KARREN BRADY

OUR BRILLIANT COLUMNIST WRITES EXCLUSIVELY FOR W&H EACH MONTH ‘Summer pleasures are about doing things differently, like reading the papers outside with a fabulously strong cup of coffee’

ON SUMMER PLEASURES

AS MUCH AS I LOVE CUDDLING UP IN FRONT OF THE FIRE ON A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT

WITH A BOTTLE OF RED WINE AND A BOX SET, I HANKER AFTER THE LONG SUMMER EVENINGS.… DRINKING THE PALEST ICE-COLD ROSÉ WINE, SITTING IN MY GARDEN WHILE THE SUN SETS EVER SO SLOWLY.

LAUGHING, RELAXING, DRINKING,

EATING – YES, THESE ARE ALL MY FAVOURITE THINGS… AND SHARING THEM WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS IS MY SWEETEST SUMMER PLEASURE. BECAUSE EVERYTHING SEEMS BETTER IN THE SUNSHINE… AND FINGERS CROSSED WE GET A SHARE OF THAT!

IN THE SUMMER YOU CAN CHUCK A LUMP OF MEAT ONTO HOT COALS, BURN IT AND IT STILL TASTES FANTASTIC. YOU SERVE UP BURNT CORN ON THE COB AND NO ONE PULLS A FACE OR MOANS, THEY JUST HUNGRILY EAT IT UP!

THE KIDS WILL EAT SALAD WITHOUT ME INSISTING THEY DO, AND I’LL PUT BANANAS ON THE BARBECUE JUST FOR THE FUN OF

IT AND SOMEHOW THEY TASTE YUMMY (EVEN THOUGH THEY DON’T LOOK PLEASANT) SIMPLY BECAUSE EATING OUTSIDE IS FUN.

AND EVERYONE, AND I MEAN EVERYONE, IS IN A BETTER MOOD WHEN THE SUN IS

OUT. FRIENDS POP IN AS THEY WERE “JUST PASSING BY”, KIDS WANT TO PLAY A MARATHON SESSION OF PING-PONG IN THE GARDEN,

AND JUST SITTING AROUND ISN’T BORING, IT’S RELAXING. IN THE WINTER EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PLANNED AND BE INDOORS SO YOU DON’T GET WET OR COLD, AND FRANKLY HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU GO TO THE CINEMA?

ALSO, I LOVE THE BRITISH SUMMER WEATHER. NOT TOO HOT AND NOT HUMID,

JUST BLAZING SUN (OCCASIONAL THUNDER) AND A LIGHT BREEZE. I GO ON LONG WALKS TO NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR EVEN THOUGH I HATE WALKING! TAKING IN THE NATURE, THE GREENERY, THE FLOWERS… SIMPLE PLEASURES. THE SUMMER GIVES ME THE SPACE TO HAVE A PROPER LOOK AT THE WORLD AND TAKE IN MY SURROUNDINGS MORE, RATHER THAN DASHING IN AND OUT OF EVERYWHERE WITH MY HEAD DOWN, JUST TO KEEP OUT OF THE COLD.

ACTUALLY, I FIND I DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY IN THE SUMMER. MAYBE IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE LONGER DAYS, BUT I FIND MYSELF DOING THINGS WITH MORE PATIENCE AND MORE JOY.

LIKE READING THE NEWSPAPERS OUTSIDE

IN THE MORNING WITH A FABULOUSLY STRONG CUP OF COFFEE. I PREFER THE

WAY I CAN DRESS AS WELL – LIGHTWEIGHT CLOTHES AND, THANK GOD, DITCHING THOSE AWFUL 20 DENIER TIGHTS THAT I’VE BEEN WEARING FOR THE PREVIOUS NINE MONTHS (NOT THE ONE SAME PAIR, MIND!), AND BEING ABLE TO WEAR FLIP-FLOPS ALL DAY. NO MORE

LAYERING, JUST THROW ON A

SUMMER DRESS AND SANDALS

AND YOU’RE OFF. EVEN MY

PEDICURE IS BRIGHTER, GOING

FROM NATURAL TO CORAL RED

JUST BECAUSE IT FEELS

HAPPY, BRIGHT AND SUMMERY.

SO THE SUMMER FOR ME IS

ALL ABOUT DOING MORE. MORE

EXERCISE, MORE EATING FRESHER

AND HEALTHIER FOOD, LAUGHING MORE AND MORE TIME TO JUST BE HAPPY.

BRING ON THE SUMMER… THAT’S ALL I CAN SAY. W&H

Everyone is in a better mood when the sun’s out