Page 14 | To feel so sorry for anyone on a British holiday right now

itsaugust · 2021-08-09T07:17:23+00:00

It’s been raining for about a week where I live. I’ve just woken up to yet more heavy rain this morning. It must be utterly miserable for anyone holidaying in the UK right now. You have my sympathies! Hope you’re managing to have a decent time despite the grim weather.

Jux · 09/08/2021 12:33

This is the sort of weather we so often got when we were camping. It can be really fun, but it depends on who you're with. If you're with someone light-hearted you'll end up dancing in the rain, but if you're not then it can get really miserable. When camping with dh, the tent is packed on the second rainy day.....

Whatafustercluck · 09/08/2021 12:34

There are some fabulous hotels in the UK but on MN it feels like it's either a caravan or a tent

Having spent a night in a 'family' room in a hotel last year, I can honestly say I have absolutely no desire to do it again. So the alternative is two separate rooms and splitting us all up, at twice the price. Plus, this year is totally different to any other year as many are forced to do holidays they wouldn't otherwise consider due to price hikes as uk travel companies try to recoup lost revenue due to Covid. There is also considerably less availability of accommodation this year, and whatever you can find is horrendously expensive. Camping is, for many families, the only viable option this year.

uktrippin · 09/08/2021 12:38

That's true @Whatafustercluck if they've left it late. And it's certainly busier this year.

I booked early so didn't pay over the odds and still had my pick of decent hotels at the time.

Luckily for much of the UK the weather hasn't been "grim" the past few weeks, so many people have managed a decent holiday. I'd be reluctant to book a camping holiday I must admit, especially in advance!

LunaLula83 · 09/08/2021 12:41

And some have had floods and fires. Boo boo Britain

lynsey91 · 09/08/2021 12:45

@uktrippin

Why does everyone assume uk holidays are all about camping and cottages and caravans too?

There are some fabulous hotels in the UK but on MN it feels like it's either a caravan or a tent.

Me and DH stayed in a lovely hotel earlier this year. It was pretty expensive but we still had to suffer selfish people coming back and talking really loudly late at night (1pm or later).

I don't really like staying in hotels. I am a light sleeper and literally always have a problem with noise from other guests - loud talking or shouting, slamming doors etc. I often wear earplugs but find them so uncomfortable.

I also don't like not being able to cook or at least make breakfast or a snack. Never stayed in a hotel that had a comfy sofa to sit on to watch tv. It's either an uncomfortable chair or the bed. Absolutely hate watching the tv while sitting in or on the bed.

Terhou · 09/08/2021 12:47

We always factor in the likelihood of rain when making plans for holidays in the UK, and have never had a bad holiday. Some of my fondest memories are of the holiday we had in Cornwall when it was suffering the effects of the tail end of a major hurricane.

Whatafustercluck · 09/08/2021 12:47

@uktrippin we booked in July last year - but for France this year. Decided back in March to postpone France and holiday here due to ongoing Covid uncertainty. Accommodation was already very limited and overpriced.

Neverrains · 09/08/2021 12:47

Hotels are quite tough with young kids. We have 3 young children including a toddler so if we’re in one room we usually have to go to bed early as they can’t handle late nights. Having multiple rooms is expensive. We usually try for a lodge/cottage if staying in the U.K.

Hoppinggreen · 09/08/2021 12:50

I don’t, they are on holiday and I am at work.
I imagine being stuck in a tent with toddlers in the rain is awful but that’s kind of to be expected with camping and if you are in a holiday cottage it’s similar to being at home.
You can go out in the rain, get wet and come home for hot chocolate and a movie on the sofa. Of course it would be easier in nice weather but you can still enjoy yourself. I take nice weather on a UK holiday as a bonus rather than an expectation

uktrippin · 09/08/2021 12:59

"Decided back in March to postpone France and holiday here due to ongoing Covid uncertainty. Accommodation was already very limited and overpriced."

Yes it was in March as the "roadmap" had been laid out in February and suddenly travel, holidays and visiting family were back on. I'd booked up in early January.

I realise that this will have had a bearing on my holiday enjoyment personally. I was talking to another family who had paid almost £300 a night more than we had for one of the hotels we stayed in. I simply wouldn't have paid it but it was worth it for them. People are different, just like the sunny weather today in my town compared to the grim weather in the OPs town.

Another thing people are getting caught out by is not having booked tables, swimming slots etc at activity type hotels. Hopefully that won't be a "thing" for much longer.

I've a friend that lives in France and they've seen some rain this week so you might've had similar there depending on whereabouts you were going.

JoborPlay · 09/08/2021 13:05

Depends what you're going for. We had a week away recently and it rained every day, we still had a fantastic time. But I don't go abroad for good weather either!

Livpool · 09/08/2021 13:22

Agreed OP.

And I don't want to walk around in the rain - it makes my asthma a lot worse and my glasses steam up. It is no fun

nokidshere · 09/08/2021 13:43

What a load of tosh being touted on this thread. I'm in Wiltshire and the rain right now is torrential. No sane person would say they would prefer this over a nice warm day with no rain.

