and half of the M&S food hall, and we sidled off to look for a tree (nature’s own gazebo to be fair, but just never quite where you want it!!)
So far during this remarkably long period of good weather we/I have:
- Played endlessly in the garden
- Splashed in paddling pools (surely no-one has used one of those since 1976?)
- Done the school run without it raining at 3.29pm
- Eaten BBQ for most meal times! (No pots and pans = no brainer)
- Enjoyed feeling warm whilst watching outdoor sporting events
- Swum in the sea whilst at the seaside
- Got out of the sea and let the sun dry us naturally rather than loading on 25 towels and a hoodie
- Gone out for the day armed only with a light ‘just in case’ cardi rather than a heavy duty, fleece lined, furry hooded ‘will this even be enough?’ parka.
- Eaten more ice cream than is necessary (ice cream is second to bubbles on the never-gets-old list for kids)
So, by the time you read this, it may well be raining/snowing, never to sunshine again, but at least we can honestly say that, even if we never again wear a pair of shorts, we truly have made the most of it.
