The Cotswold Wildlife Park | August 2018

Back in mid-August, my older sister, Marie, came to stay from Germany for the week, and while she was here, we decided to fit in yet another trip to The Cotswold Wildlife Park.

It was my second visit to the wildlife park in six weeks. That has to be a new record, even for me! What can I say? I love animals, and never turn down an opportunity to spend the day around them.

I've said it before, but I genuinely never get tired of visiting The Cotswold Wildlife Park, There are so many amazing animals to see, it's a beautiful place to walk around, and a good place to destress and have a natter. 

I won't go in to all the facts and history of the park again today because I've talked about it all before (if you want to know more about the place, check out my previous three posts here, here, and here), but I wanted to share some of the photos I took and talk a little about my recent visit.

We arrived around half eleven on a warm, sunny Friday, and spent about four hours leisurely wandering around the grounds, watching the animals, checking out some of their unusual plants and flowers, and of course, stopping for ice cream. Let's be honest here: it's gotta be done!

Our visit was a complete contrast to my last visit with my Mum back in July. As it was the summer holidays, this time the place was packed with people, so there were crowds around most enclosures, and we had to queue to get in to several exhibits, like the walk-through Madagascar exhibit (which has free-roaming lemurs and birds), tropical house, and reptile house. The crowds were what you'd expect from a zoo during school holidays or on weekends, but it's definitely more enjoyable to visit when it's a little quieter and you can view the animals at your own pace. I'd recommend visiting on a weekday in term time if you prefer your zoo visits a little quieter. It was nice to see the place so busy, though, and luckily, it was only really the enclosed areas which were too crowded for my taste.

The crowds didn't stop us from enjoying our visit, though; far from it. We had such a fun day out!

Our day out began at the Walled Gardens, where every visit to The Cotswold Wildlife Park should begin. Here we watched sifakas jumping around their enclosure, ventured in to Madagascar to see the lemurs, listened to a kookaburra sing, observed squirrel monkeys at feeding time, explored a tropical rainforest, rediscovered the amazing giant hornbills, enjoyed watching the penguins swim, marvelled at a climbing kiwi tree tunnelling over a path by the macaws (something we'd never seen before), and looked at countless other fascinating animals and plants.

After a pit stop for ice cream just outside the gardens, we headed on to the aviaries where we saw all kinds of owls, vultures, caracaras, cranes, storks, ibises, tawny frog mouths, wolverines, and more- most of which were napping in the sunshine.

There are also emus and monkeys in that section, but we forgot to head over to see them, and at the bottom is the pallas cat, a small wild cat with a broad face and a grey coat that looks like he belongs in an eighties fantasy movie. He usually retreats to the back of his enclosure when people approach, but this time he came over to see us and stood up on his hind legs, with his little tail wagging. I wanted to smuggle him home!

From there, we moved on to the courtyard in the centre of the park where the reptile, bat, and insect houses can be found, along with the armadillos, binturong, simang gibbons, mouse lemurs, tortoises, and prevost's squirrels. It was so busy in this section that we didn't even try to go in most of the indoor houses. In fact, it was so busy in the hot and humid main reptile house, that Marie gave up and walked straight back out, and I didn't even bother trying to view the second building after spending an age shuffling single-file through the first. You couldn't even pause in front of the enclosures to look at the animals properly; just glance as you shuffled forward in a line. I did manage to steal a glimpse at all kinds of snakes, lizards, frogs, and crocodiles while I snaked my way through, but it wasn't fun.



When I finally made it out of the exit, I went to see the armadillos who were excitedly scurrying around their enclosure like energetic puppies. They're one of my favourite animals to see at the wildlife park, and in my opinion, one of the cutest animals ever! I could've watched them all day.

Wanting to get away from the crowds, we moved on, paused to see the sleeping binturong, and headed across the great lawn, which is dotted with magnificent giant trees, to do a quick lap of the children's farmyard. In the farmyard you can expect to see zebu, pigs, goats, donkeys, cattle, sheep, miniature ponies, ducks, chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, and rats. Basically the sort of animals you'd expect to find in a children's farmyard. You can even take your kids in to the pygmy goat pen to pet them if you like, which is something we always enjoyed when we were kids. Without kids of our own, we're a little old for that now, but you don't have to be a child to enjoy wandering around the farmyard and petting a donkey or pony or two. It's enjoyable for adult animal lovers, too.

