Isle Of Blighty

Having recently realised that I have been spending beyond budget for the last three years, our summer holiday was always going to have to be on a shoe string. With the Euro tipped against me, this had to mean an English holiday on a wind swept beach. Looking at my pennies deficit, I realised I couldn't even afford that! English holidays can actually be depressingly expensive.

Being duped into the romantic Boden catalogue world of cute picnics on beaches and crab catching in buckets, I dared to dream that a really cheap holiday on the the Isle of Wight might be an answer to our summer woes! A little granny chalet, is the perfect answer for a low key, No Knickers holiday. It's decked out like a Wallace and Gromit 1950's film set, with trinkets everywhere, velour and heavily patterned carpets, but for one or two weeks, this won't kill you! We advise you to spend less on decor and more on location because you can always make a place your own and I go armed with fragrant candles, tealights and fill a couple of old chalet jugs with fresh local flowers. Comptoir de Famille candles, available from Sue Parkinson have recently won my vote, they fragrance the room even when they are not lit. Perfect for getting rid of fusty mustiness!

The key to a great British holiday is knowing when to splash out and when to save. Having arrived at the chalet, we realised that we needed to be eating out, so we bought a Sainsbury's bucket BBQ for £9.99. This has been the most efficient, little burner we have ever had and has made my hubby feel like Jamie Oliver! Rather than eating out in expensive but style -less, defrosted lasagne and chip restaurants, we eat ours out of a bucket on the beach ..and to be quite honest...weather permitting...with a glass of bubbles and a bowl of Lidl olives with homemade garlic and parsley marinade....it's really hard to beat! If you are not sure about your bubbly, have a peek at OOh La La Ladies for a little help!

If you are choosing to 'Buy British' for your summer hols, splash out on a great picnic floor blanket, a cuddly car blanket, to keep you warm and wetsuits ..we borrow them or buy ours from Sainsburys, they are fair priced and look the part! To complete the picture, you also need access to some cheap sailing opportunities..even a blow up dinghy will do! Other than that, you need a crab line, a penknife to loosen the barnacles for bait and of course, a bucket and spade! 

In your own blighty bag, you need some fur coat ingredients to throw into your No Knickers holiday. Start with some ridiculously rich hand cream. Laura Mercier offers 50g tubes of buttery, Creme Brulee hand cream which is a fab opulence boost, or Verde Italian Lemon hand cream makes for a refreshing change. Don't forget to pack a hair mask and face mask, for a post-coast luxury spa treat! We can recommend James Brown Intensive Mask for hair and Dermalogica Multi Vitamin Power Recovery Masque. We recommend not taking any marine body treatments because by the time you have finished on an English beach you are sick of the smell of seaweed, rather splash out on some warming ginger mixes. The height of opulence would be an Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow....the ultimate!!

Having had a wonderful Blighty beach holiday and after a win at the Ashes, it forces me to consider that when we put our minds to it..the best truly can be British!

Happy Days!