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The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
‘It's the low-key moments that stay with us': the secret to happy summer holidays with the kids
On a walk with my children, now in their mid-20s, I asked them what they remembered best from their school summer holidays. I expected to hear about the fiesta we witnessed in the heat of Tarifa, Spain, or be berated for the time I booked early flights to Crete, leaving us sitting in the waiting room of a resort from 4am until check-in time. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I was greatly amused (and slightly relieved), then, to hear my son say: 'Our summer books – that time we collected all those random things, took them home and stuck them into a book.' He was delighted that we've kept them. My daughter said: 'Soup on the beach.' We'd stayed on the Isles of Scilly (one of our favourite destinations), and had promised them a bonfire next to the sea on our last night. Of course, by the time we got around to it, night was falling – and with it the temperature – and poor four-year-old Lulu got tired and cold. We wrapped her in a blanket, propped her on a rock and gave her a mug of bonfire-heated tinned soup – and watched as the colour sprang back into her cheeks. The point of this (rather sentimental) reminiscing is to show that you don't need expensive foreign holidays or trips to amusement parks for your children to have a good summer. It's the low-key moments that tend to stay with us – and they can be as simple as a fun craft activity or a makeshift meal under the stars. Sure, lazing on a beach in the Algarve for a week or two is what keeps parents going through the winter months, but the 4am start for the ferry or the queues at passport control can start to undo the benefits of a holiday. If you're looking for ways to entertain your children during the holidays but sadly can't just down tools and take the day off, read our guide to the summer holidays. It includes lots of ideas for inexpensive activities to do around your home or garden, from den-building to arts and crafts, as well as short and longer days out. We've also rounded up the best garden games for children of all ages. Don't ever feel guilty about not being with your children for the entire school summer holidays, nor for amusing them with low-cost activities. Sometimes, the simplest activities turn out to be their most memorable. The best wedding gifts in the UK: 13 ideas that couples will actually want The best moisturising lip balms to hydrate and protect your lips The best gins for G&Ts, martinis and negronis, from our taste test of 50 'Unbelievably terrible': the best (and worst) supermarket vanilla ice-cream, tested and rated 'It's hard to know what to wear when the sun comes out,' says fashion and lifestyle editor Morwenna Ferrier, 'so it always seems strange just how little thought we give to it.' But we've done all the thinking for you in our bumper guide to summer dressing, with 69 ideas for women, men and the kids. From a spicy marg T-shirt and a purse for your beach change to perfect men's shorts and a bag charm for grownups, there's something here to suit every summer style. Monica HorridgeDeputy editor, the Filter If you've ever planned to spend the evening outside only to be tempted back on to the living room sofa, it may be time to upgrade your garden furniture. Whatever the size of your outdoor space, there'll be a sofa, bistro seat or bench to suit in design expert Claudia Baillie's guide to the best garden furniture. There are also tips for buying vintage or secondhand furniture if you'd rather avoid buying anything new. Have you made an eco-friendly swap that's stuck? Maybe you found a microfibre cloth that transformed your skincare routine, plastic-free cleaning products that actually work, or a shopping tote that finally broke your addiction to plastic bags. Let us know by replying to this newsletter or emailing us at thefilter@
Telegraph
16 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘I swam past a small village in Kent and knew I had to move there'
