Let’s do this together YOUR

MY AMAZING PHOTOGRAPH

First day of the half-term holidays and it doesn’t look any different in our house to a school day as The Dark Lord is already in front of her screen before breakfast.

“Do you have to go on your computer first thing in the morning?” I yelled at her from my desk, where I was staring at my laptop screen. The thing about parenting, I find, is to be consistently hypocritical, so it’s difficult to call out.

Sticking her head round my door, she said quietly, “Well what else is there to do? We’re not going anywhere or doing anything this week.”

“You could call a friend and go for a bike ride or walk together,” I suggested brightly, but I was feeling a bit mopey inside too.

This week, every year, is our big holiday when we stay with our friends in France and go skiing in the Alps. I’d take a week in the mountains over a beach anytime, probably because it involves removing fewer clothes.

“I know you’re missing our holiday – I do too. Maybe we can replicate some of the things we normally do when we’re away,” I suggested.

She snorted, “What you mean like you getting drunk on vin chaud at breakfast?”

I have to admit that I did consider it briefly, then replied, “No I meant our annual French cheese fest when we have fondue for dinner.”

She didn’t look completely unhappy at this idea, so I’m getting my ski kit out tonight and, hopefully if it still fits, I’m going to be burning my tongue on hot cheese, and then regretting it all evening when it gives me heartburn.

Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791, Winchester SO23 3RP.

Just to remind us all what we’re missing, this spectacular Spanish sunrise was taken by Brian Thompson of Prescot, Merseyside. The 81-year-old says: “I took this early morning sunrise from our hotel balcony in Majorca a couple of years ago. I wanted a seagull to be in the shot and fortunately luck was on my side.

“I have had a framed enlargement made which hangs in our lounge and reminds my wife Barbara and I of life before Covid! We loved our holidays and are really missing them.

“I used to be a keen amateur photographer and carried around a bulky SLR camera, but find my little iphone does all I want with similar results.” If you are an amateur photographer or artist and would like to see your work in in our gallery, send your work and include your age and address and what inspires you to siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk