I’m lucky that my partner Duncan is the early riser in our family. Every Saturday he’s up at 6am to take our dogs, Goldilocks and Baby Dinosaur, for a walk. Once he’s back, he’ll make us tea and pancakes (he’s an artist now but used to be a chef, so food is a big part of family life) and we’ll get the girls ready for stage school, which they both absolutely love.
One of our favourite things to do as a family is foraging – anything from elderflower and blackberries to apples. Around this time there’s plenty of wild garlic about, so every Saturday morning we’ll pile into the car and head to Sharsted Wood, an ancient woodland towards Sittingbourne. I was given the coordinates by somebody once – we’d never have discovered it otherwise.
The woods look beautiful when the garlic first comes out, like tiny stars carpeting the floor. The girls know to only pick the leaves, not the bulbs (which kills the plant) and we’ll fill hampers to make wild garlic oil later (I love making wild garlic pesto which is delicious with fresh pasta or drizzled over lamb).
Time outdoors really bonds us as a family, we just feel different after being outside. After picking our garlic, we’ll walk the dogs in the forest. The girls love looking out for different plants, trees and birds. I read recently how Monet was an en plein air painter and the idea of being inspired by the outdoors really resonated with me – it makes you see things differently and you’re so much more present as a result.
Beach huts have always been a huge part of my life. We’re lucky enough to have one in Whitstable, which we visit every weekend. My family used to have one in Southend-on-Sea, where I’m originally from, and then we moved to Pakistan when I was a child – my dad’s job actually came with a beach hut there, too. Now, we spend so much time at our hut, heading there for lunch on Saturdays (and we’ll sometimes go there for breakfast and dinner on schooldays, too).
Nothing beats being by the sea. Both my husband and I have ADHD and I love the way the seaside calms our minds. There’s no phone signal at the hut and everyone feels more settled and present (there’s nothing anyone can break, either!). We park the car at the top of a nearby slope and all walk down together, lugging our food. From our hut you can see the Isle of Sheppey and my beloved Southend-on-Sea in the distance.
When the tide goes out, there’s an amazing stretch of sand we call the ‘street’ and we take our tables and chairs down to sit there with our hut neighbours, often eating lunch together. Sometimes other friends walk down to see us and my daughters’ friends from other huts sometimes join, too. It makes me happy to see the freedom the kids have here. Even our youngest takes the rubbish down to the communal bins – she’s done that ever since she could walk. As an only child myself, I love seeing my girls bond and their relationship grow.
Eating together as a family is really important. For lunch we’ll usually have something on the beach hut fire pit, like slow-cooked lamb or chicken, with sausages for the kids. We’ll make plenty of dishes at home beforehand, like hummus, roast potatoes or fresh asparagus from local farms with lashings of butter. Afterwards, the girls run out on the mud [the tidal flats], put on plays and invent worlds. It’s magical to watch.
Photography is my way of switching off. I’m a documentary photographer and I’ll often walk along the beach taking photos, while the children play with their friends. I’m currently working on a project about beach huts. When I look back at the photos I’m often struck by how different it felt in the moment. In the warmer months we’ll take a dip in the sea – I love it when we’re all in the water together, splashing about and watching the Brent geese fly overheard. It feels very special.
We’ll often stay to watch the sun set at around 5pm with hot chocolates and roasted marshmallows before climbing back into the car and heading home. We’re big on “movie nights” – the girls take it in turns to pick a film each week before we snuggle down with Duncan’s homemade popcorn. Sometimes we’ll listen to an album on our old record player (Xanthe’s favourite is George Ezra) and have a bit of a dance before the girls go to bed – they have a lot of energy and it’s better to let it all out!
Once the girls are asleep, I’ll pour myself a large glass of wine and Duncan and I will sit and chat. Sometimes we’ll sketch together – I find actively doing something like sketching or playing a board game means I’m really focused in the moment (even when I lose!).
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