Every year - l forget the wipeout that hits me at the end of the summer term. We are exhausted with routine and schedules and ready for a complete break and lots of downtime. This year all the more so as we tried to balance work with full time home schooling, tried to retain some semblance of normality for the kids when they couldn’t see friends or cuddle grandma or granda and had to let go of any certainty across any area of our life.

This summer felt all the sweeter for being able to travel up to the Outer Hebrides to see family. The weather was kind and we idled away our days with long dog walks and beach sojourns with fresh and salty swims in the sea most days. Switching off from the doom that is basically all world events at the moment, we came back refreshed and sunkissed. What an enormous privilege to do so.

We are already firmly ensconced in Autumn, but these are just a few memories from summer.