The weather forecast may be sending mixed messages, but summer is finally upon us here in the UK. Jesse is due to break up from school in a couple of weeks and the calendar is the busiest it’s been in over a year.
Despite being fully vaccinated, we’re feeling fairly apprehensive about the lifting of restrictions later this month. For lots of reasons, we’re planning to remain cautious, avoid big crowds and keep wearing masks. I don’t think it’s going to feel like a ‘normal’ summer, but that doesn’t mean we’re not determined to make the most of it.
While Carl and I are working, the children have various solo adventures to look forward to. Izzy is off to Cornwall and London, and Jesse will be spending two weeks away on a UK road trip with my mum. They’ll visit their grandparents together in Derby too.
Although they haven’t always made it on to the blog, writing a summer bucket list has been an annual ritual since the children were little. I think it was Joy the Baker who first inspired me, and I still enjoy reading her version when it goes live each year. If you’d like to compile your own, A Beautiful Mess has this cute printable and their recent podcast episode on the subject is full of inspiration. You can also read some of our previous lists here: 2019 / 2018 / 2012.
In 2021, our summer bucket list looks like this…
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Celebrate an Ending
Izzy officially finished secondary school a couple of weeks ago. For obvious reasons, it hasn’t been the ending we imagined it would be, and it certainly hasn’t been the ending Izzy and her friends deserve.
Back in June, Year 11 Prom was cancelled by the school when the lifting of restrictions was delayed by another four weeks. Thankfully, a group of parents have managed to reinstate the booking and it’s now due to go ahead at the end of July. We plan to go all out to ensure Izzy has an amazing night. GCSE results day is scheduled for the middle of August, and I’ve already got the champagne on ice.
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Plant a Rose
This translates to ‘finish driveway makeover’, but planting a rose sounds much more romantic, don’t you think?! We recently had the walls at the front of our house repaired and repainted. Next up, we want to restore the tarmac driveway, paint the side-gate and replace our house number before finally training a couple of climbing roses over the front door. Iceberg is my first choice, but it seems to be sold out everywhere so I may go for Claire Austin or The Generous Gardener instead.
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Spend a Weekend in London
I haven’t been home since 2019. I miss the city and my friends who still live there very, very much. All being well, we’ll be spending a couple of nights at my mum’s flat in West London in August. I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to cram into one trip, but I’d like to visit at least one museum or art gallery while we’re there. I read The Foundling* by Stacey Halls last year and I’d love to explore the institution that inspired the book.
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Enjoy an Early Evening Stroll
The long, light evenings are one of the best things about summer, but I often forget to savour them. Now the kids are older, and bedtime seems to be getting later and later, I’d like to head out for the odd {gentle} walk after dinner. I wouldn’t say no to ending up at The Red Church for drinks either.
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Staycation at Home
I’m keeping my work schedule light for the next couple of months and taking a full two weeks off at the end of August. We’ve no plans to go abroad and even a UK holiday feels out of reach this year. Instead, we plan to staycation at home in Bristol, soaking up the city and enjoying a few daytrips here and there. I’d also love to find a cute Airbnb for the bank holiday weekend or maybe treat us all to a night in a hotel.
- Whatever your plans are this summer, I hope it’s a good one.
Love Audrey xxx
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