OPINION: Coping with the unprecedented wet weather

In 17 years of running the Parkers Arms, we have never had weather quite like it.

As a remote rural pub, we are subjected to season trading. Low season (cold long dark winter) and well... high season (partly sunnier, definitely longer lighter days of spring and unpredictable British summer).

Although British summers are not exactly always ideal, at least we get a semblance of summer, and weather above 15°C from May to September. Not so far this year and the incessant rain is just downright depressing.

Hoping for better weather​

Our buoyant summer trade is yet to get into full flow. Usually, at this time of year, the lawn and benches are dry and maintained, the parasols up and the beer garden is sprawling with guests. Having to contend with the media going on about the cost of living, depressing events in the Middle East and now a July election (everything that slows trade), we were hoping for some better weather to bring some brightness and positivity.

Alas no, the pounding rain means we still have no elderflower available to harvest in the gardens, which, by now, is bottled in cordials or packed with sugar for use during the following months. No bramble buds showing, no flourish of herbs in our herb patch and it’s not dry enough to perform annual maintenance tasks to ready us for summer trading and long cold winters.

We hospitality folk can usually take on the many challenges thrown at us and adapt well but taking on the weather is not an easy task.

Summertime for us is great. Whenever there is negativity, doom and gloom, we can be confident that as soon as the sun peeks out, our little beer drinkers and happy makers will come out to play. This year, so far, we have had no more than 10 dry, sunny days since May.

The more we long for it​

We long for the times spent moaning about needing more legs to run drinks back and forth to our vast beer garden and mopping away sweaty brows under heaving trays of food being ferried to outside diners.

The longer ‘summer’ takes to arrive, the more we long for it.

Hurry up sunshine and dry weather, we need drinking and dining guests to enjoy our gorgeous outdoors and fatten our tills for the long dark winter – a must for a healthy winter season.

On that note, I’ll sign off in the hope that June will bring great trading for the Euros for boozing pubs and 4 July will mean the end of a horrid political era. Here’s to a Government that might help the sun shine on hospitality.