Sun, sun cream and aftersun were all out. Brits across the country were radiating excitement and sunburns. But it was not to last.
Now that we’re heading back to normal April temperatures, we’ve got another month or so before we’ll be needing Factor 50 again.
But why complain? Our climate has so many things others don’t, and I don’t just mean the sixty million litres of additional water. I’m talking seasonal variety. Yes, we lust after tropical sun – but would we want it 365 days a year as it is in some countries? Would you appreciate it every day as much as you appreciated the British sun last week?
The other issue with year-round heat would be Christmas, which for me means warming cold-weather food, knitted jumpers, fluffy blankets and the joyous expectation of snow, even if the first snowflake doesn’t turn up till Easter.
But losing winter in general would be a loss. We’d miss hot chocolate and soft jumpers and wonky snowmen. And if not ice-skating or skiing, a bit of hibernation in winter can be a joy and often a necessity in our frantic lives.
I don’t mean winter is better than summer, of course – they both have ups and downs. The great thing is, Britain always gets a bit of both, even if it’s sometimes out of order or in no order at all.
So let’s appreciate the variety of weather, one of Britain’s most underrated attributes. Especially compared to somewhere like Doha in Qatar, where, and the temperature is 41°C at the hottest time of an average day in July, and almost never lower than 26°C at any time of day from May through to September. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Well, yes – except for the having to spend the best part of summer lurking indoors in the air conditioning. Whereas when the British summer eventually turns up, most of us will be frolicking or picnicking or sunbathing.
So although we love a moan, the variety and moderation of our climate really do give it something worth having.
Samantha Perren, Rosebery School
