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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

613 replies

itsaugust · 09/08/2021 08:17

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.

OP posts:
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15
TheOrigRights · 09/08/2021 10:09

We've got 2 weeks booked in a cottage in Scotland in a couple of weeks.
It's the UK - you have to plan for rain and cool weather.
I think it's foolish to plan a holiday which relies on good weather in this country.
I'm fortunate to be able to afford accommodation rather than camping.

kirinm · 09/08/2021 10:09

We've had two 'breaks' (a week and then a separate long weekend) away and both times the weather has been crap. It was expensive to go, the drive was mammoth and it felt totally pointless. It wasn't fun. I want to go abroad.

Abraxan · 09/08/2021 10:10

We did fall incredibly lucky at May half term. We went to the Scottish highlands and drove the NC500. Weather was fabulous. It was much hotter than we'd planned for - ended up wearing the same couple of warm weather clothes for the whole week, having to rinse them out between times. Had to go and buy sun cream. Plus, no midges as they came out a little later this year.

Was fabulous.

And we've had some lovely warm, even hot weather, at the end of June and July.

It's just typically now we've headed south for the two week holiday we are faced with grey clouds, rain and wind.

Oh well, we will make it work.
And next year we will head further afield for guaranteed sun and heat.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 09/08/2021 10:10

this crappy summer

What crappy summer? We had weeks of really hot weather in June and July. I’ve gone from pasty white to dark brown just sitting in the garden. And we had a fab week in Northumberland.

This has been the best summer for about 10 years for me!

REP22 · 09/08/2021 10:11

I'll take our grotty weather over the California wildfires though.

kirinm · 09/08/2021 10:11

@FlyingScott

Actually the days with showers can bring a dramatic change of scenery giving some interesting photo opportunities and good chance of a rainbow or two🌈
Yes good photograph opportunities are definitely what a small child is interested in. Not being able to stand on the beach due to torrential rain and gale force winds are irrelevant.
WB205020 · 09/08/2021 10:11

We were supposed to be away last week......we have cancelled. Fortunately both our DC are in nursery so we have decided to see how the weather is in September and go then instead. Ive heard reports we may have a late spell of good weather next month. This whole summer has been a total washout!

Original poster
itsaugust · 09/08/2021 10:12

Glad people are making the most of it and that some parts of the UK are experiencing sunshine! The weather's looking brighter where I live from tomorrow - happy days! Smile

OP posts:
alltheemptyfields · 09/08/2021 10:12

@PuppyMonkey

No such thing as bad weather just poor clothing choices as they say.
when you are home, maybe, but not when you are on holiday.

OF COURSE people knew it was likely to rain, the summer holidays have been chosen at the worst possible time. June and often July tend to so much nicer, August mainly crap.

I still feel sorry for holiday makers.

We do the walks, the playgrounds, the den buildings, the exploring, the rainy outdoor (and indoor activities) all year round, weekends, after school...

Fuck that for an actual holiday when people could at least hope to wear a tshirt, enjoy the sunshine (need vitamin D) play in the sea.

I do feel very sorry for everyone who could not risk a quarantaine on the way back and is stuck in a miserable staycation, I wish them a bit of sun!

AuntMargo · 09/08/2021 10:13

Its not in Lincolnshire

RedToothBrush · 09/08/2021 10:14

I think there's a lot of people who would have been far better staying at home and doing day trips for a week. The concept of having to have a holiday away, never mind abroad, isn't one that has been around for long.

The whole mindset, sets up people for disappointment rather than people thinking carefully about what they would actually enjoy/hate.

I'm pretty sure that if a lot of people stopped to think about the weather rather than having this unrealistic pie in the sky idealised vision of blue skies in the UK for a week, they'd perhaps make a different decision.

If you only like beach holidays and warm weather, I genuinely don't understand why you'd book a camping holiday in the first place. Of course you'll bloody hate it.

I also don't understand why people haven't booked more city breaks in the UK either.