We followed the path around from the farmyard to what has always been one of my favourite sections of the park- an enclosed woodland-like area that is home to a variety of shy and retiring animals. I'll admit I was disappointed not to see the giant anteaters again, but enjoyed seeing the tapirs, maras, and capybaras, who were all resting in their paddocks. I was also fascinated by the black and white storks who had built an absolutely enormous nest on the ground in their enclosure. As we walked on, we also saw wallabies resting under the trees, a flock of flamingos, cranes, guinea fowl, wolves, a scraggly peacock displaying his feathers, pelicans having a nap on the path by the lake, and all kinds of water fowl swimming on the water. It was blissful.

We were both worn out by the time we made it past the lake, so went and took a long leisurely rest on a bench overlooking the rhino paddock and the manor house just behind it- something we like to do on every visit because the view is so pretty. Sadly, most of the rhinos were indoors this time, except for Mr. rhino who was waiting patiently in the yard for his harem of ladies and children to come out and play, but he provided us with more than enough entertainment, along with all the swallows or swifts that were pirouetting in the air above his paddock.

When we'd regained our strength, we pressed on to finish the remaining section of the park where most of the other large animals can be found. As well as white rhinos, there are zebras, giraffes, lions, clouded leopards, and bactrian camels to be seen, plus some smaller animals like porcupines and mongoose.

The large animals are naturally some of the most popular animals with visitors, so this was another area that was extremely busy, and difficult to view. To be honest, I was so exhausted and struggling with the pain by this point that I didn't really care; I was ready to get back to the car and rest, so we only took a quick glance at the animals as we wandered past to get through them all quickly.

Before we headed off, though, we also explored a brand new exhibit called 'Little Africa' which had opened near the camel enclosure since my last visit in July. It has a small indoor section (which used to be the zebra stables) with small animals like naked-mole-rats, gundis, bush babies, and tropical fish, and then leads out in to a small covered aviary which is home to animals like cranes and dik-diks. We didn't spot the bush babies or the dik-diks, but the gundis were super cute, and the naked-mole-rats (which had been relocated from the Walled Gardens) were as fascinating as always. They are the strangest little critters; they're rodents but they operate almost like a colony of ants or bees!  The only female to breed in the colony is the queen, usually with one to three male partners, while the rest of the colony are sterile, and serve as workers. I've also just learnt that they lack sensitivity to pain in their skin, and are remarkably resistant to cancer. They're so fascinating but so bizarre.

It was only a tiny exhibit, but it was great to find a new section we hadn't done a million times before, and see some new animals. It's been a few years since they last added a new section, and I've always felt that they've needed more animals at the far end of the park which has the fewest animals but involves the most walking, so this was a welcome find.

And so, with our visit complete, we headed off to find the car after four enjoyable hours at the wildlife park, happy, satisfied, but thoroughly worn out. We had a wonderful time wandering around looking at all kinds of weird and wonderful animals in the sunshine, discovering plenty of exotic plants we'd never seen before, and just catching up as we walked around and stopped for rests. We may have visited The Cotswold Wildlife Park dozens of times before, but we enjoyed this visit as much as the first, and know well be back soon. Wild leopards wouldn't keep me away.

When was the last time you went to the zoo? What animals do you most enjoy going to see?

You Might Also Like
The Cotswold Wildlife Park July 2018
The Cotswold Wildlife Park July 2016
The Cotswold Wildlife Park 2014
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Heythrop Park Zoo Open Day 2016
Heythrop Park Zoo Open Day 2015

50 Thoughts I Had During The Heatwave

I can't believe how hot it's been this last week! Yesterday it was 35'C here in Oxfordshire, and the four days before it weren't much cooler. This heatwave has been like hell on Earth! I've hated every moment of it.

I'm not a fan of the heat at the best of times, but this heatwave has been something else. The heat and humidity have been suffocating. I've been lazing around the house under the fan in as little clothes as possible trying not to move while drinking all the cold drinks, but I've still been melting in to a puddle of goo, and praying for death. I am not built for this heat!

