What are you doing this Bank Holiday?

August Bank Holiday is fast approaching, and many people view it as the end of summer. Certainly it’s the last Bank Holiday in England before Christmas. With that in mind, it is definitely worth making some exciting plans.

This year the August Bank Holiday weekend is quite late: Saturday 28th-Monday 30th August. So there is still time to plan something special for you and your family.

Here are our six suggestions for Bank Holiday brilliance.

 

1. Festival fun

Although unfortunately many festivals and other open air events have been cancelled this summer – including London’s Notting Hill carnival – there are still many events running where you can catch some live music and fun activities. Many of these are also family friendly.

Wherever you are in the country, you can almost be guaranteed to find something near you. Some examples are:

 

2. Local events

There are also many different kinds of local festivals and other events happening over the Bank Holiday weekend. Why not find something that you would like to support and get together a group of family and friends to go along? 

As well as music festivals, you are likely to find:

  • Local sports events
  • Country fairs
  • Beer, gin or food festivals
  • Car boot sales
  • Open air plays or film screenings
  • Picnics and treasure hunts.

 

3. Breathe the air

If you enjoy being out in the fresh air but don’t particularly want entertainment, take a look at scenic places to visit in your area. If you’re lucky enough to live near the coast, that’s an obvious choice. Just make sure you get there early, before the tourists flock in! But if not, plan a visit to somewhere like a country park, lake or woods.

As well as enjoying the fresh air, pack a picnic so that you can stop for a break. And why not invite along another family to spread the load and create more company for the kids?

 

4. Explore your local city

If you like to be out and about but are a town mouse rather than a country one, plan a day trip to a nearby city or town. It’s amazing how many wonderful places are near to where we live but we never get round to paying them a visit.

If you don’t want to take the car, many train companies offer special travel rates during the holiday season, particularly if you are travelling as a group.

It’s a good idea to plan your route and a few activities before your visit, so that you don’t end up wandering around aimlessly and all start squabbling. So spend a bit of time googling your chosen destination, to work out a rough plan for the day. If you have young children with you then see if you can build in a couple of fun activities for them, and perhaps also a little map or list of places to look for. Keep them alert and interested.

 

5. Absorb a bit of culture

You may want to focus on a cultural venue for your day out. For example, most large towns and cities have all kinds of museums to visit. In London alone there are over 20 free museums and galleries that you can visit, including The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and The British Museum – to name but a few.

If you prefer a more outdoor venue, check out organisations such as the National Trust and English Heritage. They have an amazing selection of historical sites to visit, and it is often free to get into the grounds if you don’t really want to visit any buildings that are on site. Also have a look around for independent outdoor historical sites such as ruins, castles or standing stones. 

 

6. Stay at home

Many people prefer not to venture out on a Bank Holiday, simply because there are so many people out and about, especially on the roads. So another great idea is just to stay at home and make your own fun. Perhaps invite a few people round to help entertain each other.

If the weather is good, then outdoor activities such as a BBQ, picnic, games, paddling pool are always enjoyable. And even if it rains, you could hunker down inside and do activities such as board games or party games, baking, arts and crafts or a film fest.

 

We hope that this article has given you a few ideas for things to do this August Bank Holiday. Whatever you decide to do, we hope that you have a wonderful time, and enjoy the last Bank Holiday of the summer..

If you need any extra funds for your Bank Holiday fun, remember that Simple Fast Loans offer short term personal loans that may help.

Check back here soon for more lifestyle and financial tips from Simple Fast Loans.