I can't wait to...

…WALK THROUGH GORSE

I have a thing for gorse. It comes from growing up in the South Downs, where every hillside is dappled with the stuff. It’s also great for gear testing: whenever I have to review something that claims to be

‘abrasion resistant’, I take it through a gorse clump to see how it holds up against those snaggy prickles. Common gorse flowers all year round, but dwarf gorse and western gorse are July specialists, and their coconutty aroma is one of my favourite signs of midsummer. According to folklore, when gorse is out of bloom, you mustn’t kiss anyone. Intriguingly, some kind of gorse is pretty much always in bloom. I suspect the author of the saying was well aware of this. Nick Hallissey, Deputy Editor

…SPOT RED SQUIRRELS

As someone who gew up up on the

Isle of Wight, I particularly treasure the beautiful red squirrel. For so long

I was convinced they only existed on the island and felt it was a birthright that we, the islanders, were their protectors from any threat – namely grey squirrels. I recall that a few years back, someone phoned into a local radio station threatening to get on the ferry from the mainland with a handful of grey squirrels! Of course, It turned out to be a slightly distasteful hoax, but I remember there was a genuine feeling of sheer panic. It’s illegal to bring greys to the island; the penalty is two years’ imprisonment or a £5000 fine. I can’t wait to go back home this summer, to visit Robin Hill, where we will be almost certainly have the pleasure of picnicking with a scurry of handsome reds. Sara Herbert-Mattick, Office Manager

...SWIM IN THE SEA

There’s nothing like a mid-walk dip to revitalise achy legs and sore feet. And much as I like a swim in a river or lake, nothing beats the sea. It might not have the curative powers touted by 18th-century doctors, but done safely*, bathing in the ocean blue is irrefutably good for mind and body.

There’s the rush of mood-boosting endorphins as you take the plunge.

Embracing the cold is also proven to boost your immune system. But it’s that spaceman feeling of buoyancy that I relish most, as the saltwater lifts me off my feet and I bob about on my back like a piece of driftwood. My thoughts will drift too: to all the other living things I’m sharing an ocean with... and the microfibre towel I’m hoping is buried in my rucksack. Philip Thomas, Features Writer *Check out swimming.org/openwater/swimming-safely-sea