Having tackled an English summer head-on last year (and lost – comprehensively) we’re not taking any chances this time.  We cancelled our ‘Music for a Summer’s Evening’ because of a weather forecast promising rain of biblical proportions but THIS time we simply CAN’T cancel (quite apart from anything else, we have at least TWO Mayors turning up, not to mention people coming from all over the country).  So – we have to presume it’s going to chuck it down, and prepare ourselves accordingly.  This means that we’re scouring the county for gazebos, on account of it costing an arm and a flaming leg to hire a marquee – and we already look like being out of pocket.

Muncaster Castle is lending us about a dozen, the local builder has two and we think we may be able to lay hands on a couple more.  Muncaster’s can be zipped together to make a reasonably large covered area, in which we intend to hold the Thanksgiving Service and the cake-cutting ceremony.  We also plan to put most of our goods for sale out there, along with the strawberries and champagne fizzy plonk.

All we need now is a forecast for gale force winds.

I’m keeping an overnight bag packed and ready in my car, just in case I feel the overwhelming urge to emigrate … on August 21st or thereabouts.