Well, here we are in the midst of dark, damp and depressing February, looking forward to summer but perhaps without a spring in our step. It’s the perfect time to take a break from routine and have a really good look around our beautiful town. Here are my top twelve winter soul uplifters. It could be a quick afternoon fix, or a whole day out with children and sandwiches.

Go fly a kite on West Hill. It doesn’t have to be a fancy kite, a cheap children’s one will do. But get out there, see the views, run down the slopes and up again, and remember the first time you saw a kite flying and longed for your own. If your taste is slightly Mary Poppins do sing out loud… if not, remember to smile nicely at me as I’m singing my heart out.

Walk along the seafront from Hastings to St Leonards, or further, run down the tunnel made of a million glass bottles, count the glass, stop and watch the sea awhile. If you’re really brave take some roller skates, or the kids’ bikes and have a race.

Go for a lovely coffee or hot chocolate in your favourite café, on your own, with your favourite book or newspapers. Enjoy the silence, a slice of cake and sit back and ponder the world. There are so many gorgeous cafés to choose from in our town, why not try one a week until you settle on your favourite.

Go to Alexandra Park and walk around the wild
bit. Or join in an Active Hastings session  www.activehastings.org.uk - walk ‘n tone on a Sunday morning for ladies, or football for men. Watch the birds and squirrels, even take your notebook and sit on a bench, writing your ‘fun things to do’ list or, ok, your real ‘to do’ list!

Go for a nature walk on the East Hill, stop and breathe the fresh air, notice the sound of the birds singing and look out for the signs of spring. Take some photographs of the old trees with their uneven branches, try to find a climbing tree, hunt for fresh spring flowers.

Take a walk through the Old Town, down All Saints Street, and up the twittens. Have your camera with you, and stop and look through the viewfinder from time to time, this can help you to really see the details in the architecture. Maybe stop for a refreshing half in a cosy Old Town pub.

Get up early and head down to the beach for some serious combing. Hunt for driftwood in unusual shapes, lovely coloured smooth pebbles, pretty shells, and treasure. Take time to sit and watch the fishermen come in with their catch, and the sea gulls swarming and just breathe deeply the smell of the sea.

Wrap up warmly, pick up your favourite book, (why not try Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Cansfield, Froth on your Cappuccino by Maeve Haran or a feel-good Jane Austen novel) and spend an hour reading in the Peace Garden in Alexandra Park.

Schedule two hours out of life for book browsing. Head to the second hand bookshops, or to your favourite bookshop and just read, go to the sections you normally would not enter - try gardening, health or non-fiction. Get inspired to undertake that new project, whether home improvement, craft or writing.

Go out on to the Pier. A tricky one this, as the subject of the Pier is close to all Hastonian hearts, but go along as far as you can, look to sea, and enjoy the walk. Come back revitalised and find out the latest from www.friendsofhastingspier.com