Ben Leo shares glimpse of his beautiful family as he opens up on perfect day: ‘They’re my everything’
I’m a real sun lover so my perfect day would be slowly waking up with light trickling its way through the bedroom window blinds and gradually nudging me awake.
No alarms going off, nowhere to rush to, no kids jumping all over my head – although of course I want them to be there! Just quietly opening my eyes and being able to bask in the morning.
Aside from not being accosted immediately when I wake up, I’d also know that the day was going to be a sunny one.
I don’t know about you, but everything about life is so much better when the sun is shining.
It doesn’t have to be hot necessarily – although I am a sucker for balmy temps – but the sunshine brings everything to life and everybody seems so much happier.
I guess it makes the challenges of life a little bit easier to deal with. I’m not particularly religious, but I do thank God when I feel the sun on my skin. It is life force after all.
After waking up on my perfect day, I’d make my way downstairs and get ready to go to the gym. I don’t train as much as I used to but I still try and keep ticking over – for the mental benefits as much as the physical.
I love the endorphins flooding my body after a workout and find it both meditative and almost crucial for keeping a clear mind.
I strongly believe physical activity, even a long walk, is one of the best remedies when you’re feeling low.
Once the hard work is done at the gym, I can focus my perfect day on doing things I love. And that means spending time with my children doing whatever they want to do.
My older boy loves tennis and Formula 1 and says he wants to be an F1 driver one day. I’d take him go-karting somewhere and we’d both jump in the karts for some racing action.
I haven’t told him yet that F1 drivers are a very select and unique set of human beings.
Not many people have the chance to become one – primarily because it costs so much money. I think I remember seeing a study somewhere showing it costs around a staggering £10million to get from bambino (ages five to eight) karting to Formula 1.
And that’s if you have the talent.
Anyway, no chance I’m ever going to pop his dreams. Anything is possible, after all. Especially in Britain – the home of Formula 1 and motor racing!
After we’ve had our fun on the track, my perfect day would see my family and I visit a beautiful British garden somewhere. We’re regulars at Wakehurst Place in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, and also Nymans near Crawley.
My two boys love the garden and my older one is fascinated with how plants and flowers grow.
Most mornings he’ll rush outside to the garden and give us a shouted update on how the tomato plants are doing. “It’s almost red mummy, it’s nearly ready!”
That reminds me. I must take them all to Kew! All of us are often found sticking our noses into a rose or lavender bush somewhere. There’s nothing better.
After exploring the beautiful gardens somewhere on my perfect day, we’d settle down for lunch. As it’s probably summer on my perfect day, I’d get stuck into a brilliant cheese ploughman’s complete with beautifully cut ham, apples, chutney and some crusty bread to top it off.
As the afternoon draws to a close and the evening sky peers its head over the horizon, I’d love to top my perfect day off by meeting my closest friends and family somewhere for some drinks.
Maybe a pub garden with a kid’s play area for the boys and the other little ones while we watch the sunset.
I’m not a massive boozer but my wife and I are fond of a G&T now and then, although serious drinkers tell me the fact I like pink gin and lemonade with frozen fruit makes me a bit of a southern fairy. Oh well. It tastes good!
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We’d get home and get ready for bed. The boys would have a bath, we’d kiss them good night and I’d once again thank my lucky stars that I have them. They are my everything.
My wife and I would settle down on the sofa, have a cuddle and I’d partially watch whatever reality show rubbish she has on the box while I catch up on the news on my phone.
So there we have it. My perfect day. Nothing extravagant, nothing too exciting.
Just nature, peace and family time in the country I love and safe in the feeling that we have each other, and all is well.