Funny how a couple of weeks of sunshine makes a difference in so many little ways. For example, walking through my home town in the last few days I’ve noticed in how people dress.
Usually, sunny days are so unexpected and untrustworthy. My feeling is it’s just not worth buying or making summer clothes when you live in the UK. I usually get by with my one summer (ish) dress or only pair of white trousers, a T shirt or top from a bottom drawer that’s not too shrunken or trashed from having been worn on a beach several years ago. As soon as the clouds appear it’s back to the usual.
But when this recent hot weather looked liked lasting and jeans & jumpers were off the agenda I realised I needed (gasp) a very thin cotton dress. And I guess it’s catching, because people seem to be walking around in genuinely summer clothes. Let’s hope we get to wear them again next year, and the next.
Anyway, sorry for the rather lightweight blog post, it’s just an excuse to post some pics of our little sojourn to Somerset the week before last – we stayed part of the time at the Lord Poulett Arms in Hinton St George, where the food and the garden were lovely, the village quiet and picturesque, but the bedroom was sweltering (not helped by being in a rather small double bed!) But of course I’m not complaining about the weather!
But hang on a minute – i knew there was a poetry connection to report – as I was leafing idly through the coffee-table books in the room at The Lord Poulett Arms, I bypassed the one about Dita Von Teese (bit of a burlesque theme at the pub, a tad odd I thought) but enjoyed another featuring photographs of British people who had upped and moved to France. Only when I got to the end did I spot a familiar face – none other than Antony Mair, my poet friend, fellow Brighton Stanza member and blogger of Hastings life! And then I discovered he’d also written the preface. It’s a small world, alright.
What a timely post! I’m sitting in my summer dress, watching the rain pelting against the window, trying to remember if that heatwave really happened or was a trick of my imagination. We’re off to France at the weekend (Brittany, so similar weather to southern England) and I’ll be looking out for some writerly connections…. Stunning photographs, by the way.
I know exactly how you are about the ‘summer clothes!’ Spare a thought for the leather sandals that have served so well for years but are crying out to be retrieved from the bottom of a suitcase in the box room!