Long To Rain Over Us (From Daily Echo)

Long To Rain Over Us

4:39pm Saturday 26th May 2012 in Talking Shop with Paul Lewis By Paul Lewis

I know I should be pleased to see the sun after such a wet miserable Spring but the truth is shop sales are much better in rainy weather. In fact we had our best week this year in the days after Spring Bank Holiday.

I try not to feel guilty when I check my weather forecast app and am pleased to see little raindrops. Showers are the best because people are tempted to go into town and then rush into the shop when the heavens open. Or else they stay at home and do some shopping online.

In good weather, people are sitting in the garden, using their National Trust card or eating al fresco. Anything that doesn’t involve being indoors. I felt the same contrary resentment of summer when I worked in theatre and saw audiences plummet as the clocks went forward. Some things don’t change.

At least the Diamond Jubilee is coming up fast and history teaches us it always rains when the Queen is celebrating something. Winchester is now festooned with bunting and our Jubilee china mugs are selling faster than you can say, “God Save The Queen.” It does seem that the economists who are predicting that the Jubilee will save Britain’s retailing could be right- at least for a few more months. If only we could have the wettest summer on record as well.

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