Happy Bank Holiday......

It's a Bank Holiday weekend. The sun is not shining and it's a tiny bit chilly. That's a normal Bank Holiday then!

When I was a child Bank Holidays were for family time. The whole family gathered a picnic together and, depending on the weather, headed for the hills, countryside or beach. Usually it also involved sitting for countless hours in a traffic jam because everyone else was doing the same thing, but if you were sensible you left before most other people did and missed the rush, or 'slow' as the case tended to be. It also involved tatty blankets to sit on, folding chairs, and plastic plates and cutlery. Ah the days of youth. There was always hard boiled eggs in their shells. You had to delicately pick off the shell and place it in some newspaper to take home and dispose of. If you were lucky mum had remembered some salt twisted in a small piece of grease proof paper. We'd have potato salad and tomatoes and slices of bread, and squash that tasted slightly tepid because you didn't have cool bags. In fact I'm surprised we never got ill considering the fact the food was usually hours in a bag in the warmth of the car? There was always home made cake that had slightly crumbled in the bag and made a mess all over the old blanket you were sitting on. If you'd made it to the beach everything tasted gritty with the sand that got everywhere. It was utter bliss and I have many happy memories of days spent just like that. 

Picnics are slightly more sophisticated now. You can buy all sorts of little bites that you can carefully place in a specially divided container. You have crusty baguettes and continental cheeses, and radishes instead of tomatoes. Oh and don't forget the cocktail in a can, or even the wine in a plastic glass ready to peel off the lid and drink. If you are really top notch you will have a fabulous all singing and dancing cool bag that keeps everything chilled, including the prosecco you will drink along side the strawberries you've already hulled at home. You'll have tiny soft peppers stuffed with cream cheese, olives and cured meats, all eaten with some crusty seeded rolls. Forget the naff floppy paper plates. Any picnic worth it's weight in gold has a hamper with plastic plates and cutlery that looks like the real thing, oh and a special waterproof backed fluffy blanket to sit on. 

Ok, all that is in my dreams of being the perfect elegant lady who picnics for lunch. The reality is squished sandwiches, bags of crisps and a lukewarm bottle of water. Still, it's all about the fun of being out and not at work, isn't it? Which is why it's all the more interesting that Neil and I don't go out on a Bank Holiday. We live in a tourist area and it get's busy during the holiday season. When I say busy I mean heaving madly full of lost people looking for something to do and somewhere to go. We also work, quite often on the actual Bank Holiday. Our garden is south west facing and when it's sunny the whole place lights up, and is calm and welcoming. If it's cold we have a sun lounge to flop in, wine at home, plenty of goodies in the fridge and a marathon of catch up tv or films to watch. There's even a throw to cuddle up to on the sofa just like I am doing now! So why would we want to go out and sit in traffic for hours exhaustedly determined to have a good time, when it's all here with us anyway? Ok, maybe it's not that exciting but it is less stressful and that's what holidays are all about. That's what our Sundays are all about too. It's our time, my time, relaxing time. It's all about chilling. 

So happy chilling time everyone. Have a happy Bank Holiday weekend however you are spending it, whatever you are doing! (Enjoy your picnic too.)