Summer sales don't have to be rained off

You may not have heard of Ewan McCallum but plenty of people are cursing him at the moment.

He's the top banana at the Met Office — the bloke who reckoned that after two dismal washout summers this one would be a scorcher.

With all the computer wizardry and weather forecasting experts at their disposal, you could be forgiven for thinking they'd get it right for once. Instead, July turned into a deluge, with hail added to wind and rain, and it's not supposed to get brighter until mid August.

Not great news if you've chosen to keep down the carbon footprint by holidaying in the UK in a tent that's now afloat on a sea of mud. And anyone with kids will tell you that it's a lot more expensive to keep them entertained when it's pouring down than simply letting them loose on a beach with bucket and spade.

I blame the Government. Well, why not? They're getting blamed for everything else so why not the weather, too? They, like all of us, could do with a bit of the feel-good factor that comes with some UV rays beating down from above.

That weather has a special impact on pubs and brewing is undeniable, of course. Sitting out in a beer garden when it's wazzing down is no picnic, but at least it puts the mockers on home BBQing and gets them into the pub rather than staying at home.

On the other hand, nothing quite slakes a thirst after five hours of hot, hard work weeding the allotment than a few refreshing pints at the Fork & Spade.

Pubs in tourist areas such as the Lake District or New Forest can benefit when it pours down, as long as the visitors come to the area in the first place. Shelter and a few pints. And if it's bad out there, welcome them in.

Our brewery tours at Jennings, Ringwood, Wychwood, and Marston's have all seen big increases in visitor numbers, because we're marketing them better to tourists as well as beer buffs. They go away with some understanding of beer, maybe a T-shirt or two and some bottles for the tent, caravan or B&B.

Every rain cloud has a silver lining if you can just turn your mind to it. So, licensees, rise to the challenge. Put down sand, put up deckchairs, parasols and turn on the floodlights inside the pub. Bikinis optional!