Uni has finished. You’ve moved back home. Summer has officially begun. And with the weather being as glorious as it is, this certainly calls for a reflection on the best things about the summer season.
1. The Beach – nothing can beat a warm sunny day the beach. Us Brits are determined to make a coastal appearance, even if the weather is bad. Miles of golden sand and vast expanses of water, we’ll dip our feet in whether the temperature is in minus numbers or not. I’m sure everyone can say they’re guilty of an English sunburn. Laying on the beach, sizzling until you physically cannot stay any longer – then regretting it in the evening when you could quite possibly fry an egg on your shoulders. Where’s the aftersun?
2. BBQs – Any time of the day. Any day of the week. You cannot say no to a BBQ. Sausages, burgers, chicken skewers and corn on the cob, all charcoaled by your Dad’s best BBQing skills. There’s something about a BBQ in the sunshine with a cider in one hand and a burger in the other. Absolute perfection. Still sitting outside late at night, being bitten to death by mosquitoes – that’s when you know you’re in the really summer spirit!
3. Wimbledon – As soon as the sun arrives you know that Wimbledon cannot be far around the corner. Two weeks of solid tennis entertainment. It almost becomes an addiction. Will he, won’t he? Can Murray bag us another win for this year? Strawberries and cream on centre court and endless jugs of Pimms, it’s difficult to realise why you would want to be too far from a television screen.
4. Holidays – The countdown began a fair few months ago now and you’re so near to the end. Weeks abroad, relaxing by a pool, sunbathing on an exotic beach, ice cream after ice cream and bottle upon bottle of after sun. It’s a chance to test your GCSE languages that are still somewhere buried at the back of your brain. Absorbing foreign cultures and most importantly, time to chill out. Lounging around in the sun with a cocktail in arms length. Paradise.
5. Sunshine – We can never be too sure when it comes to summer whether we are going to get the weather that we hope for, but nevertheless, there’s sure to be a day or two filled with British sun. It’s not quite the same as the heat we get in the Mediterranean but, if nothing else, it puts a smile on our face.
So we can only live in hope that this sunny weather continues for a bit longer. If not, we shall be digging out the waterproofs and winter woollies slightly earlier than we had wished!