wet clothes hanging all over the house, dogs muddy paw prints decorating floorboards and carpets and a permeating damp smell seeping through the walls.
The first things I made sure we purchased on arrival in the UK were umbrellas. One for each member of the family and a couple of spares hanging in the closet. It’s a policy of mine to carry one in my bag at all times as I find blue skies can quickly cloud over and rain falls at the drop of a hat. With equal lack of warning, the downpour, which is more often than not just a light shower, vanishes and blue skies protrude once again.
Of course, the sun is not out as often as I’d like but having such low expectations of the weather has me pleasantly surprised. The sun does pop out every now and again and I’ve learned that when the sun makes its royal appearance, you need to take advantage of it.
A raincoat for my dog was another necessary item, something she would have shrugged off in South Africa. She now bounces gleefully around the kitchen in it, knowing she’s off for a walk. I would definitely not have walked her in the rain in SA!
It is quite interesting and true that the weather is a favourite topic among the British. How they discuss it is even more interesting. They’re generally a very polite nation and a very polite discussion about the weather is often heard.
This of course, is my experience in Hampshire. I really can’t speak for the rest of England. I’m told that Hampshire has a really nice climate and possibly the mildest.
Winter was a different story though, the worst in 30 years apparently, with a couple of areas here having the heaviest snowfall in England. Coming home from work one evening after hearing the news report of the impending weather, I not-so-cleverly parked beneath some trees, hoping for some protection, only to find the following morning that they had gracefully folded themselves over the car. The car, as so many others did, stood there enfolded, for three days.