Those of you in hotter climates are probably thinking: 35 degrees?! That's nothing! What are all of you English people complaining about? Well, our Summers aren't usually this hot; a hot Summer's day for us is about ten degrees less, if we're lucky, with maybe a few days over 30'c a year. We're not used to the heat and most of us don't have air conditioning in our homes, so when we get it, our delight usually turns in to despair after five minutes, and we turn in to a nation of over-heated, flustered, sun-burnt whiners. Most of us just do not know how to cope when the mercury rises. We're still figuring these things out.

I'm probably the worst when it comes to complaining about the heat, and I couldn't even guess how many times I've moaned about it over the past few days. I'm sure many of you will be able to relate, so I thought I'd share a list of some of the things I thought and said during the heatwave to give you guys a giggle. How many of them can you relate to?

1. Why is it so damn hot? It's waaay too hot. Did I mention it's too hot??

2. I think I'm just going to go live in the (cold) shower and send out change of address cards.

3. What can I wear that covers my upper arms, and my legs that won't cause me to die of heatstroke?? Answer: nothing. #HeatwaveDilemmasOfASelfConsciousFatGirl

4. I literally just showered; how can I be sweaty again already?

5. I need ice cream. Why is there no ice cream?

6. Okay, I literally have nothing suitable to wear in this weather. Why isn't it acceptable to be naked in public?

7. I wish I lived alone so I could just lounge around the house naked.

8. This house feels like a fucking furnace!

9. If I stay still and don't move a muscle, maybe, just maybe, I'll survive this.

10. Ow, my legs are stuck to the seat. That's okay; I didn't need those six layers of skin, anyway.

11. My clothes are stuck to me. And the bed sheets / pillows / sofa / chair. Gross gross gross!

12. Eighteen ice creams isn't too many ice creams to eat in one day, right?

13. I wonder if the staff at Sainsburys would mind if I crawled in to their freezer and lived there until the end of the Summer?

14. (During the night): There's no air! I feel like I'm suffocating. I'm seriously going to die of suffocation. 

15. *Just drank 75 litres of cold water.* I really need a cold drink.

16. That breeze is aaaamazzzing. Okay, I'm gonna stay here. Oh, it's gone.

17. How many cold showers can I have a day before it starts to get weird??

18. Ice. I need ice. There will never be enough ice.

19. The last half of my drink is too watered down from all the ice. Maybe that was too much ice.

20. Is it obvious how much I'm sweating right now? *Hides in a corner.*

21. I'm sweating so much I'm gonna die of dehydration.

22. Damn you, dehydration headache! Where the fuck is the Paracetamol when you need it?

23. Under-boob and back of the knee sweat is the worst.

24. I hate this. I really fucking hating this.

25. I think my make up has totally slipped off my face. *Checks reflection, looks like The Joker.*

26. No amount of powder is going to fix this shiny, sweaty face.

27. I wish I was on the beach and in the sea right now. Why don't I live near the seaside?

28. I wish we had air conditioning. We need air conditioning. Why don't we have air conditioning in our homes in England? Oh, right; our weather sucks. *Makes mental note to have air conditioning installed in every room of the house for those two weeks of Summer a year, anyway.*

29. Where can I go that has air conditioning that's free?

30. I wish I could go back to childhood and enjoy those carefree Summer days playing in the paddling pool and having water-pistol fights. Why are these not acceptable ways for an adult to spend the Summer?

31. Would it be sad if I bought a paddling pool so I can sit in a deckchair with my feet in the water?

32. Next door's barbecue smells soooo good. Why don't we own a barbecue anymore? I want a barbecue!

33. Ice cream for breakfast is totally acceptable, right?

34. Why am I fanning the dog to cool her down instead of fanning myself? I must be a crazy dog lady!

35. Best go shave my legs again... Why must leg hair grow so fast?

36. Yay, I have silky smooth pins again! 

37. Did I remember to shave my arm pits? No? *Keeps arms down in public.*

38. All the factor 50+ in the world is not enough to stop me from burning under this sun.

39. How is that guy wearing a jumper / coat in this weather? Is he fucking insane??

40. *After thirty seconds outside." Best go back inside or I'm gonna die of heatstroke.

