The blackberry brambles around here are still full of berries, despite my having set about them earlier this week. And I know of a few other people who have been out and about doing the same.
The poet Seamus Heaney understood blackberrying:
Late August, given heavy
rain and sun for a full week,
the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one,
a glossy purple clot
among others, red, green,
hard as a knot.
You ate that first one
and its flesh was sweet
like thickened wine.
Summer’s blood was in it
leaving stains
upon the tongue
and lust for picking.
Quite so. I need to go out berry picking once again, maybe accompanied by some small assistants.
I read that on Tuesday, the Met Office said this summer would “almost certainly” be the UK’s warmest on record, the mean average temperature for the season stood at 16.13C, based on data up to 25 August. A good summer to spend in the Uk instead of rushing off to warmer climes.,
According to this article, the people of Greece cannot afford to holiday in their own country. But this letter suggests that it is not the case:
“Your article concludes that while foreign visitors can savour Greece’s natural beauty and other joys of their country, for Greeks such pleasures have become a bittersweet memory. We beg to differ, because the evidence points exactly to the opposite.
Every year the Greek statistical authority, Elstat, publishes its Survey on Qualitative Characteristics of Resident Tourists. The July 2025 edition presents comprehensive evidence that Greek residents’ trips and nights spent on trips for leisure, recreation and holidays have been rising since 2021. Both the number of trips and the total number of nights spent on vacations are at their peak for the past decade. The overwhelming majority (more than 85%) of Greeks’ vacations take place within Greece, and more than 70% occur in the summer months of June, July and August.
Further evidence demonstrating the increased ability of Greeks to take vacations is provided by Elstat’s annual Household Budget Survey. The latest edition shows that the category most closely related to vacations, “Restaurants, cafes and hotels”, presents the fastest rise among 12 sub-categories of expenditure; its share in total household expenditure is the highest of the past 16 years, and is now higher than before the crisis.
The numbers speak for themselves: with a remarkable economic recovery, reflected in rising employment and real incomes (as documented by Eurostat), Greeks are taking more and longer vacations, which they overwhelmingly spend in Greece.
A number of Greeks, however, do have difficulties making ends meet, and raising their welfare standards is our government’s top priority. On that, we firmly believe we are on the right track. And the Greeks’ summer is alive and kicking.
Omiros Tsapalos
Spokesperson, Hellenic Ministry of Economy and Finance”
I sometimes wonder if the British insistence on having holidays abroad is a peculiarity of our nation. It certainly wasn’t the case when I was a child. And then came the waves of mass tourism and cheap holidays. It would be interesting to see some statistics about here and other European countries., especially if we are going to keep having warmer summers.
Forecasters warn that the weather is due to change, just in time for children returning to school. I seem to remember though that we often had Indian summers when the autumn term started.
Since August is supposed to be silly season, how about this: Donald Trump claims that in Europe we call him the President of Europe. He says he is honoured by the title… which nobody seems to rememebr giving him
.
I have already commented on the early onset of Christmas advertising. Here’s another I saw today for the royal National Lifeboat Institute:
“Too early for Christmas cards? 🎄 Not when they’re on sale for as little as £2.50! Shop today and support RNLI lifesavers.”
Mind you, I do know people who will already have bought their Christmas cards!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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