By community correspondent Kajal Randeva

For those of you affected by the recent aerospace situation, thanks to Iceland’s volcano, may have had your holidays cancelled. Some of you may be distraught over the loss of your sunny, beach holidays. However with all the fuss over the volcano, disrupted travel and the elections has anyone noticed the weather and considered its significance? Normally an obsession with the British the current warm, sunny days seem to have been all but ignored.

The temperatures have increased, the shivering had decreased and my summer pyjamas are out of the wardrobe. As a school pupil, I have noticed the dramatic temperature increase: the jumpers have come off, the radiators off and the windows open. Finally, our LONG winter is over. It has given way to perfect sunny, dry weather.

I have returned to school after my Easter holidays to hear about teachers and children still stuck abroad. And it may be days yet before we return to normality. We are approaching exam season and this disruption is causing additional stress on students, teachers and examination bodies. One of my friends and her family spent their first holiday in the UK this Easter. They spent a week in the Lake District. This is a family typical of some who think any holiday must involve an overseas flight. They were wary about holidaying in the UK. But on their return could not fathom out why they always go abroad. All 3 children spent time with their grandparents, who accompanied the family. They enjoyed the beautiful sights of the Lake District while spending quality time with their parents and grandparents. They enjoyed lakes, hills, waterfalls and sunny weather.

The UK has so much to offer and yet we fail to appreciate what is on our doorstep. It is time to stop worrying about overseas trips and time to start planning the next holiday – in the UK. The May bank holiday is not that far off and with some good weather, which we have, a trip to sunny Bournemouth or spectacular Wales. This year is predicted to be a long, warm summer. Do we really need to take a flight to enjoy a summer holiday? I, for one, intend to discover the UK this year.