I recently had a week's annual leave and it was a welcome break to find time for myself and recharge my batteries. I spent the week meeting up with people I hadn’t seen in a while and going to new places. Sometimes it feels life can be stuck in a rut doing the same things on repeat and its really good to try new things, go to new places and spend time with people.
I enjoyed having morning coffees at the excellent Bems Coffee shop in St John’s with my Radio Woking colleague Luke, after we had done breakfast shows together. It was nice to chat to Luke and hear his plans for the future. Then I realised that Luke is 17, the same age I was when I started radio in 1999. That made me feel old!
Looking online for places to go and things to do I found there is a chair museum in High Wycombe, a short drive (depending on traffic) along the M25 and M40. There are also Hell Fire Caves there too which I am yet to explore.
Often, we forget what is right on our doorstep. My girlfriend Emma has been asking me about the Lightbox in Woking. I drive past it all the time, but I admit it’s somewhere I rarely visit. I had a look on their website and read about their Drawing for Adults session running on Friday (6 September). As written previously in my column, art was never my thing, or so I thought until I went to a work team building day and enjoyed it. Drawing can help to reduce stress and it's not about what you create, it's the journey getting there and if that helps you focus and chill out then we can draw positives from that. The session on 6 September is from 10.30am to 12.30pm and costs £12.50 (free for Lightbox members) with all materials provided and guidance from resident artist Mariane Frost. You can find out more and book at www.thelightbox.org
This week, for my radio shows I would love to hear your tips and ideas on what you do to de-stress and unwind. Send me a voice note via www.speakpipe.com/sunnysessionsradio.
Listen to the Sunny Sessions, the inclusive radio show from The Sunnybank Trust on Surrey Hills Community Radio every Monday and Thursday from 10am and each first Monday of the month at 9pm. Listen online www.surreyhillsradio.co.uk or ask your smart speaker to play Surrey Hills Community Radio. You can listen back on demand anytime at www.sunnybanktrust.org/sunny-sessions
You will also find me separately on Radio Woking every Wednesday from 7-9am and Sunday from 9am until noon.
If you want to tell your story and be on one of my shows then I would love to hear from you. My email address is [email protected] .