I’ve woken up on a mission. It’s still raining (as it has been every day all year).

But.

There are glimmers of sunshine, and glimpses of warmth, and as Dolly and I slog our way through endless mud, showers and puddles, I need something to make me feel there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Plus it’s Good Friday and I have the day off. The best thing about not having to go to work? Not setting the alarm. This morning I didn’t get up until 9am. Literally unheard of. After ten hours sleep it took me a while to feel like I hadn’t been hit over the head with a sledgehammer. Breakfast and a soggy dog walk later and I’ve got the afternoon free to SURF.

First up. Bikinis.

Mine are all ancient, faded and the elastic’s stopped working (or it hasn’t, and I’m dragging it down…Scratch that, the elastic’s stopped working). My go-to swimwear emporia are Beach2Bar (formerly Coco Bay) and Rip Curl. Beach2Bar always has a great range of designs and styles, and Ripcurl balances fashion with function which I like. As a dyed-in-the wool bikini wearer, who’s very small and fifty, I still manage to find bikinis that work for me on both sites.

Today was a Rip Curl day. I invested in a classic crop, the sort I can wear in the spa, and dive into a pool without worrying it’s going to come off. Then at the other end of the spectrum I loved this bralette bikini – although definitely a beach to bar only.

Neither bikini was as hideously expensive as some I’ve seen, although it was a pain matching tops with bottoms as they don’t pair them up on the Rip Curl site for reasons that escape me.

They should arrive in the next week or so, at which point I’ll try them on, then feel depressed that I don’t look like the models on the site, then remind myself I’m middle-aged now. Then remind myself that I never looked, or could ever look like that anyway. Nor could most women. In fact possibly no woman, if you factor in airbrushing etc.

Excellent. Confidence in body image restored pre-try on. Diet ongoing. Bikinis en route. Now all I need is some sun…