From the editor: Long hot summer

School’s out – for Summer! Which for many means penny arcades on the Palace Pier, checking to see if last year’s swim shoes still fit (and if they do that their ‘neglected’ pong hasn’t reached chemical weapon level), and which of the many local National Trust sites to visit first. Bookshops and the Booth Museum suddenly find triple the enquiring faces at midday in mid-week. And the invention of waterproof sun lotion saves more tears than the entire DC and Marvel superhero roster combined.

Welcome to the Summer holidays. Remember when they used to stretch out ahead like they would go on forever? Well they still can, even if you’re not at school yourself.

The heat wave already takes you halfway to being on holiday already. Yes, you’ve got work in the daytime, but nighttime takes ages to come around with the sun setting at gone 9pm. That’s practically an entire afternoon’s worth of beach-life to enjoy after the boss has let you go.

Even lunch breaks can squeeze in a half an hour of that long hot Summer feeling. Sea shingle or grassy green space are never far away in this town for a guilty spot of airport novel reading, while you happily munch through your hummus and gluten-free bread picnic.

I repeat: School’s out. And it doesn’t matter if you broke up this week or 50 years ago, everyone can seize that free spirit and summer feeling of adventure. Anything can happen this Summer.

Victoria Nangle
editorial@thelatest.co.uk