Summer Holiday Things

Hello again, dear reader.

In case you're new here, I'm Alastair Johnston and you're receiving this newsletter because you subscribed over at my blog or via a link from Substack. I'm grateful for you giving me some of your time and attention and hope I always inform or entertain you here. If not, please feel free to unsubscribe, I won't be offended.

One of the advantages of giving myself a bit of time off after being made redundant from my last job, has been feeling the way that I used to as a child when on my summer holidays. After struggling a little to slow down and be a bit more idle the last few weeks or so, I began to calm down and recalibrate. And gradually I’ve felt the ease I used to have that comes from knowing I have a large(ish) amount of time ahead of me to enjoy, without deadlines, expected work or anything else too challenging.

This feeling and lack of pressure has allowed my mind to wander and daydream and reminisce. I’ve thought back to these younger days. The days where morning TV would show dedicated children’s programmes such as Robinson Crusoe, The Flashing Blade, Dogtanion and the Three Muskehounds, Around the World with Willie Fogg, Why Don’t You. Where are they now? Why have broadcasters dropped this dedicated children’s slot that was not just filled with cheap low quality animation?

After the leisurely morning TV I would spend time outside (I remember the 1970’s heatwave and ladybird plagues), read books, play games on my Sinclair Spectrum, maybe go out and take photographs, watch the ocasional summer blockbuster movie or rent a VHS from the video shop.

I was happy, entertained, creative, exercised and feeling free.

So this week’s newsletter is my small way of sharing some of this with you to consider, as of my newsletters of old…

There are some books that just feel like they belong in the summer. Often because I’ve read them on holiday, but sometimes because of their subject or geography too. So if you’re looking for ideas of books to read whilst sitting outside in the sunshine here’s a small hand picked selection of a few good’uns.

Zorba The Greek - I’ve read this numerous times, that’s how much I love it. Life lessons from a passionate old greek, under the blazing sun.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning - my favourite Laurie Lee book, an adventure of life walking across Spain with just a violin to busk with, before the war.

Brendon Chase - One to read to your children, or just enjoy yourself. Boys take off to live wild in an English forest, hunting, fishing and enjoying absolute freedom.

The Lion Tracker’s Guide to Life - I’m currently reading this as I think deeply about where my professional life goes next, but a tale of Lion tracking as a mechanism for getting in touch with your natural self just begs to be read in hot weather.

I’m more and more keen on using tools that are more Lo-fi or analogue to get me away from screens. I’ve written before about really enjoying film photography again, but it is quite expensive. Two possible solutions I’m intrigued by are this cheap half frame camera which saves money as you get double the number of frames per roll, and this lo-fi, screenless children’s digital camera that many adults are loving.

Turning off my smartphone whilst on holiday has been a thing for me for a while. I’m really considering upping the ante and switching for even longer amounts of time, maybe even eventually ditching the smatrphone. But my old faithfull as shown in the first link is 3G and as the networks are closed down, I’m looking for a suitable replacement. This candybar that has only phone functions and WhatsApp might be a suitable replacement. (I’d much rather not use WhatsApp but almost everyone here does now hence that one addition)

I have to admit, I never watched Stand By Me before. Last night in the quiet of a humid evening I corrected that. And it blew me away. Just a story of boys and friendship and navigating life, but so full of charm.

And on it’s way to me is a DVD copy of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off to watch with my son. Again, it feels like it needs to be watched in the summer, if only for the sunlit glinting off the soft top Ferrari. As an aside, I’ve found that here in the UK, the cost of buying a used movie on DVD from World of Books is often cheaper than streaming it. And you can give it away afterwards or re-sell it. And it feels a little like the old days of trips to Blockbuster.

So, dear reader, I hope some of this resonates. But I’d also love to hear any good recommendations for your summer movies or books or similar.

And also, just a reminder, is there anything that you would like me to cover? Anything that you are involved in that you would like me to share with your fellow readers here? If you’ve a project or idea that fits with living well, making a difference, being more human or similar just let me know.

That’s it for now.

Be kind and live well!

Comments? Insights? Join the discussion or email me.

P.S. This newsletter is free to all. But if you enjoy it or would you’d like to support my work both here and on my blog, there are a number of ways you can help me.

1. You can become a patron with a paid subscription.

2. You can buy me a coffee/beer

3. You can leave a like by clicking the ❤️ below. It really helps more people find my work.

4. You can spread the love by sharing this newsletter with a friend who might enjoy it.