Mark Sawyer first set eyes on the small Kent village which would become his home from the Channel. It was 2006 and he was swimming from England to France in a team relay with two others. 'I distinctly remember the captain of the boat saying, 'There's St Margarets, it's a really pretty village '. I saw it from the water for the first time.' The 56-year-old and his ex-partner had determined that their second home would be in the east of the country, as they eschewed Devon and Cornwall. Then, on a trip to Kent in 2008, they drove through the village. Sawyer says: 'We saw this house, at the end of the sea promenade, and just fell in love with it. There was no For Sale sign nor evidence it was on the market. It didn't even tick any of the boxes that we had set ourselves.' But it was love at first sight. The couple liked the property so much that Sawyer paid £20k to the estate agent to take it off the market immediately. They paid £800k for the three-bedroom house, Mermaid Cottage, and Sawyer says he has spent in the region of £1m renovating it – including buying extra land to cultivate a garden. Mermaid Cottage was built in 1929 in Art Deco style. Playwright Noel Coward bought it after the Second World War, and lived there for seven years. Guests at the house included actress Katharine Hepburn and Ian Fleming, the author of James Bond, who later took over custodianship of the house, and wrote it into his 1955 Bond thriller Moonraker. 'I'm a massive Bond fan. For me that was the cherry on the cake,' says semi-retired Sawyer, who works in private equity. 'Most people say when we're down there: squint and you could be in the Mediterranean,' he adds. 'In the winter, the bay is so much quieter. You sit there with the log-burning stove roaring with a storm blowing outside. You're immersed in nature. The only land you can see from our living room is France. 'It gets into your soul a bit. You feel that you are in the middle of nowhere – but you're not.' His partner, Lara Jewitt, is a former Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist, and the garden emulates Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage. In 2014, the couple bought land from the council to develop a garden, something which became a lockdown project. But they still wanted more garden space. 'We developed every square inch down there, and we just wanted a bit more room.' Sawyer says: 'I never thought I would sell it, to be honest with you. It has three bedrooms, and that is too small to have both of my children back, potentially in the future with their partners, and my family to stay.' The decision to sell has not been popular with every member of his family. 'My daughter is still not talking to me since I told her I am selling it. She'll get over it eventually.' The cottage is listed for sale with a guide price of £1.75m.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Lidl shopper shares hack on how to get £50 off popular holiday by using loyalty app
A LIDL shopper has shared a hack revealing how holidaymakers can get £50 off with a popular holiday company. The discounter's Lidl Plus loyalty scheme is offering customers the chance to win cash off a trip away with Parkdean Resorts. 1 Posting on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group, a customer shared details of the deal. "Check the Lidl app, they have partner offers. I just got £50 off a Parkdean Holiday. "Open the app and scroll down to partner offers." Commenting on the post, shoppers have piped up saying they didn't realise the offer was live. One posted saying it was a "bargain" while another said: "great tip, thanks". Lidl said the up to £50 discount applies to all Lidl Plus customers, so if you've got the loyalty app on your phone, you should give it a check. Click on the "More" tab, then "Partner Offers" and scroll down to find the deal. Once you've redeemed the offer you'll be given a code that needs to be inputted into the Parkdean website. You need to enter the code at the checkout and the discount will be applied. The offer is live until July 31 and on two to 14 night holidays booked between May 1, 2025, and December 31, 2026. Five simple ways to save cash at Lidl If the stay lands on a school holiday or bank holiday, you will only get £20 off. The stay must also be worth a minimum of £99 for breaks of six nights or less and £179 for breaks of seven nights or more. The offer can be redeemed to get money off holiday homes, lodges, touring and camping and glamping accommodation. The full terms and conditions can be found on the Lidl Plus app. Lidl is also offering Lidl Plus customers £65 off holidays booked through Jet2Holidays between now and September 9. Of course, with both these offers, make sure the deal you're getting is actually the best one, even with a discount. You can use comparison websites like Kayak, Trivago and TravelSupermarket to compare prices. What other supermarkets offer shoppers money off holidays? Sainsbury's Nectar customers can use their points with British Airways to get Avios points and get money off with British Airways. Every 400 Nectar points is worth 250 Avios and are they transferred instantly. You can also use Nectar points to get money off Eurostar journeys and at Nectar Hotels. Tesco Clubcard customers can use their hard-earned points to get money off with Virgin Atlantic (£1.50 in vouchers is worth 300 Virgin Points), easyJet holidays (50p in vouchers is worth £1) and more. Google Play or the Apple App Store.
