Gloomy outlook was a lot more fun
Reporter: Kati Coogan - What Kati Did Next
Date published: 15 September 2009
Is that it then — is that the summer done with?
I suppose if we were really going to examine the facts then we probably had more sunny days than last year but lets be honest, it wasn’t great was it?
I still feel like I have woken up most days with a sigh as I open the curtains to a grey sky and more often than not a very wet day.
This year, however, I feel I have adapted quite well to our “summer” weather.
Unlike most other years when I have wished for long hot balmy days, this year I have lowered my expectations of the Great British summer and have packed the waterproofs and wellies daily.
This way I have found that any small amount of sun has just added to the day rather than making the day —therefore, it has seemed a lot more sunny and I have to admit, a lot more fun.
We have packed a picnic but with the full intention of eating it in the car and most days haven’t. We have had to pack away our waterproofs rather than unpack and there has been a fair amount of ice-cream consumed.
We have a child so enthusiastic about trains I am considering buying one and transporting it to our garden.
We have had many wonderful days out on the East Lancashire steam trains. You can do that in any weather.
On a sunny day, you can get off at all the stops, have a walk, a pot of tea or ice-lolly and on a rainy day you can count all the animals you see in the fields from the comfort of a wonderfully romantic train run by the most loyal volunteers.
It may be a little bit on the expensive side but by golly its worth it to keep something so wonderfully exciting alive.
I have surpassed myself in “inventive, all-weather” days out.
We have been to farms and castles, on walks and in playgrounds and we have carried our waterproofs with us at all times and in fairness have very rarely used them.
Thank goodness though that the toddler groups have all started up again.
A whole winter of “inventive, all-weather” days out would send me quite mad.
The weather probably won’t be that much different though will it?
