Summer in the City

Summer in the City

We love summer in this country. From that moment in March when the first warming rays appear until sometime in October when we finally have to accept that winter has returned to our shores we are in its feverish grip. And not only do we experience summer as a season, but also Summer as a state of mind.

Regular summer involves living our everyday lives against a temporary backdrop of warmer temperatures and a bit of extra sun, maybe moving out of the lounge to the beer gardens when it gets really warm and on occasion walking instead of taking the train. But Summer is about total immersion.

Us Summer worshippers are easy to spot. For eight months of the year (Summerites like to push the boundaries of conventional summer) we develop separation anxiety if we are away from a park for longer than half a day, become incredibly sensitive to sunlight, develop phobias around encasing our feet in leather or pvc and live on a diet of sausages, Pimms and houmous. For Summerites the calendar says it is July and therefore it is Summer, regardless of meteorological deviation. It’s really that straightforward.

I myself am a self-confessed Summerite, but do you qualify with me? It’s easy to find out; just answer the questions below:-

In the past seven days have you …

- worn shorts and/or flip flops for at least a portion of five days?

- taken to substituting your regular drink for one or more of the following - Pimms, cider (bottled) or lager (if this is not your usual tipple)?

- eaten enough baguette and guacamole to wonder whether you are single handedly supporting the French and Mexican export markets (what do you mean the guacamole in my local store doesn
’t actually come from Mexico?)?

- gazed with longing at your cosy winter boots as you slip your blistered feet into yet another pair of ornate flip flops that just don’t live up to their comfort expectations?

- spent at least one evening sitting in a beer garden, covered in goose pimples yet appalled at your mate’s suggestion to go indoors (Indoors?! But it’s Summer! Have you forgotten the rules?)?

- Eaten your lunch in a park under that big tree that just about shelters you from the elements?

- Spent a night lying awake wondering if you are going to get food poisoning from that chicken that was still frozen despite its char-grilled disguise?

If you answered ‘yes’ to four or more of the above then you, like me, are officially a Summerite. Congratulations! It’s a great club. And the fantastic news is that we still have over three months left of Summer, despite what the cynics might say. Get out there any enjoy it!