41. Ah, Magicool, you wonderful magical can of relief, you. Praise be to Magicool!

42. How the hell do people in hot climates cope with this heat all the time??

43. All the fans in the world aren't enough right now.

44. I'm never going to be able to sleep in this heat.

45. Why isn't it Winter already? I wish it was Winter.

46. That's it; I'm going to go live in the Arctic.

47. Why is it acceptable for skinny people to walk around in next to nothing, but not us fat people?

48. This mugginess is horrible! We need a good thunderstorm to break it RIGHT NOW.

49. I died and now I'm in the fiery furnace of hell. There's no other explanation. I'm burning in hell for my bad life choices.

50. When will this heatwave end?

Did you think or say any of these things during the heatwave?

50 Things I Want To Do This Summer

The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and sandals and sundresses are filling the shops again. It can only mean one thing- Summer is on it's way! 

Living in England, you never know how long the Summer sunshine is going to last- it could be a month, a week, or an hour, so I like to make the most of it when we get it, and try to experience as much as possible before the Autumn leaves begin to fall. This year is no exception; I've already come up with a list of things I want to achieve this Summer, so I thought I'd share them with you today. Please feel free to add any of my goals to your own Summer bucket lists!

These are 50 things I want to do this Summer.

1. Go on holiday.

2, Visit the beach.

3. Go for a paddle or swim in the sea.

4. Get an ice cream from an ice cream van.

5. Go to the wildlife park.

6. See Linkin Park live.

7. Celebrate my 32nd birthday in July. Man, I'm getting old.

8. Treat myself to a new Summer wardrobe.

9. Spend at least one whole day reading.

10. Make a dent in my to-be-read pile.

11. Visit an aquarium.

12. Spend a couple of hours wandering around Bourton-on-the-Water.

13. Visit Birdland in Bourton-on-the-Water.

14. Visit the Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers museums in Oxford.

15. Explore Christchurch and some of the old parts of Oxford on foot.

16. Paint regularly.

17. Continue training Rosie, and particularly work hard on cracking recall.

18. Finish my spectral mandala and flamingo cross stitches.

19. Have a good clear out to raise some extra cash.

20. Go strawberry picking.

21. Have a barbecue.

22. Have a picnic.

23. Spend some time gambling pennies at an arcade.

24, Visit a zoo.

25. Improve my photography and photo editing skills.

26. Buy a new camera.

27. Go out for a cream tea.

28. Eat fish and chips by the sea.

29. Clean up the files, bookmarks, photos, and videos on my laptop, and back up files to my harddrive.

30. Blog regularly.

31. Take lots of blog photos for future posts while we have good daylight.

32. Catch up on all blog comments, messages, and emails.

33. Go for a walk along a river.

34, Have a drink in a beer garden.

35. Get fish and chips from Rick Stein's fish and chip shop in Padstow.

36. Visit somewhere new.

37. Go to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

38. Make frozen dog treats for Rosie to help cool her down on hot days.

39. Buy Rosie a paddling pool or ball pit to see how she reacts.

40. Go for a walk in the country park.

41, Take Rosie for a walk somewhere with a shallow stream / river so she can paddle and get used to water.

42, Wander around Cheltenham in the sunshine.

43, Take a tour bus around a city.

44, Take a boat ride. Bonus points if it's to spot animals.

45, Collect seashells and / or sea glass on the beach.

46. Explore a cemetery.

47. Explore some rock pools.

48. Take a day trip to London.

49. Go out for afternoon tea.

50. Learn a new craft.

What are your goals for the Summer?

50 Things I Love About Summer

Summer is in full-swing, and I for one am loving it. The weather is warm, the days are blissfully long, and there are so many fun times to be had. There are a million reasons why I love the Summer time, and I've written a list of 50 things I love about it to share with you today.

1. Taking day trips to the beach.

2. Paddling, swimming, and body boarding in the sea.

3. The taste of salt water on my skin.

4. The smell of freshly mown grass.

5. Barbecues with family and friends.

6. Picnics, especially down by the river.

7. The long hours of daylight.

8. Freckles.

9. Listening to my favourite happy, uptempo Summer tunes.

10. Making daisy chains. Actually, just daisies in general. I love that there are daisies everywhere during the Summer.

11. Holidays! I've not had one in five years, but what's not to love about a week or two away from work, responsibilities, and the usual routine, plus the opportunity to have some fun, relax, revisit favourite places or travel to somewhere new?

