As ‘Sunny Afternoon’ – the 1966 hit by The Kinks – reminds us, we are a nation indisputably obsessed with the climate. The first sign of sun is quite literally a ray of hope for those of us who have spent months nursing hot water bottles beneath layers of thick clothing and blankets. But how can you make the most of your sunny afternoons?

Go outside

Just because you can’t sail your yacht (what with the taxman having taken all you’ve got – excuse the Kinks reference!), it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the weather by going outside. Take a trip to a nearby river and spend a day enjoying the fresh air.

Pack a picnic and a good book to help you while the hours away in splendid isolation. A portable music player and some speakers can also give the event a great summer feel – just make sure your music taste doesn’t disturb others who might be trying to enjoy the peace and quiet of the great outdoors.

For those who don’t fancy the exertion of taking a trip away from home, enjoying the outside can easily be done from the comfort of your own garden. Of course, it might be worth getting your flymo lawnmower out of the shed and giving the grass a quick once-over before you begin lazing about.

Host a BBQ
If you are determined to enjoy the outside from the comfort of your own home, then take some more advice from The Kinks and prepare to sit in the sun, sipping on an ice cold beer. Nothing screams summer more than a fully functioning barbecue – this quintessentially British hobby is the perfect way to embrace the warmer weather.

If you are planning to invite friends and family over, make sure you have enough seating to go around and stock up on all the goodies you’ll be expected to provide – burgers, salads, sun umbrellas and lots of ice.

You should also look to keep all of your drinks chilled by placing them in your fridge or a cool box. But if you’re really struggling for space alongside all those groceries, a rudimentary cool-box can even be created by filling a bucket with ice and storing it in a shaded area of the garden. Who would have thought it?