Yes, I’ve donned my stripy ice cream salesman’s jacket, and parked the van up on the common – come one, come all, and get a bank holiday freebie!!! 8 sun-kissed summer shorts, sparkling with surprises, sagacity, sentiment and sandy bottoms plus, for those who like a little frisson with their cornet, the occasional episode of light swooning. And I’m pretty sure there’s a cheese and pickle bridge roll in there somewhere too.  Suffice to say, though there might be more fish in the sea, there’s a good number of fish to get your teeth into here as well. Well, by extension, at least, via a nice man who runs fishing boat trips, plus did I mention there was a cheese and pickle sandwich option, for the veggies? Oh dear. Perhaps, I’ll stop now.

Summertime, Summertime, by Lynne Barrett-Lee

Sun, sea, sand, and a smattering of stressful situations. A teenage girl finds that mums-on-hols take some serious minding, a long-married couple lose each other in Spain, a ride on a bike becomes a journey of discovery and Dr Who takes a walk on the wild side. The trouble with holidays, to quote someone who’s clearly been on several, is that you have to take your baggage along with you…