MsTSwift · 09/08/2021 10:15

I stand by our decision not to risk going abroad this year - we did last year and it was fabulous but so many teens in our area testing positive including friends the risk of ours testing positive while away was too high.

alltheemptyfields · 09/08/2021 10:15

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

this crappy summer

What crappy summer? We had weeks of really hot weather in June and July. I’ve gone from pasty white to dark brown just sitting in the garden. And we had a fab week in Northumberland.

This has been the best summer for about 10 years for me!

I am South East, and we DID have sunshine (and jumped on the odd days it was glorious) but this spring/summer has been generally very wet.

I have not ONCE needed to water the garden, not once!
My kids sports day was cancelled because of the rain,
a lot of after school outdoor clubs were cancelled repeatedly because of the rain

It HAS been generally crap.

SecretKeeper1 · 09/08/2021 10:15

I’m confused. It’s bright and sunny in Yorkshire this morning, and looking at my weather app it’s due to be nice all week. Same in London, Dorset and Norfolk. Where is the weather bad?

placemats · 09/08/2021 10:15

I'm in London and had planned to go to Hampton Court today. However, I've decided not to go. It's not a weather decision (despite being caught in a deluge yesterday), but the tube and train travel. All tubes are packed (engineering works on District and central doesn't help) and I just can't take the stress of another journey face to face with strangers. I'm off out to have a leisurely stroll in a gorgeous part of the city before I head off back home tomorrow.

However, I do feel for those who are camping. Better weather forecasted for this week. I've been abroad camping in the South of France and come 8am you had to be out of the tent because it was a sauna. Swings and roundabouts - albeit wet ones.

Malteser71 · 09/08/2021 10:16

Lovely in Devon!

Dongdingdong · 09/08/2021 10:16

When the sun's shining a UK holiday is the best. When it's pissing it down it's miserable.

Dentistlakes · 09/08/2021 10:16

Hopefully people will be able to go back to their usual holidays next year. Then those of us who actually want to holiday in the UK will be able to do so without having to pay over inflated prices. We were lucky to have already booked, but we have friends who have had to pay ridiculous money for a poky flat in Cornwall. I appreciate people are trying to make their money back from last year but some of the prices are taking the piss.

placemats · 09/08/2021 10:17

Not Central line. Circle. Central is working but it is full.

TheWayTheLightFalls · 09/08/2021 10:19

It depends for me. We have a young child. Pouring rain combined with a lack of freely available indoor activities (because they all need pre-booking at the moment, or are still shut, or rammed) is a really poor result for us, and there's a limit to how much you can do in holiday accommodation with a 4yo who needs a bit of fresh air but is sensible enough not to want to wander around in a storm. And that's before you get to people who are camping because the price of every holiday has increased 50% or more due to demand.

Having said that, we lucked out on weather both in Kent and West Wales this year, and would gladly visit both again. So that's one convert to UK tourism.

Dongdingdong · 09/08/2021 10:19

@SecretKeeper1 it's been raining or threatening to pretty much non-stop in London this past week. I actually had the heating on at one point! It's looking brighter from this afternoon onwards though, thank goodness.

placemats · 09/08/2021 10:21

I don't understand this 'Crappy Summer' and 'total washout' thing.

There have been rainy days with heavy downpours. Northern Ireland recorded highest temperatures ever.

I had to put up my gazebo to shelter from the sun it was so hot.

Lulu1919 · 09/08/2021 10:22

It's sunny in Dorset today and due to be fine all week....but we have had rain at night recently!

ChainJane · 09/08/2021 10:23

On the bright side there's no sign of drought or water shortages.

You can't please everyone. If it rains, people complain that it's not hot and sunny. If it's hot and sunny, people complain they can't use their hosepipe to water the garden.

placemats · 09/08/2021 10:24

@Dongdingdong

I'm in London and the sun is out. Yes there has been rain, but it hasn't by any stretch of the imagination, been a total washout this last week.