Celebrate Summer Like It’s Your First
It’s time to make memories again! Celebrate this summer like it’s your first and make up for lost time by jumping at every opportunity to do what you missed out on last year.
Whether it’s the first dance at your wedding, your first hug with grandma, your first trip abroad, the first picnic in the park with friends or your baby’s first birthday – celebrate every moment that feels like the ‘first’ in the return of our everyday freedoms. Whatever you get up to this summer, remember to capture those special memories on camera to make your summer of firsts last forever. Enjoy your summer moments as they happen and take everything in around you, from the smiles on everyone’s faces as things start to feel a little more normal, to the beautiful summertime scenery. As your summer moments unfold, capture those memories to keep for a lifetime – perfect for looking back on this summer like was our first.
In celebration of returning to ‘normality, we wanted to discover what you have been doing to make up for lost time. From recreating missed milestone birthdays to embarking on new adventures with friends and family, read our customer summer stories and what ‘firsts’ they’ve been celebrating this summer.
Lesley Murphy
About Lesley:
I live with my husband Terry in Leeds and turned 60 this year. My husband and I have two children and we have seven grandchildren who we really enjoy spending time with. We also have quite a close extended family – I live near my mother and sister and we are used to spending a lot of time together – pre-pandemic!
The last year has obviously led to seeing each other a lot less. During lockdown we were unable to see the grandchildren as much as we usually would, though we are much luckier than those who live far apart and have been unable to spend any time together at all.
My husband had turned 65 last year during the first strict lockdown so sadly everything we had planned for his ‘retirement’ year had to be cancelled. It was a shame but we knew we needed to stick to the rules to ensure the virus passed and we could return to normal.
Summer of Firsts:
I turned 60 earlier this year – just as restrictions were easing off. My daughter asked us over for the afternoon of my birthday and when I arrived, she had planned a beautiful 60th Birthday afternoon tea for our close family. It was a total surprise - there were balloons and decorations, a giant light-up ‘60’ sign and the most wonderful afternoon tea spread for us to enjoy. It had been so long since we were able to sit together in the garden ‘guilt-free’ and the sun was shining down – it felt like a little bit of normal had returned. The fact I wasn’t allowed in the house also meant I couldn’t help with the washing up – which was an added bonus!
It just felt magical – it was a perfect, small celebration but it meant the world to be able to spend time with loved ones, listen to music and relax after such an odd year.
What’s Next?
My husband and I love to go on holiday to Ibiza – not to the party side of the island, but we love walking the streets of Ibiza town, eating gorgeous food and travelling to the island’s incredible beaches. We usually go at least once a year so our first venture abroad will definitely be back to our happy place. We can’t wait! We are also just looking forward to being able to meet friends and family, restriction free. Spending more time with the grandchildren without worrying or being unable to hug them and importantly, not having to wear masks everywhere we go.
Lesley’s CEWE PHOTOBOOK
What is the best thing about creating your CEWE PHOTOBOOK?
I’ve always been a fan of pictures – the children and grandchildren are always making fun of me for asking them to stop for a picture! However nowadays they are all stuck on my phone or in the cloud. I used to spend ages printing out pictures and putting them in albums, but recently the only time I look back on pictures is when they pop up as a ‘memory’ on Facebook! Creating a CEWE PHOTOBOOK of my surprise 60th birthday – including pictures of the afternoon tea but also a collection of pictures from the last 60 years – has been amazing. It has given us something tangible to keep looking back at and show friends and wider family as we start to meet up again.
Vanessa Liu
About Vanessa:
I come from a very close-knit family. My mum, dad, brother, nan, aunties and cousins all live in the Wirral and pre-covid I would travel over from Liverpool a few times a week with my boyfriend Josh to spend evenings and weekends with everyone. We used to get together for regular Sunday roasts, every birthday and even go on holiday together every year, so we have really missed this over the past 18 months. I usually do plenty of travelling every year. My dad’s family is originally from Hong Kong, so I would travel there every year to spend a few weeks or even the whole summer. Whilst there, we also explore other parts of Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia. Plus, my mum is Australian and we had planned to visit last summer where we would finally be reunited with her family after six years – unfortunately, we weren’t able to go because of the restrictions. I would also usually go on a few long weekends or week-long getaways with my friends. They’re all currently dotted around the UK so we like to make sure we always have a date in the diary for our next reunion. We did plenty of video calls during lockdown but it didn’t quite live up to that feeling of a long weekend with your best friends. It felt so strange not to travel anywhere last year, it’s one of my favourite things to do and I really missed the feeling of discovering new places.
Summer of Firsts:
This year, my closest friends and I decided that even though we may not be able to travel abroad we want to take the opportunity to explore places closer to home. So far, I have managed to tick off a barn conversion staycation on a farm in The Peak District, a country getaway in The Lake District, a spa trip in Harrogate and a cottage not far from the beach in Wales. Although I have been to the major cities in the UK before, I’d never really ventured much further. I’ve been amazed at how beautiful it is and can’t wait to see more of it. I’ve loved spending time with my friends and family, going on long country walks, discovering hidden beaches and enjoying a good old British pub. Being able to pack up, go on a road trip with my friends and arrive in a new place has felt extra special after all this time. I didn’t think it would have the same excitement as travelling to a new country and experiencing a new culture, but actually it turns out there’s plenty to discover right on our doorsteps. The best part has to be being reunited with family and friends properly. Nothing beats knowing I’ve got the whole weekend to catch up, eat delicious food, enjoy a few glasses of wine and go for long walks with my favourite people.
What’s next?
Most of my mum’s immediate family are based in Australia, including my nan and cousins that I’ve never even met! We’ll definitely be rescheduling that reunion as soon as we can. I’d also love to get back to Hong Kong as last year was the first time I’ve not been at least once a year in my whole life! I’ll definitely be planning some city breaks with the girls too, hopefully to Barcelona or Lisbon. I can’t wait to tick off some more places off my travel list, in the UK and hopefully further afield!
Vanessa’s CEWE PHOTOBOOK
What is the best thing about creating your CEWE PHOTOBOOK?
I have thousands of pictures on my phone and never go through them – like so many other people my age! Creating a photo book brings an event or holiday back to life for me. It’s so lovely to go through them with my loved ones and remember little things that we otherwise would have forgotten. They also make a great gift, especially for my nan!