So says the song. Hopefully, it will for weeks to come for the sake of everyone on holiday, whether the summer break is spent locally or at the coast. Enjoy it whilst you can.

There may be clouds in the sky but when the sun does peep through it has serious burning strength it is a good idea to apply plenty of sun screen just in case, especially on the nippers.

Once again there are warnings from around the Country about swimming in ponds, lakes and rivers. Understandably, when folks get very hot they want to cool down and water is the obvious way to do it but beware folks’ deep ponds can be dangerously cold and can cause shock from which there is no recovery. For youngsters wanting to keep cool urge them not to swim in them but to seek the safety of a local swimming pool, there is much going on at this time of year with swimming clubs and events through the school holidays and swimming pools are safer. Redundant mine ponds and those left over from steel works and similar heavy industries may look inviting but they are best left to the ducks.

Any organised activity, and there are many from swimming to climbing, sailing to fell walking, will have had a Risk Assessment conducted and care will be taken to ensure the safety of all concerned, this is not meant to spoil anyone’s fun, quite the opposite, fun is better if it is safe.

For parents with younger children there is a newly refurbished fun play park at The Chains play park in Durham City, there is a brand new climbing frame with a slide, plus a roundabout, and hopefully a seat for exhausted parents.

The Woodland Trust is a great organisation dedicated to encouraging people to enjoy our forests, and we have plenty of sites in and around the City and County. Not only are the forests free but the Woodland Trust folks encourage youngsters to have fun through organised programmes aimed at educational fun. The Trust say ‘Wild children wanted, become a nature detective’ accordingly the activities are aimed at the full range of ages so that children from 0 to 2, 3 to 5, and 6 plus can get down and dirty amongst the woodlands looking for beasties, little beasties, hopefully not Gruffalo’s! This is carefully planned fun for the family and raises awareness of nature in an enjoyably muddy way.

It isn’t necessary for Mums and Dads to break the bank, there is so much to do that is free or low cost, just being together and having fun can be enough. Hopefully, the sun’ll come out tomorrow and for the rest of the school holidays, but even if it doesn’t many of these activities are equally good fun in a bit of rain; sploshing about in muddy puddles for example, a forest in the rain has a special aroma, and of course if you are in a swimming pool who cares if it rains outside?

Have fun!

 

 

 

 


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