The Simple Things Issue 134 August

JOLLY – Summer reading. Wearing tea dresses. Cool tins of fish. Parks & peaks. Pisco & vanilla sours. Shady spots. Favourite beaches. Folk art enamelware. Sunflowers. Gooseberry fridge jam. Old-fashioned fun. River swims & belly laughs. Margarita cakes & wood-fired Focaccia. 

For many of us, our fondest childhood memories are often set at the seaside. Those ‘last two weeks in August’ whether in Cornwall or a Spanish Costa, Bournemouth or Brittany, were memory makers. So, it’s no wonder that we seek out that nostalgia as grown-ups and remember the jolly times and fun places of holidays past. A trip to the seaside puts a smile on everyone’s face; on a sunny summer’s day, the beach is a place where people are pre-disposed to have fun, take time off, spend time with family and friends, share a picnic, play games and eat ice cream. And it’s these simple pleasures that send us home refreshed and relaxed. Ready for the year ahead. Worth remembering too that we can do all of these things anywhere – a river dip instead of a sea swim, a garden firepit supper is as enjoyable as a beach barbecue and a city park provides the people-watching opportunities of a promenade or pier. Jolly holidays are a mindset rather than a destination.

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