In From The Cold

There's a lot of tosh and toot talked about winter and some go so far as to pour scorn and to even pooh-pooh this season of discontent. Well, no more, I say. I'm hear to speak up for this much-maligned time of year and give the chilly arse-end of the year a chance to shine. Here are some reasons why winter is actually quite good really:-

1. The Duvet Coccoon. I find sleeping in summer can be mostly unbearable. It's hot, sweaty, you can't cool down and you have to keep reversing the pillow to find the cool side or, even worse, the less sweat-soaked side. No such trouble in winter. Your bed is a warm and inviting place. A place of peace and comfort which you are loathe to leave. The "just five more minutes" pressing of the snooze button becomes more frequent. It's cold out there. Stay in bed.

2. Warming Up. I find it very hard to stay cool in the summer - particularly when regular use of ridiculously over-crowded public transport is required. Temperature regulation in winter? Much easier. Too cold? Well, then put on a jumper or turn up the heating. Starting to get a bit too warm? Remove the jumper or drop that thermostat. You've got to have a system.

3. Seasonal Cheer. A nice cold pint on a hot day is a thing of beauty, I won't deny that. But there is a definite charm to coming in from the cold to a nice, warm cosy pub and settling down for a night of talking toot and quaffing ales while the elements rage outside.

4. The Possibility Of Snow. OK, for most of you who aren't based in London, snow is very real, happens on a regular basis and can be a right embuggerance if you're trying to get anywhere. But, no matter how much the slightest hint of slightly frozen water completely halts Britain's transport infrastructure, there's still something appealing about the possibility of snow. You can't deny that there's always a small part of you that wants to slap off work for the day and go down the park with your mates for a massive snowball fight, no matter how old you are. However, the likelihood of getting actual real snow that you could make a snowball out of in London is admittedly reasonably slim. Still, it's always a possibility...

In the interest of balance, I will present the case against winter for you to make up your own mind:-

1. Rain is shit.
2. And wind can probably fuck off an' all.

So there you have it. Overwhelming proof that winter is, in fact, alright really if you look at it the right way. Except for the fact that our boiler's packed up so we've got no central heating now that it's actually starting to get cold. Always the way, isn't it? Never bloody works when you actually start to need it. Typical...