I like many others was fooled into thinking that Global Warming meant the UK was going to get warmer - and that my romantic notions of a summer spent in the UK was finally going to come true in all its romping through the meadows, picniking, ice-creamy, sand on feet, cup of tea, scones, ancient yawn monuments way. No chance - there has been so much rain that even I have had to let the children watch day-time tv.  (The watching of day time telly is my personal sign that things are at an all time low. In my opinion when daytime telly becomes a part of your life there is no where else to sink. It reminds me of unhappy days - 'being off ill' from school - watching crown court, the testcard and dreadful dreadful badly put together irrelevant tv - that said sad sad sad. I am convinced the more I watched the more ill i felt.)

I have tried wrapping the children up in binliners - and turning the rain into a fun adventure - we have even washed our hair in the downpour that visits us on a daily basis. The 'fun' is wearing a bit thin now. I just want to sit outside my back door - with a glass of wine and feel the sun on my face - rather than sheltering under the canopy we bought from costco which made promises of covering 10x10 feet - and that in reality provides a tiny square bang in the middle that the driving rain does not blow into. Mind you I have found nothing to stop the tidal flow across the paving slabs. Wellies or keeping your feet off the ground if you have been so foolish as to wear your summer flipflops is the only solution.

So now you are beginning to get a picture of my summer holiday. Sitting outside my back door fighting over who gets the dry square under the canopy, feet up sipping a warm cup of coffee watching the children cavort around in binliners. All of this is made worse by the frequent text messages I am recieving from dear dear friends around the world as they struggle through the day carressed by warm oceans and balmy breezes.

A hurricane on all their heads - is what i say.

p.s I am off to London tomorrow ( and then Cornwall) - the children are very pleased and have packed their waterproofs(bin liners), hats and gloves. I have packed our passports!

One more downpour - and I am out of here - on a plane. I wil join my oh so smug mates  - turn up with my four children and husband and our winter clothes and spend my time ruining their holidays by moaning about the heat -  and pinching their cotton clothes and sunscreen lotion.

Anyway - best go and pack - and then settle down to a romantic evening under the costco canopy. (First there gets the dry bit). I might treat myself tonight - a nice glass of hot mulled wine and some extra socks in my wellies.

Summer time and the living is a nightmare!