As the rain lashes against the window it is a bit hard to remember the heat and the drought.

(Well, heat and drought by English standards, you understand.)

Anyway, in Deepest Sussex there was no rain and a shed load of sun between mid June and much of August.

The dog was hot, the grass was yellow…..

 

In July, I was working at The Garden Show at Loosely Park near Guildford. 

The day before we opened was one of those days when it was so hot and humid, you felt like you were walking through treacle.

My friend and I were putting up bunting and I have never, ever taken so long to put some flags on a string around a tent…..

(But before I go on, I need to dash out into the rain and right a fallen pot of verbena.)

Being the Health and Safety person, I had told everyone to drink plenty of water and I set an example. I drank lots.

My best beloved suggested we went to a pub for supper that night and I thought that was a much better idea than me cooking.

But by the time I got home, I had a raging headache and despite several pints of water, I still couldn’t face food.

(Excuse me a moment whilst I shut some windows as the rain is soaking the windowsills.)

Next day was opening day, and I learned from the medics that actually water is not enough in circumstances like that, you need a banana, some pure orange juice and a biscuit – ah well.

It was still hot and the punters were slow to arrive but they came and the show came to life.

All was well. No H&S incidents, a bit of litter picking, being in the car park trying to persuade people with blue badge disabled parking stickers that actually you can park within three metres of the next car without making it impossible for you and your extended family to get out…..

At about 3.30 there was a rumble of thunder.

Then there was a louder rumble of thunder.

Then there was a fantastic bolt of lightening which struck Loosely House and big, fat juicy drops of rain began to fall.

People cheered – yes indeed.

Then the fire engines appeared to deal with the alarms set off by the house being struck by lightening.

( Excuse me again whilst I just nip downstairs and put the heating on for a little while.)

We advised all the stall holders to move their stuff up onto tables because the ground was so dry and we were on a bit of a slope, and if it really rained then the water would not soak in as much as wash straight down the hill.

Everyone was smiling and everyone seemed to be delighted that it was, at last raining. 

The next day I had to go to a family thing so couldn’t be there.

It rained and rained and I am pretty sure that the delight at those big fat drops turned into  wet misery.

Meanwhile, we were staying in a nice pub with rooms near Newbury.

And because, for the first time in ages, it was raining, we had a big umbrella with us.

Which was useful because we needed to measure a bed.

We have been discussing the need for a new bed and mattress for some time. That is, about two years….

Every bed we sleep on that isn’t ours, feels like the princess’s without the pea.

The one in the pub with rooms, was lovely and the right size and the right feel of mattress. (cue Golidlocks….)

Anyway, we had no tape measure with us so we used the umbrella. 

It turns out that a super king sized bed is two umbrellas and half the handle wide and two umbrellas plus a bit of the stick bit long.

One on order very soon.