Yesterday was a big day for me- I got out of the house! For the whole of this month I was supposed to have been out in Italy photographing weddings in Tuscany and Amalfi, but due to lockdown that has not been possible. Like everyone else I have been at home just waiting for this virus to pass and doing what we can to stay safe. It has been a tough start to the year, I am someone who works pretty hard, always worked since I left school, so to sit at home and go nowhere has been a tough call!

With the recent relaxation of the lockdown rules it has allowed travel and to see family at a safe distance in their garden. So a plan was hatched to go and see family in Devon, but it had to be within the day to stick to the rules. Weather forecasts were checked, snacks were packed for the journey and with an early 3am rude awakening from the alarm- we were off! With a 340 mile journey ahead of us, the dog in the boot wondering if we had gone mad, off we went! Arriving around 9am it was heaven, just fantastic to be away from home, on the beach- it truly felt like a holiday.

With a stunning long walk along Croyde Beach we chatted with family, caught up on the gossip as the dogs ran around on the dunes like crazy fools. Then we went back to the house, stayed in the garden for a lovely salmon and salad lunch and chatted for hours. It was so hot in the garden and after a small snooze on the sun lounger it was time to head off back home. The 340 mile return trip was quite daunting after a long day but with my wife snoozing in the passenger seat and the dog curled up in his dog bed in the boot, the journey gave me time to think about what an amazing fun filled day we had. After a few days of being cooped up at home, this felt like a weeks holiday crammed into a day!