FEATURE
The Great 2020
STAYCAY
This year, us Brits have rediscovered all that our varied nation has to offer by enjoying a staycation. Photo: Benjamin Elliott - Unsplash
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hen the world locked down and 2020 properly went rogue, we, for the most part, went nowhere. Stay at home, for the entire year? Well yes, and it might just be one of the best silver linings of this whole heartbreaking episode. We have given the environment longedfor breathing space, we have freed up our skies, cleaned up the air and found solace in nature. We have pared back our lives and (re)connected with the people and spaces around us. It’s been an education, an alternative to the actual education our children didn’t receive! London, as always with our mighty capital, has thrown up some unexpected gems. The centre of town has been empty and while it might be getting busier, there is still space to admire the spectacular architecture by bike, taking in three palaces within the same number of miles. Having gazed longingly at the river for years, our family finally took the plunge and we have roamed our stretch by kayak, being firm fans of an A to B adventure. Our city is close to the cosmopolitan dream, an exciting cultural junction of heterogeneous ideas. For purists, a staycation is a holiday at home, eschewing the daily routine for day trips and backyard discoveries. At least, that is the American version. For once, us Brits have taken it further and understand the term as a holiday that doesn’t include going abroad. And if you’re going to stay put in any country, well, Britain has it 10 CITYKIDSMAGAZINE.CO.UK
SOPHIE CLOWES shares her findings. all: history, culture, art, cities, mountains, countryside and miles of coastline. Ours is a country of variety: topography, food, architecture, seasons, flora and fauna, and even our stalwart joker, the weather. Your newly acquired dog is welcome: yes, hurrah for clichés, particularly lockdown bumps and puppies! The staycation has impressive environmental credentials, no language barrier, requires no passport (dog or human), saves you from extreme sunburn, mosquito bites and insects the size of light aircraft, and costs whatever you think is good value. Hotels, rental properties or a tent (note that wild camping is only permitted in Scotland): once you have wrapped your head around the lack of foreignness, welcome to vacay fun. Where to go? If it’s an overnight stay seek out satellite spots not far away: Brighton, Whitstable, the Cotswolds, even the Isle of Wight. If time is your friend, just pin the tail on the cartographic donkey or head to the compass points of Scotland (woo, a border crossing!), Northumberland or the Lake District; Devon and Cornwall; Norfolk or Suffolk; and Pembrokeshire. I make no apology for the coastal theme, it’s where it’s at. Kate Hiscox of @wearsmymoney headed both south to Devon and north to Northumberland in the summer, posting strong castle and beach content on the ‘gram. “For us we need good walks, ideally with a snack situation at the end of it, interesting places to visit - we love