Yes you can 'make the best of it' as I'm sure most people do but making do is what we do all year, it would be lovely to not have to do it on holiday too.

PrivateParty · 09/08/2021 13:43

@SubtitlesRequired

I agree. We were supposed to be going to Scotland and the weather is wall to wall rain every single day. We've not gone.

That's such a shame, we had 5 weeks of nothing but sunshine and 20c up until last week here in Scotland. August is always wet.

The weather forecast for where I am says rain every hour of the day today. But I've not seen any yet and it was hot when I was just out..

DoucheCanoe · 09/08/2021 14:02

I'm in NE Scotland and we've had about 6 days of rain since the beginning of June and temperature most days has been 20°+.

We've also been to central belt twice where it was 27° with 1 day of rain!

We've had the best summer in a long time.

Cukku · 09/08/2021 14:02

The forecast doesn't say rain every hour, it gives a percentage chance of rain every hour. That percentage may be 10% or whatever. In Scotland here, and it hasn't rained at all today. Yesterday it rained for about half an hour in the evening. Lightly.

MsJuniper · 09/08/2021 14:03

We've just come back from 2 weeks in a caravan on the SE English coast. Weather was pretty changeable apart from about 3-4 days of warmth. We still had a great time and did plenty of activities but those 3-4 days were so lovely - not feeling like we needed to take raincoats and clothing changes, being able to hang washing out etc.

The wind was as annoying as the rain - evenings were chilly and even when it was sunny we couldn't sit outside without a few layers!

For us it's unusual to go abroad so we don't expect 30C sunshine but it was noticeably different to previous years.

Cukku · 09/08/2021 14:07

We know lots of people abroad in various places where it rarely rains in the summer and temperatures are typically 35 degrees. Scotland is heaven in comparison - you can actually go out and do things, rather than staying inside because of the boiling heat and scorching sun. And the countryside is green.

Bunnycat101 · 09/08/2021 14:13

I hate this phase with a passion:

No such thing as bad weather just poor clothing choices.

I’ve got all the waterproof stuff but pretty much everything outdoors is much more pleasant when it isn’t pissing it down. We’ve just had a torrential shower but have had some glimmers of sun today. It’s fine if you’re just pottering about at home but let’s not pretend it’s as fun to try and do an outdoor theatre show or theme park in heavy rain all day.

MyOtherProfile · 09/08/2021 14:19

That's funny @Bunnycat101 - I love it! Unlike the get-on-with-it make-the-best-of-it spirit behind it. Better than sitting around moping.

MarleneDietrichsSmile · 09/08/2021 14:23

Yes, the “clothing” argument only works if you have indoor space to dry clothes

Saying how lovely it is to “sit by the fire” afterwards indicates that these people are a bit higher budget than the average camper

Can’t remember ever staying somewhere luxurious enough to have a fire place

It shows these posters are all a bit Marie-Antoinette-ish , as yes, rain is fine if you are in a house (not a tent) with a fireplace (not a car boot) to put clothes to dry, a nice warm shower (not a cold water only campsite, or shower block you have to wade through mud to get to)

So yes all you lovelies, with your £££ Gore Tex jackets and lovely heated accommodation, and money to go to restaurants every day, for YOU there is no such thing as bad weather, but to those in tents and tiny caravans, I totally get that this holiday may suck, and I am not withholding my empathy and telling you to just “eat cake” instead

uktrippin · 09/08/2021 14:28

@MarleneDietrichsSmile the OP feels sorry for "anyone" on a UK break right now.

Regardless of what type of holiday they're on.

Regardless of the good weather they might be enjoying.

Regardless of fireplaces and Gore Tex.

All because it's raining out of her window. Bit short sighted

RedToothBrush · 09/08/2021 14:29

@MarleneDietrichsSmile

Yes, the “clothing” argument only works if you have indoor space to dry clothes

Saying how lovely it is to “sit by the fire” afterwards indicates that these people are a bit higher budget than the average camper

Can’t remember ever staying somewhere luxurious enough to have a fire place

It shows these posters are all a bit Marie-Antoinette-ish , as yes, rain is fine if you are in a house (not a tent) with a fireplace (not a car boot) to put clothes to dry, a nice warm shower (not a cold water only campsite, or shower block you have to wade through mud to get to)

So yes all you lovelies, with your £££ Gore Tex jackets and lovely heated accommodation, and money to go to restaurants every day, for YOU there is no such thing as bad weather, but to those in tents and tiny caravans, I totally get that this holiday may suck, and I am not withholding my empathy and telling you to just “eat cake” instead

Don't go on fucking holiday if you are just going to fucking whinge about other people being richer than you then.

nonono1 · 09/08/2021 14:29

Pouring with rain again here in London. Ah well!

Neverrains · 09/08/2021 14:31

I hate rain. It’s a valid position to take. So I don’t go on holiday in places where there’s a strong likelihood of it raining.
We had a sunny U.K. break a few weeks ago, booked last minute when I already knew the forecast was for it to be dry and sunny. Off to Spain tomorrow.