A clear preference for Winter.

British people, on the whole, become very excited about the advent of summer- looking forward to hot sunny days, holidays and barbecues in the garden.  A hint of sun and warmth is sufficient for the British to begin flinging their clothes off, sunbathing and turning the music up loud.  Got to make the most of it while it lasts, is the philosophy and hope, for its continuation seems to be almost universal.

There are though some of us who, when people tell us how beautiful it is, have to agree, but do not have their heart in what they say. If someone comments on the hot weather favourably as the vast majority do, it is expected that you will agree. If you express instead your real view, that you do not like hot weather, it rings a discordant note, and it causes confusion and a little embarrassment, just as if you are trying to be clever or be deliberately difficult, so it is a damned sight easier to simply agree.

Though it makes you come across as strange, in some people's eyes, I nevertheless will, unabashedly state that I do not like the summer. I do not like being hot and feeling sluggish, the way heat makes me feel. Barbecues are never very successful and it will take a while to forget the ice and the pink in the middle of a supposedly cooked sausage. Standing to eat is not something I relish and it is what happens at most barbecues.

Airports - the very word fills me with horror. Hoards of people flying off to hotter climes, the waiting,  the squabbling, the tiredness, the disgusting food at insane prices, the security check, the little plastic bag to put cosmetics in, the removing of the shoes, the jacket, the scrabble to reclaim your goods from the grey plastic tray and the putting back on of the shoes.

And if that's not enough, the seemingly eternal wait at the the gate, the trips to the toilet to save you from having to queue on the plane. Then there is the boarding. The false smiles of the flight crew, having to push past people who are putting luggage in the overhead storage, the tuts of disapproval and then the finding of the seat. The poor steward who performs the safety routine and then finally a tray of barely edible food. You eat it though as it passes the time.

On arrival at the resort, there is often an all day buffet which people eat too much of because it's an all-in deal and you want to get value for money. Cake, bread, eggs, beans, bacon, sausages - no limit - eat it all.

Families flung together all day every day - there's bound to be tensions with no escape to work, school or any other distraction. Parents then often argue over child discipline, ice creams and treats generally.  All told it is an achievement that any marriage  survives.

It's not just the holidays of summer which make it unpopular for me. There is  always a drowning, often of a child and a parent/adult who tries to save the child. Often too a child is abducted. Coming out of nightclubs in summer can be a flashpoint for a fight. People don't seem to mind hanging around post 3am in the warmth of a summer night. The blood is hot and a brawl begins.

Sweating, not being able to sleep, the dawn chorus at an unearthly hour and the pressure on women to pass themselves off as never having had any hair anywhere other than on their head - all difficulties.

As the clocks go back towards the end of October, I relish not only the extra hour, but also the knowing that we are heading towards Winter. I still love Christmas despite its excesses, and sitting by the fire on winter nights watching television or reading (or blogging).  Big jumpers, boots, gloves - fabulous.