Great British Summers
Driving through twirling country roads, entwined with the enchanting greenery of the countryside, with perhaps a cottage surrounded by meadows awaiting your arrival or a costal beach house, where your sandy toes will rest. There is nothing else quite like a great British summer.
Although holidays abroad provide the opportunity to discover new cultures and explore endless destinations, I find holidaying in the UK joyous and nostalgic. As a child I have fond memories of family trips to Cornwall, spending our days on the beach and seeking shelter in a local café when the heavens opened above us. Or exploring the lake district by bike (again, with the heavens open), or weeks spent in South Wales, in the home which my great grandfather built.
Recently, in July, I visited Richmond, Yorkshire, a part of the UK I had not visited before. We stayed at Brompton lakes, a nature retreat made up of several lakeside lodges. The lodges are set beside river Swale, making for a calm and peaceful surrounding. Richmond, is a delightful old market town, filled with quaint homes, local bookshops (with the little self-control I have, I of course purchased a couple books), traditional ice-cream parlours and antique shops filled with treasures.
Our lakeside lodge was beautiful, with outside eating area to enjoy the warm weather that has been sweeping through the UK over recent months. Furthermore, a woodburning hot tub to soak, relax and enjoy a refreshing glass of pims in. Surrounding the retreat there are lush woodlands to wander through, which lead you to Easby. A local village, that is quintessentially British. Featuring thatched roofs, old stone manor houses surrounded by beds of lavender.
My time spend in this part of England allowed me to relish in the novelty of British summertime and all the wonderful things that come with it. Such as the delight of wearing your summer dresses in a country that is renound for its dreary weather, consuming copious amounts of fresh strawberries (preferably doused in cream), Pimms, how often you discus the rise in temperature, nodding along to the comments about ‘how us Brits are simply not used to it’, crowded beer gardens, devouring a 99 cone from the ice-cream van, the warmth of fish and chips resting on your lap whilst the rain is lashing down around you. These are the things that remind me of just how wonderful a British summer really is.
My digital diary for my glorious week in Richmond. Good old British summer time.
