Families splash out on pools to give gardens a holiday feel

GARDENS are being transformed into beaches as families look for an at-home holiday fix, John Lewis has said.

Sales of paddling pools, water slides, sandpits, picnic rugs and deckchairs have risen sharply, the retailer said, as households face up to the fact that their foreign summer getaways are likely to be cancelled.

All overseas travel is heavily restricted while ministers have warned that “lavish” summer holidays abroad are unlikely to go ahead.

John Lewis said that, since the lockdown began, sales of paddling pools and water slides have been up 21 times on the same period a year ago with the latter being the shop’s bestselling outdoor toy.

Cool boxes have increased in popularity by 74 per cent and picnic rugs by 40 per cent as day trips look likely to be allowed sooner than holidays.

Wil Law, Partner & Home Design Stylist, said: “Our homes are working so hard for us at the moment – they’re currently our workplaces, our schools and even our gyms. This means our outdoor spaces have never been so important. When the working day ends, our gardens are becoming our go-to spot to escape and unwind.

“Many of us have postponed holidays and trips to see loved ones, but we are determined to enjoy the sunshine when we can and recreate that holiday feeling from our homes.”

The prospect of a summer away from

‘Our gardens have never been so important. They are becoming our go-to spot to escape and unwind’

the beach has also been hard for traditional sun-worshippers who have pushed sales of self-tanning products up by 45 per cent on last year.

Fridges nationwide have also been stocked up with ice lollies and other ice creams as Britain has experienced an unseasonably warm lockdown.

The earliest hotels will be allowed to open is July 4, if the stated five key tests for lifting further lockdown restrictions are met, according to the Government’s road map out of lockdown.