12. Ice cream- especially 99s and oysters from the ice cream van.

13. Lazy days spent reading in the sunshine or in the shade.

14. The leaves are back on the trees, the flowers are blooming, and nature is lush with life again. 

15. The smell of Nivea sun lotion. They've been my go-to brand for sun lotion pretty much all my life, so the coconut scent makes me so nostalgic for Summer holidays in Cornwall and France, and so many trips to the beach in Poole and Woolacombe.

16. Drinking in river-side beer gardens out in the country.

17. Taking day trips to the zoo. The Cotswold Wildlife Park and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park are my favourites to visit in the UK.

18. Listening to some nineties reggae. For some reason it has to be done.

19. Going for random drives in the countryside with the windows down and happy tunes blaring out of the speakers, just to enjoy the sunshine.

20. Wearing sandals and flip flops, instead of stuffy boots and shoes.

21. The satisfying feeling of relief that comes from drinking an iced drink after a couple of hours of dehydration.

22. Alfresco dining.

23. Summer fashion. So many pretty colourful dresses, so little time.

24. Wearing bright Summer colours, like yellow, coral, orange, turquoise, and magenta.

25. Going for walks along the river.

26. Eating fish and chips beside the sea.

27. Going bare-foot whenever possible, and feeling grass and sand beneath my feet. I guess I'm just an old hippie at heart!

28. Painting my nails with cheerful bright colours.

29. Outdoor concerts. (I'd include festivals, but I've never made it to one, yet!)

30. Knowing it won't be dark by mid afternoon for many months.

31. Eating lots of delicious summer fruits and berries like strawberries, raspberries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, watermelon, and pineapple. 

32. Going swimming, especially in outdoor pools.

33. Taking day trips to London and enjoying the city in the sunshine.

34. All the fruit-themed fashion, homeware, and stationery that floods the shops every Summer without fail. I'm a little obsessed with pineapple and watermelon-themed stuff.

35. And all the flamingo-themed stuff is pretty damn awesome, too.

36. Going strawberry picking.

37. Getting iced cocktails- especially strawberry and raspberry daiquiris.

38. Going for long walks in the countryside, especially in the evening when everywhere is so calm and peaceful.

39. The sound of sea gulls beside the sea.

40. Always having freshly-shaved, smooth legs.

41. The fact people are generally happier when the sun is shining and the weather is warm.

42. Going to arcades and spending a fun hour or two blowing a small fortune trying to win a few pennies.

43. Taking boat trips in the hope of spotting some sea creatures or just to enjoy being out on the sea or river.

44. Cooling down with cold showers after long, scorching hot days. 

45. Eating Calippo, Solero, Strawberry and Pineapple Splits, and Twister ice lollies.

46. The brighter and longer hours of daylight makes it so much easier to take decent blog photos.

47. Feeling less like hibernating, and more like doing stuff. Take that, S.A.D!

48. My birthday is during the Summer. What's not to love about presents, cake, and having a little fun?

49. Thunderstorms.

50. Making awesome memories with family and friends that will last a life time.

What are your favourite things about Summer?

50 Things To Do This Summer

The weather is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and there's the delicious scent of barbecue smoke in the air. It can only mean one thing- Summer is finally here! 

We never know how long the sunshine and scorching hot days will last in the UK- it could be three weeks, it could be three hours- so we Brits tend to make the most of every slither of sunshine while we can. 

I love to fill my free time with as much Summer fun as possible between June and September, to make each Summer the best one yet. Trips to the beach, days out to London, barbecues with the family, lazing in the sunshine with a good book... there are so many great ways to fill the long Summer days without having to jet off on expensive holidays or even spend any money. If you're stuck for ideas for how to spend your free time this Summer, never fear. I've compiled a list of my 50 things to do this Summer to give you a little inspiration and I'm here to share it with you today! Let's get started...

1, Spend a day at the beach.

2. Go body-boarding or surfing in the sea.

3. Build a sand castle- complete with moats and flags, of course.

4. Go on a picnic. Pack lots of delicious food, head for somewhere scenic, and enjoy lazing in the sunshine with your family or friends.

5. Have a big family barbecue.

6. Take a walk along a river. Go for a dip in it if you're brave enough, and it's safe to do so.

7. Go for a walk in the countryside.

8. Take photos in a meadow of flowers.

9. Go to a festival or outdoor concert.

10. Visit an aquarium.

11, Take a tour bus around a big city.

