Best summer reads - win £400 of brilliant books

1996
Sailing our 29' foot boat round the Brittany and Normandy coasts in the company of my darling ( now deceased ) husband.
Magical blue skies and seas. Pure tranquility with the occasional sightings of dolphins and porpoises. Sheer excitement on a sighting of a pod of pilot whales.
Visiting small French ports and either eating at lovely small restaurants or shopping in the local street markets and cooking our purchases back on board washed down by local wines!
It was all pure heaven!

Every summer is special when it is spent with family. We book some lodges and everyone is welcome to come from great grandparents to the youngest who is nearly 2 now. A fun time is had by all and except for my son and family who live in New Zealand we are all in one place for a week.

Summer 1981. I got married that summer and had a great honeymoon in Jersey.

Summer of 1996 we celebrated our silver wedding big time - early booking meant we got a good deal and with early retirement we were able to go on safari to Kenya followed by our anniversary in The Seychelles. Absolutely amazing ?

Summer 1985! As DH was 40 that year he took 3 weeks off work and we travelled through Europe to Venice, had a week there and came back a different route. We had wonderful weather (or so it seems) and camped mostly but had occasional nights in hotels. Unfortunately, DD3 wasn't born until 2 years later so she missed the fun.

When I was a child the long school summer holidays.

Without a doubt this summer - we have downsized , taken up new hobbies, and our new bungalow is always filled with the sound of grandchildren. We have 9 under 10 and another one due in the Autumn. I always feared getting older. I have changed my mindset and embraced it instead. My OH has health problems but together we're a formidable team. OH has a workshop filled with tools for his ne hobby of woodcraft. All the family enjoy the fruits of his labour. He sings in a male voice choir and haas given up his commitments that were making him weary. I too have a shed and I write often. We have a collie, just a year old, full of bounce and I walk for miles each day. Life is good. We have our bad days of course, but they are few and far between. Acceptance of age has given us both a new outlook. Family is everything.

Summer of 1988 sticks in my mind. I'd just finished school and wouldn't be starting my new job until September. It seemed to be an endless bout of going out partying at night and then relaxing in the garden or long lunches with friends during the day. I think that was the only time in my life where I had no demands on my time, my friends were all in a similar situation (so up for partying)and though I didn't work I seemed to always have enough money :-)

Best summer was the year I went interrailing with my two best friends from university. We had some real adventures. We slept on a barge in Amsterdam, on the floor of a circus tent in Munich and a couple of nights on trains, met some fun people and saw some amazing sights. I had a lovely boyfriend waiting for me back home too (he'd also been travelling with a friend while I was away). Happy days!

For over 30 years every summer has been fantastic. Relaxtion from a busy life teaching and juggling family life. We towed our caravan to Benodet in France and would spend 3 idyllic weeks, active by day(swimming, walking, cycling, exploring) relaxing by night reading. I used to take 2 or 3 box sets of fiction to last me in pre-Kindle days. So much more convenient when weight is an issue towing but as much as I love technology nothing beats the smell and feel of a real book. Now retired hubby and I have a motorhome and at 69 we decided to see more of the UK all year round but nothing else has changed. Lots of activity by day and reading at night. Can't beat it. Living the dream!

My best summer was last year when we took our bikes and toured the French Vendee and the Isle de Re. Lots of cycle routes off road leading to amazing beaches, castles and through scented Pine Woods.

When my daughter was young and I took her abroad to the first time, everything was exciting seeing it through her eyes (even though we were in benidorm!)

The long summers at university. They gave plenty of time to read

My best holiday was our first holiday in France with our children
We drove down in our old Ford Escort which leaked every time it rained, stayed on campsites in a borrowed tent and had a fabulous time just being together and discovering France. It was the first of many wonderful trips to this beautiful country.

Our trip to South Korea and Japan. Korea was fascinating - the history could keep me entralled for days and days.

Four years ago spending an Australian summer with our son and his family after not seeing them for 5 years. So wonderful to spend time with our grandson and see how he had grown. Sadly we haven't seen them since, due to DHs health issues, he couldn't handle the long flight, but I often think of that summer with it's wonderful memories.

My best summer was in 1982 when on my 18th birthday we headed out to Cephalonia for our very first family holiday abroad. Getting my dad to take two whole weeks off from the farm was unbelievable (even if he did miss getting up for milking in the mornings and exchanged it for early morning swims in the sea, I only joined him once as the sea was SO cold at that time!). Amazing holiday with so many happy memories especially the wonderful food and being introduced to huge sweet nectarines (dad was sent off to buy some and he came back with tomatoes!) and the very unspoilt nature of the island. Summer is the best time to make memories!

Every Summer since we where married has been enjoyable for me,watching my children grow into well grounded adults and bring their own children into the world to become the joy they are to us and sharing many many times in different parts of the world with them or just playing on our local beaches with family for picnics.I'm easily pleased when the sun is shining and with my family and friends.

My best summer was 2 years ago. We booked a gite in France for 3 weeks. Myself, my daughter and my parents went. We even took the dogs. It was right by a river and we spent ages playing in the water with the dogs and kayaks. We visited all of the towns and markets and had a brilliant time xx

1976 at School, enjoying the fab weather :-)

My best holiday was when the whole family shared a villa on the Costa Brava. Both children & adults played together amazingly well!

The best summers were when I could spend plenty of time with my friends but was working part time so I could pay for it!

Wonderful long summers in Ireland working on the farm and bringing the turf and hay home.
Reading in the meadows listening to the birds.
Not a worry in the world.

My best summer was definitely 1976 - glorious summer - my fave football team won eurp cup and I hitch hiked around france - met wonderful people - fabulous time

My husband & I spent a wonderful summer holiday at Loch Ness. We stayed in a smashing apartment with use of a pool & sauna. We spent our days relaxing, eating & sightseeing. Our trip on a speedboat along the huge & ominously black Loch Ness was the undoubted highlight.