Luke Marsden: Brits still love their holidays

The weather has truly turned autumnal, people I know are beginning to suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and the dizzy heights of sipping on Aperol Spritz in the sunshine seems like a very distant memory.

The girlfriend and I have recently returned from a few days away in Malaga, where the sun was certainly still shining and the Aperol Spritz still flowing.

Despite being just two hours away, it felt a million miles away from the doom and gloom consuming the UK.

I overheard many a Brit by the pool discussing what tapas restaurant they intended to go to for tea, what drinks was next on their list and if they should brave jumping into the pool or not.

It was refreshing to only listen to mundane holiday talk rather than the cost-of-living crisis, the failures of the government or the surging price of food.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m acutely aware that we Brits are facing one of the harshest winters in memory and despite the government £400 breadcrumbs of an energy rebate, most working people really will feel the pinch.

The point I’m making is, for those few days away, whether it was discussing how too warm it was or jumping to the next book on my Kindle, I tried not to think about what’s happening back home.

On our doorstep in Wigan, the Galleries exist, in pretty much name only, it’s boarded up ready for demolition and Wigan Council’s new grand plan to start taking shape.

I remain resolute in my thinking that most Wiganers do not want what has been placed on offer by the council.

The last thing we need is a bowling alley and cinema people can’t afford to use.

I know the solution isn’t jetting off to the Spanish coast and I’m lucky I managed to get some respite, but if one thing remains clear to me, Brits still love their holidays and we still really need them, now possibly more than ever.

It’s just a shame the pounds verses the euro is more of a massacre than a clean fight.