Nothing beats a good old-fashioned domestic getaway – or, to give it its trendy new trans-Atlantic term, ‘staycation’. While there’s something to be said about getting away from it all and spending a good week or two roasting away on some Spanish beach, there really is nothing like drilling right into the core of what it means to live in the UK; that is, there’s nothing like a trip to really explore the best that our underrated landscapes have to offer.
And within our great sceptred isles, there’s one standout option: the Yorkshire day out. Such days are chock-full of small moments worth keeping, from the wet majesty of a windswept coastal walk to the simple joy of a Pennine picnic. It’s my view that the real reason such holidays are underrated is that they’re not preserved the same way as big-budget international holidays are. So how can you preserve those memories properly?
- Build a Story Around the Day, Not Just the Photos
First, let’s touch on one of the more philosophical aspects to preserving memories of a beautiful family day out. Too often, we rely entirely on photos to tell the story for us – but those photos often only speak of staged smiles and arranged moments. What is there to remind you of the chaotic train trip you took, or the brief catch-up you had with a friend you didn’t expect to see?
Preserve the full feeling of your Yorkshire day out by keeping everything that speaks to where you went, who you were with, what you ate, how the weather was; small details that might otherwise be forgotten. You can do this by creating a scrapbook for physical keepsakes that include tickets to attractions or landmarks, leaflets you picked up, postcards, pressed flowers, and even receipts from restaurants or tickets for public transport.
- Turn Favourite Photos Into Something You Can See Every Day
Of course, this doesn’t mean photos have no place in preserving your Yorkshire getaway memories. In fact, they’re still a central aspect! They’re just fleshed out by physical reminders that keep your holiday memories three-dimensional. Speaking of which – the main mistake made by holiday-goers is a failure to translate digital memories into physical ones.
It’s so, so easy to take a picture on your phone. And it’s similarly easy to render it a real-life object; we often just fall short. By using an online photo printing service, you can turn your favourite snaps from a walk in the Dales into polished prints for a gallery wall or a photo book – and without having to visit a conventional photo printer or sort out your photos in advance.
- Create Seasonal Traditions You Can Add to Each Year
Perhaps the best way to preserve a memory is to relive it, though. By doing your favourite Yorkshire activities again year on year, and documenting them as above, you can build a longer story about you and yours – and build on the best bits of your year every year in the process.
Whether you simply go to the same Yorkshire attraction, or whether you expand your horizons and make each year an opportunity to see more of God’s own country, is entirely up to you. All that matters is you do it with love in your heart, with a camera in your hand and with a commitment to enjoying that moment as well as you can.
