Summer's over

That's it. Summer's over!

It is slightly ironic that the moment the hosepipe ban started in south east England, it started raining and hasn't stopped. Having been walking round in summer tee shirts and cotton trousers, I have now gone back to leggings, sweaters, long socks and boots. I even considered laying a fire again the other day as it was so chilly.

The weather is up the swanny everywhere, of course. In the north of England, after a week of temperatures in the twenties, last week they had twelve inches of snow. In Crete, where our apartment is, it has been unseasonably warm for the time of year with temperatures in the thirties.

The weather men tell us that we need it to rain all summer to make up for the lack of rainfall over the last two winters, and the reservoirs are indeed a pitiful sight. But despite the lack of rain it seems to have been a long, cold, grey winter and we all need some respite. I do hope that the sunshine we have had over the past week isn't the lot for the year; we have lots of time at home throughout July and August and it would be nice to use the barbeque and garden a little more than we have been able to for the last two years.

I am not growing any plants this year, bar a few for flowering pots on the patio which can be watered with a can. I wouldn't put it past any of my chavvy neighbours to dob me in to the water board for using my hosepipe to get some sort of 'supergrass' award, even though most of them seem petrified of getting involved with any sort of authority and certainly not the police. But I'm sure none of them would be averse to making a quick, anonymous quid if the chance presented itself.

I'm sure that the time will come when we all get water meters, and we will have to radically change our ways when it does. Until then, I am going to keep hoping for sun as it makes me feel better and the world look brighter. And if we run out of water, I'll drink wine; it's the least I can do!