12. Spend an entire day reading. Out in the sunshine or indoors in a comfy seat; it's your call; just get lost in a good book and don't come up for air until fourteen hours later, when you realise it's dark and you've not eaten all day. Repeat as many times as you can.

13. Visit a theme park.

14. Go strawberry picking.

15. Spend a night stargazing, and watch for shooting stars. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, watch out for the Perseids meteor shower, which occurs every year between July 17th to August 24th, usually peaking around August 9th-13th. (Yes, I had to Google the dates!) I  usually manage to spot at least a dozen in an hour or so, around 11pm-12am, from my back garden in Oxfordshire, and seeing one streak across the night sky is always magical.

16. Visit a museum or two. (I recommend The Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers Museums in Oxford, and The Natural History and Imperial War Museums in London).

17. Watch a movie at a park on a hot Summer evening.

18. Go swimming, ideally at an outdoor pool or water park.

19. Eat fish and chips at the seaside.

20. Try every flavour of ice cream from an ice cream parlour, vendor, or brand before the Summer is through. Or for something a little more adult, work your way through every cocktail or cider on a bar menu before your holiday is over.

21, Go to the zoo. (Whipsnade Wild Animal Park and The Cotswold Wildlife Park are my favourites to visit in England).

22. Take a road trip. `

23. Visit somewhere new.  You don't have to pack your bags and head off on holiday somewhere far away; you could take a day trip, or even explore unfamiliar places in your home town.

24. Make a daisy-chain.

25. Go to an art gallery.

26. Go see a play or musical at the theatre.

27. Go on a bike ride.

28. Go horse-riding.

29. Spend a few hours relaxing and enjoying the sunshine in a city park.

30. Get an ice cream from an ice cream van. I'll take a 99 with chocolate sauce and hazelnuts, please!

31. Take a boat trip. There are all kinds of excursions for spotting sea creatures, seeing beautiful scenery and getting up close to iconic landmarks,  all around the world. Of course, you could just enjoy being on the open sea, go on a cruise, or take a ferry instead of travelling by air.

32. Take a walking tour around a city, or explore one on foot yourself.

33. Have a water pistol or water balloon fight. Who says kids should have all the fun?!

34. Watch the sunset or sunrise somewhere pretty.

35. Go to a fun fair.

36. Eat some candy floss.

37. Go camping. (Or glamping if roughing it for a few days really isn't your thing).

38. Explore rock pools and / or caves at the beach.

39. Play crazy / mini golf.

40. Take a random drive in the countryside on a sunny day, with the windows down and your favourite Summer tunes blasting from the speakers.

41. Have a paddle in the sea.

42. Watch multiple films at the cinema in one day.

43. Make some killer Summer playlists to soundtrack your Summer fun.

44. Run through a water feature.

45. Spend a couple of hours having fun at an amusements arcade.

46. Visit a farmer's market and buy lots of delicious fresh food, which you could then take on a picnic.

47. Treat yourself to a pedicure or two to keep your feet looking pretty for sandal season.

48. Toast marshmallows or s'mores over an open fire.

49. Sunbathe in the garden.

50. Create a scrapbook full of snippets, photos, and mementos from all of the fun times you've had over the Summer.

What are your favourite things to do during the Summer? Are there things I've missed off the list that you think should be on it? Let me know in the comments below!

The Summer Tag

I've seen The Summer Tag doing the rounds on a few blogs recently, so I've decided to give it a go myself. Here we go...

1. What is your favourite thing about Summer?

I love the long hours of daylight. I feel less like hibernating, have more energy, and love being able to enjoy the warm Summer evenings outside having fun, if I want to. It also makes it so much easier to take blog photos!

2. Do you have a favourite Summer drink?

At the moment, I'm really loving the mango and pineapple smoothies from McDonald's. I discovered them last Summer, and they're so good! I often get one after a trip to the hospital because they taste so good, and help to cool me down. Other than that, I'm pretty boring and am happy with a cold glass of coke with lemon, or a raspberry daiquiri.

