Bex Cooper, Director, on making the most of summer

I know this hasn’t been a particularly vintage, reliable or kind summer, weather-wise, but there is something about this time of year that simply makes me want to be out of doors as much as possible. The good news is, with the schools broken up, I can enjoy getting outdoors with the kids - well, that was the plan. Am I the only one battling against the lure of a screen? All tips and hacks for peeling them away from technology welcome!

Neil and I are really lucky that we have three great children. Chatting to a patient the other day (which I am also lucky to have as an official - and often the best - part of my job!), we got round to discussing offspring, and she passed on a gem that really got me thinking. “You know you love them- that comes with the package, right?” she said, “But do you like them?” “So much!” I answered, without even thinking about it. How brilliant is that? It made me treasure how much I enjoy simply spending time with them (it won’t take long before Mum’s just not “cool” enough, I am sure!).

They have inherited our love of nature and the outdoors - our daughter in particular enjoys being out in all the elements particularly if on the back of a horse, and our youngest son is always asking to climb mountains! Our eldest son recently discovered the joy of “real” rock climbing, which Neil is delighted about (makes my smile watching them act out various moves!). Admittedly, they weren’t so keen to actually pick up a shovel and help Mum digging out my wildlife pond recently! I’ve been amazed by how much attention my little sinkhole got- (read here) it really seems to have struck a nerve, which is brilliant- hopefully I’ve motivated a few people that small actions are equally wonderful- it all helps make a difference for nature.

I hope everyone’s having a good summer, whether you’re getting away, exploring our amazing local countryside and coast, or using it to attack the to-do list (dentists always see a rise in under-18 appointments in the holidays!). And if any spoilsport mentions, as I heard the other day, that the “nights are drawing in”- you have my permission to give them a Bex Special Hard Stare!