Summer Holiday Checklist

Apparently, we derive 30% of our pleasure from a holiday in the planning of it. Never people to argue with *science*, at SPOKE, we take our kitbag choices very seriously.
So, after much thought, here’s what we’re taking to the beach in 2017. Links in the titles …
1. SPOKE shorts
There comes a time in any man’s summer when he has to take a deep breath and get his legs out. That time is now. These Mint Shorts pack all the goodness of our Chinos into a fresh and streamlined summer package.
2. Ally Capellino Waxed Canvas Tote
You’ll need something to carry your clobber in — and it’s a minefield. If you are looking for a bag, not a man-bag - and they are hard to tell apart. This Italian beach tote bag is cut in a reassuringly masculine navy, trimmed with bridle-leather handles and a durable waxed-canvas finish. Job done.
3. Ticking Stripes Art Deco Green Hammamas Towel
This 100% cotton Turkish hammamas towel is wonderfully soft, and so beautifully designed that you may just decide to pin it on the wall.
4. J Crew Panama Hat
The Man from Delmonte — surely the ultimate arbiter of good taste — proved the power of a great Panama, beyond any reasonable doubt. J Crew make a fine traditional one, from natural toquilla straw. Fun fact — toquilla is a small tree, a little like a palm. It’s sometimes known as the Panama hat plant. So this is the real deal.
5. To Be A Machine by Mark O’Connell
Our non-fiction pick: We hear too much about the coming robot apocalypse — so here’s a lighter take on the world of machine intelligence. O’Connell, a gonzo-style journalist, has sought out the wackier adherents of a movement known as “Transhumanism” — the belief that we can use technology to extend the mental and physical capacities of individuals. Like Robocop.
6. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy
Our fiction pick: It took Roy twenty years to come up with this follow-up to her Booker-winning debut The God of Small Things. Thankfully, her sophomore effort is worth the wait.
7. Rivieras leisure shoes
Change up from those battered deck shoes, to something a little more continental. These deep blue Rivieras are perhaps the perfect pool-side slip on.
8. Aesop Protective Body Lotion
It protects you for up to 80 minutes even in the water, it’s rich in skin-nourishing Vitamin E, and most crucially of all, it doesn’t smell of coconut. What more do you want from a sun screen?
9. Orlebar Brown Swim Shorts
OB make the ultimate Swim Shorts. That’s to say, no baggy bermudas or embarrassingly scrotal speedos — just sharp shorts you can swim in. Yes we know they’re expensive — but how many do you need? You’ll notice the difference. Take the plunge.
10. Big Wave Golden Ale
This hoppy, light-bodied, thirst-quenching golden ale has been conceived, brewed and (crucially) branded for the beach. What’s not to love? Surf’s up.