3. Is there a special place you like to visit each Summer?

I don't get to visit it every Summer these days, but my special place is Perranporth in Cornwall. It's a gorgeous little seaside village just down the road from Newquay, and in my opinion it has the best sandy beach in the country. It's so beautiful. I spent most of my Summer holidays in Perranporth growing up, and if I had my way, I'd still visit it every Summer. Strike that; if I had my way, I'd just live there! I haven't been since 2010 and I miss the place like crazy. I've made so many happy memories there over the years, and each time I go I make plenty more. I feel more content there than anywhere else in the world, and wish I was there right now.

4. What's your favourite make up look for Summer?

I like to keep my make up quite minimal during the Summer, because most of it just slides off my face in the heat- never a good look! We've all been there, right? On the hot Summer days, I don't wear a base at all, just a little concealer if I need it. I go for a blusher with a shimmer, a couple of coats of waterproof mascara, a little powder on any shiny areas (or I'll use blotting papers instead), and I might push the boat out and wear a little eyeliner or shadow in a bronze or golden shade. I keep it simple and just let my freckles do the talking. Well, I do have a gazillion of them!

5. Dresses or skirts?

Dresses, ob-vi-ous-ly. For me, there is no other answer; dresses are my favourite garment for all seasons. I find them so easy to wear, especially since I don't have to spend ages trying to find a top to match. I can just chuck one on and go. They take the stress out of dressing for Summer, leaving me with more time to enjoy the sunshine. Perfect!

6. Festivals or vacations?

As I've never been to a festival, I'd have to say vacations- or holidays, as we call them in England. There are few things better than getting away from it all for a week or two. I love visiting new places or returning to my old favourite haunts, and being able to forget about my responsibilities for a while. It's always great when I can have some fun, and do whatever I feel like for a week or two before I have to return to normality. It's a chance to relax, maybe catch up on some reading, eat yummy food, go to the beach, see more of what the world has to offer, let my hair down, and spend some quality time with family or friends. What's not to like?

7. What's your signature summer hair style?

I wouldn't call it a hair style exactly; if my hair isn't worn down, I just absent-mindedly scrape it back in to a messy knot or pony tail to keep it off my neck!

8. What is your signature summer scent?

I usually wear Escada's Taj Sunset during the Summer months. It has the most amazing exotic, fruity fragrance, which smells like sweet, orange citrus fruits. I've barely stopped wearing it since I bought the bottle four years ago; I just can't get enough of it. The smell still takes me back to my holiday in New York in 2011, where I first started wearing it, and I get compliments on it all the time, too.

9. Pool or beach?

I love both! I'm a water baby at heart, and I feel so content when I'm in or near water. I'm probably happiest when I'm at the beach, although I'll spend most of the time in the sea having fun. I love to swim and body board, especially on the Cornish coast where the waves are some of the best in the world. I might sit and read a book for a while, but I get bored sun bathing, and would rather go for a dip, or a walk along the beach with my feet in the surf.

10. BBQ or seafood?

I'm not a fan of sea food, so definitely BBQ. There are few things better on a hot summer's day than lounging in the garden with family and friends, firing up the barbie, and eating char-grilled food, watermelon, and strawberries.

11. Do you tan or burn?

I'm very fair, so I burn easily if I'm not wearing my factor 50+. I only tend to tan if I burn, but the sun makes my freckles come out larger and darker, and joins them together, which sometimes gives the illusion of a light tan. I'm 99% freckles.

12. Favourite Summer song?

I don't think I could choose just one; I have many! I love to blast out dodgy feel-good pop and reggae songs from the eighties and early-to-mid nineties during the Summer, and I also play a lot of Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco whenever the sun puts in an appearance; their music is so cheerful! I can't narrow it down, so here's a bunch of my Summer faves...

Temper Trap- Sweet Disposition.

Fall Out Boy- Young Volcanoes.

Arcade Fire- Haiti.

Panic! at the Disco- Time To Dance.

Don Henley- The Boys of Summer.

Madonna- In To The Groove.

Stereophonics- Dakota.

Boyzone- Nothing Without You.

Cyndi Lauper- Time After Time.

Kings of Leon- Back Down South.

Bananarama- Cruel Summer.

Belinda Carlisle- Heaven is a Place on Earth.

Feel free to have a crack at The Summer Tag, if you want to! If you decide to blog about it, leave me your links so I can give them a read!

