A dream holiday to Italy with day trips to Sorrento and Naples… unfortunately 2020 had alternative plans. Rather than wallow in our lack of travelling plans for the year we decided a trip to Lake Windermere in Cumbria would liven up our recently monotomous weekend.

Many of us have been cooped up this summer, pecking in the dust for our lost holiday plans. In the past few decades the cost of air travel has significantly reduced, enough so that many brits take an abroad holiday every year, some are lucky enough to have multiple trips. However, in the 1950s and 60s, British holidays were the norm so why not retreat back to those times… with the addition of a face mask.

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Most importantly, the maintenance of our mental health is very important. There is only so much online retail therapy and Netflix can do for you. So get out of the house. Go for a walk. Book a night away and order some room service. Treat yourself to some fun activities even if they’re just in your local area. Not only will you be helping yourself but you’ll be supporting the stores you love; among my favourites are boutique homeware stores, artisans cafés and antique shops.

My fiancé Adam took the Friday off work and we drove up the motorway to Lake Windermere only stopping for a pub lunch. We explored the villages of Bowness, Windermere, dined out at every opportunity and successfully avoided speed boats in our two-person kayak. It wasn’t the holiday we had booked back in January 2020 but it was perhaps one of the best. It is important to stay safe and respect the safety of others around you but it is also important to have some fun and live a little, albeit whilst taking precautions.

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