Best summer reads 2015 - win £500 of books!

Light mornings and evenings. Being out in the garden. Turning the heating off. Grilled sardines and salad and a glass of chilled something. Beaches, countryside and long walks.

Oh, the buzzin of the bees in the cigarette trees .....
..... the soda water fountain .....

Mmmmm, cool drinks and the natural sounds of summer like the busy bees, the rustling of the trees; the scents and sounds which suggest long days outdoors. Summer in Britain includes the whack of a cricket bat or a tennis ball, the tinkle of tea cups and ladies in white hats. Pimms, strawbs and cream, ice lollies and the rush of the sea as it draws back pebbles. Swinging in a hammock with a good book and a low murmur of the radio...

My most favourite thing about summer though, is watching the garden grow.

I love going on long walks in the forest with my Husband. We take a picnic basket with us and make a day of it.

My favourite thing about Summer is being able to enjoy being out in my garden x

I love the long, light days that give you the time and energy for so much more playing, walking, reading and socialising - in a word FUN!
We don't always get sunshine or even warm days but there always seems to be more time to spend and more pleasure to be had in summer.

I love the warm long light evenings where I can relax with a glass of wine in the garden!

Love the longer summer evening

I love getting out the paddling pool for my grandchildren and watching them enjoying themselves. Sitting until late on a summer evening in the garden with my hubby sipping wine and having a good chinwag.Lovely bright early mornings and long days.

Exploring the gorgeous English countryside and then going home to sit in the garden with a good book and a cold drink

My favourite thing about summer is the unexpected lovely Indian summer days you can get in late September, they are a real bonus unlike earlier in the season when you expect the days to be warm or even hot, dry and sunny, but very often aren't

My favourite thing about summer is spending as much time as possible with the family and reading, crafting and baking with the grandchildren and then in the evening a nice glass of wine with the hubby things just don't get much better

Our fav thing to do in the summer is plant lots of pretty flowers and fruit and veg in the garden. Oh and you gotta love a good old bbq

Strawberries and home made scones with jam and clotted cream eaten in the garden with a real pot of tea. Can't beat it.

I love being able to hang my washing outside and see it dry!

My favourite thing about summer is sitting in the garden with a good book and a glass of wine - with, hopefully, the sun shining, the grass already cut, the vegetables growing and not needing attention - and, above all, just listening to the birds singing.

Well I am actually looking forward to my Mediterranean cruise on the Queen Elizabeth as well!
There I can just wave at a waiter to get my vodka and tonic brought to me rather than get up and get it myself!
Decadent? Moi?

Reading back through this thread, I find it really heartening how we've pretty much all gone for the simple pleasures of life. Whether it's enjoying an ice cream, Pimms, BBQ or cup of tea, we're all about taking the time to enjoy being with friends, children and grandchildren, relaxing in our gardens, shedding our winter woollies, listening to birdsong or the laughter of children. No hankering after expensive trips to far off places...Simply enjoying what we have. I reckon we've got our priorities sorted, don't you?

being able to spend more time outdoors in the garden

And not Nd

The warmth oft the sun and long light evenings Nd being able to sit in the garden with a cup of tea when I get home from work and a glass of wine on the weekends. I like all the summer fruits as well, English strawberries, peaches, nectarines apricot and cherries, all my favourites. Being able to go out without a coat(which I hate wearing) and hopefully even a cardigan I love the feel of cotton and linen on my skin. Watching my grandchildren playing with the sandpit and paddling pool in my garden, nice walks and days out. I was born in July and summer is my favourite season

My favourite thing about Summer has to be the gorgeous days in the garden having BBQs with family & friends. It's lots of fun and there's always plenty of delicious food & wine to keep us happy! xx

Spending time relaxing in my garden and having friends over for BBQs.

My favourite thing about summer is getting the summer toys out of the shed , kept there over the years.. skipping ropes, bouncy balls, and a big box of chalk. I run amok with them until I ache all over... OLD BONES... then I lay on the lounger listening to my 5 grandkids giggling and laughing, playing ball , skipping and playing hopscotch... all the games I played in my childhood... no need for expensive toys... then to finish the day we have a chalk colouring competition on the patio slabs.. even more fun then getting the hosepipe out and washing the colourful chalk drawings away... I love summer with the grandkids.

I love the light evenings and the smell of cut grass.

I love spending a late afternoon in a pub garden in the countryside, thinking how lucky I am to live in a country with such beautiful scenery, and hopefully with beautiful weather to match!!