These spotty boots, sporting blue toe caps with just a hint of glitter, and a cheeky orange trim, just shout FUN to me! And I’m off to London today to catch up with some dear friends, one of whom I haven’t seen in person since before the outbreak of the covid pandemic. So I am in the mood to enjoy myself! The boots are not conducive to tramping round the streets of the capital, so I’m teaming them with some comfy Campers, with a co-ordinating orange stripe to continue the theme.

A commitment I made to myself this year was ‘to spend more time in the fun barn’. For those of you I haven’t already talked to about this, it represents for me a symbol of freedom, playfulness and sheer fun. During lockdown, my daughter kept asking ‘when the germs are gone, can we go back to the fun barn?’ (a soft play centre on the site of a local farm) and I realised it had come to signify exactly those things for her, even though we’d only visited it a handful of times.

Wanting to incorporate more lightheartedness and downtime in my own life, I adopted it for myself too. I have it written on a bright coloured post it note stuck up behind my computer. Given the year we’ve all had, I haven’t spent as much time in the fun barn as I might have liked to. However, this commitment has been a good reminder and I believe it has made a difference. For instance, I was on the verge of deferring this shoe series again this year, claiming to myself that I was ‘too busy’. Then I saw the post-it note, reminded myself how much pleasure I get from it – and started looking at shoes! Hope you enjoy today’s pair(s).