This book with Summer in it's title is accounts of school summer holidays from various people from all walks of life - although tipping more towards those who went to boarding schools or were in the 'upper classes'.
What comes over in this book is the huge difference between then and now . From the 1930's - 60's and 70's when fewer Mums were out at work so at home for child care and nothing was scheduled to fill those six weeks except perhaps a week at the seaside or a stay with grandparents, to now - when so many things are organised for children they hardly have time to do their own thing!
Another big difference was (is?) between the wealthier, who would often get the chance to travel abroad or to a rented holiday home for the duration, and the poorest who were lucky to have a day at the seaside curtesy of the local church outing.
The 7th for Reading the Seasons was this by Cora Harrison, 'Summer of Secrets', another of her series about the friendship between authors Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens and the solving of a crime.
August, 1856. Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens are spending the summer at Knebworth House, the magnificent Hertfordshire home of fellow writer Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton, where they are putting on a charity performance of one of Lord Edward's most successful plays, The Lady of Lyon. But the dress rehearsal is disrupted by the discovery of a body lying in the centre of the stage, shot to death.
So much resonated with me in the description of the first book, we had whole days in the summer holidays where absolutely nothing was planned and we were left to our own devices sometimes amusing ourselves but more often than not regularly complaining to mum " we're bored " !
ReplyDeleteMy grandkids experience is so different - there does just seem to be so much more available now, not all of it costly either. It is progress I guess but sometimes it can all feel just a little too ' full on ' with activities planned from dawn 'til dusk 😀
Alison in Wales x
I loved the way the summer holidays stretched ahead but never minded getting back to school to see friends again
DeleteHave you read One Summer's Grace by Libby Purves? (who lives in Suffolk near you believe) Non fiction,but a great read.
ReplyDeleteNo, will look out for it. They live near the coast where the smallholding was
DeleteWe were sent away in the summer holidays that seemed to stretch for ages, and was always sunny;) Children today are taken to specialty sites with expensive entrance fees, Disney has a lot to answer for.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what we played when it was wet. Certainly never had anything organised
DeleteI would never dare complain that I was bored during the long Summer school holiday or I would be given jobs to do. Best to eat breakfast and then head out to play or call for my friends.
ReplyDeleteI lived miles away from friends when young so it was entertain myself and play with little sister
DeleteI would enjoy British Summertime I'm sure. If memory serves, our school holidays were longer back then too, for I recall being broken up the week before my friend's birthday on July 11 and we went back sometime after 5th of Sept. I have fond and happy memories of a childhood well spent.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to read about the children who were at school here while their parents worked abroad. Some had awful school holidays - stuck with relatives who didn't want them
DeleteOoooh! I love historical murder mysteries and I haven't heard of that series. I am now off to Google. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed them hope you find copies to read
DeleteTry ´Autumn’ by Gerald (Gerard?) Woodward. It’s good x
ReplyDeleteI can't find this exists although there is one called August
DeleteSorry yes I meant August!
DeleteWe really had time then and were bored!
ReplyDeleteNow we are constantly busy, even the kids!!
So much is organised now - very different
DeleteI read somewhere recently that fall was the original name for Autumn in Britain many moons ago. Can’t believe it will soon be autumn but I do like the cooler bright day of autumn. Catriona
ReplyDeleteYes you are right. Fall went from here to America with the Pilgrims and we changed to Autumn decades later
DeleteI like to hold on to summer as long as I can... and summer is particularly beautiful here this year.
ReplyDeleteI wish you a happy reading experience from the bottom of my heart.
Hug
Thank you
DeleteThe summers of my childhood were always sunny, the days long and hot and spent either swimming or 'wandering' on my own for miles, finding wild strawberries and damsons. Nothing organised.
ReplyDeleteWe had lots of picnics with dolls and wrote down car numbers and lorry names and looked forward to cousins coming to play sometimes
DeleteMy childhood summer vacation was completely unplanned. Maybe a day or two away, but I occupied myself quite happily. It's good for kids to learn that, not be organized every minute. But then my mom was home, so she didn't have the concern about being away all day. Different world.
ReplyDeleteYes very few Mums worked when I was little, everyone had someone at home so no child care problems like now
DeleteAbout Autumn, there's Barbara Pym Quartet in Autumn. You might find it a bit dark, but it's wonderful writing.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely make a note of that as I've read half a dozen of her books, they are not so easy to find now though - she's out of fashion
DeleteWe spent a lot of time outside in the summer, I think. We would always have a week or two away on a family trip - to a rented cabin on a lake as my Dad loved to fish or traveling farther to some National Park. I remember lots of sand castles and sunburns after days on a lake.
ReplyDeleteI like to think Summer is a time to be less busy and enjoy the outdoors.
ReplyDeleteYou can keep reading summer books thru September, fall doesn't start til month's end? Here it's hot til November usually.
ReplyDeleteI adored summer vacation, my school was academically rigorous and oh so boring. Summer --3 whole months! was a joy. I tried to give my kids a similar experience and took summers off work for awhile. [worked from home] The joy of living at the beach.
I spent my summer holidays helping out with harvest work on a farm. My father worked on a farm too so we only very rarely managed a summer holiday. Oddly enough I enjoyed work more than visiting the coast.
ReplyDeleteWe weren't well off but we did have one week at a holiday camp. I really loved those weeks. They were a chance to get away and do our own thing as we had clubs and the swimming pool and just hanging around with other children.
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