What's your favourite thing about Summer?

My Summer Travel Essentials

Now we're swiftly coming up to our peak Summer holiday season, I thought it would be fun if I shared my summer travel essentials with you; the things that I pack in my hand luggage to help me get through the journey without breaking a sweat or dying of boredom. 

Though, I'm not sure if I'm just teasing myself with this post because I've not had a holiday in four years, and won't be getting away this Summer! 

So, these are the things I carry on me when I travel...

1. A pair of comfortable shoes that can be easily slipped on or off. Helpful at security, and for keeping your feet cool.

2. A hair scarf or hair turban to disguise unwashed, greasy, sweaty hair.

3. A light scarf, because it can be used in lots of different ways. It can keep you warm, be used as a pillow, be turned in to a sarong, used as a hair scarf, used as a cover up from prying eyes, hung over a window as a make shift blind, and even be fashioned in to a sling or bandage if you injure yourself during your journey.

4. Hand sanitiser because public transport, passing through bus / train stations, and using service stations can all be disgusting.

5. A little can of deodorant for freshening up when things get a bit sweaty.

6. A can of dry shampoo for perking up unwashed hair. I swear by Batiste.

7. At least one bottle of water for staying hydrated in the heat. It's important to drink plenty of water during a long-haul flight, too, although remember you can't carry a big bottle of water on you until you've gone through security.

8. Sunglasses to protect our eyes from that big orange ball of fire, obvs.

9. A fully charged Kindle loaded with books is one of my most loved travel companions. I love to read when I travel because it helps the journey pass so much faster. A Kindle (or other e reader tablet) obviously takes up much less space than a bunch of paperbacks, and helps to keep the weight of your bag down, too. 

10. I never travel without a bottle of Magicool during the Summer months. It's a cooling spray that can be used on people, pets, and even sprayed on to surfaces, and it's a God send when the heat gets too much to bare. I don't cope well with the heat, but this spray helps to make it more bearable. I couldn't live without it during the Summer.

11. A battery-powered pocket fan for keeping cool in stuffy, hot vehicles. I bought mine in Superdrug.

12. My iPod (and earphones) loaded with my favourite tunes and a Summer playlist or two.

13. My passport, if I'm leaving the country.

14. A few hair ties or bobbles for keeping my hair off my neck.

15. A pack of Paul & Joe blotting papers for keeping a shiny face at bay.

16. A travel wallet to keep my tickets, currency, cards, and other travel info all in one place.

17. It goes without saying that a bottle of sun tan lotion is absolutely essential. I usually carry a big bottle of factor 50+ Nivea sun lotion with me (I'm super pale and freckled), but my pocket-sized factor 30 looked better in the photo. Plus it's a handy size for keeping in my bag.

18. I don't travel without a notebook and pen. I like to document my travels, and I also find travelling inspires me to write fiction.

19. I like to pack a little emergency kit containing paracetamol, ibuprofen, imodium, plasters, antiseptic wipes, a bandage or two, savlon, etc, just in case. Chances are you won't need it, but it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!

20. When I'm travelling by plane, I always carry a little pot of moisturiser on me. Recycled air really dries out the skin.

21. I can't go anywhere without a compact camera and a couple of spare batteries and memory cards. I love to take photos everywhere I go. 

22. A tube of hand cream for giving those hands a little TLC after carrying heavy bags.

23. And finally, a tub of lip balm because the heat and dehydration can really dry those lips out.

I also usually carry snacks, a magazine or two, some cash, my purse, a phrase book if I don't speak the language of the country I'm travelling to, my phone, and maybe a little make up.

As for the bag... on most of my travels, I carry my Cath Kidston messenger bag as hand luggage because it's like a Mary Poppins bag; I can fit everything but the kitchen sink in it. It has the added bonus of being really comfortable, even when it's heavy, because of that thick, wide strap.

If I'm travelling by plane, I use my Accessorize weekend bag and just pop my handbag inside during the flight. It's the exact max size for most airlines and it gives you a surprising amount of room to work with. If I'm just going away for a few days, I can fit all I need in it and don't need to pay to bring a suitcase! It also comes in handy on the way home from a holiday because it gives me more room for souvenirs, and saves me if my suitcase won't shut or is over the weight limit.

And those are my summer travel essentials. What are yours?