Little Cherry Says…Learn To Dance in the Rain!
That said, for all our practice suffering through summers in the rain, we still fail to plan for a change in the weather. So, by way of coming up with a contingency plan, here’s Little Cherry’s tips for learning to dance in the rain and enjoy summer outside, whatever the weatherman throws at us!
BYOB (Bring Your Own Brolly)
A slight twist on the classic Bring Your Own Bottle acronym, BYOB for a summer garden party means everyone brings their own brolly.
It might be that you share them out equally should the heavens open, for example, if one solo guest shows up with a giant golfing umbrella and a family of four could only find Mum’s travel brolly to huddle under, people can share the waterproof love.
If skies are looking particularly grey, encourage guests to bring their own wellies and rain macs too. Of course, if there is a little more rain than is manageable, you may have to lay down your brollies and admit defeat as you shuffle indoors – but at least you would have given it a jolly good go!
Practical Party Decorations
Pretty paper pom poms may be perfect for a garden party, and there may well be a wonderful ambience created by paper candle bags on a summer’s night. However, such materials simply are not practical if you’re expecting drizzle and draughts, even intermittently.
Instead, if you must, choose biodegradable balloons which will prove to be more water and weather resistant (and will biodegrade if they are blown away in an unexpectedly violent gust), and use glass candle jars for tea lights as they will prove far sturdier than paper lanterns and candle bags.
Travel-Friendly Tableware
Palm leaf plates and bowls are light to carry, and if you keep the food practical and the utensils to a minimum (i.e. pick finger foods, hand-friendly hamburgers, and antipasti or mezze bites that only require a spork and plate per person), they are ideal for changeable British summer weather.
You see, the one-plate-one-spork policy means that when the first few droplets turn into a hurricane force storm, everyone can grab their plates and make a run for it. Alternatively, you can play it smart and opt for our picnic hampers which contain everything you need for al fresco dining; and in the event of an unexpected downpour, you can pile everything in the hamper for an easy-carry escape!
Make Ducking For Cover Easy
Last but not least, plan and prepare your day in such a way that you make ducking for cover easy, should the need arise. You can either set up near an entrance to inside, which will usually mean you end up on the decking or patio anyway – perhaps you have a gazebo or conservatory you could factor in for extra shelter?
Alternatively, if you end up at the far end of the garden, ensure your route back to the house is a clear one. A clear path means no garden furniture, no cumbersome pots and no other random garden items lying in the way of what will, potentially, be your guests’ only route of escape.
Now these few tips are just some quick suggestions as to how you can make the unpredictable British summer a less stressful and less uncertain time. Of course, no matter how fool proof your contingency plan is, the easiest way to make sure the weather doesn’t spoil your fun this summer is to learn to dance in the rain. There really is nothing more British than serving soggy barbecue onto bamboo plates, as everyone laughs at their drowned-rat-like appearance and the irony of a British summer.