My Ideal Summer: Hmmm, where would I spend my ideal summer? If I could have unlimited spending power and be free to go anywhere in the world, in this fantasy at least. Well, this may come as a surprise, but I would spend what are the summer months in the northern hemisphere, in the southern hemisphere. In other words, I would be very happy to spend all my life in perpetual autumn and winter with no summer at all. Oddly enough, I actually hate summer. While other people are desperately trying to get a tan and are spending every moment out of doors, I keep inside. And if I have to venture out, I wear clothes that cover me as completely as possible. If I must sit in the sunshine then it's a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and total sunblock cream for me.

My summer is a long, miserable time of hives, nausea, migraine and other unpleasant symptoms. The heat makes me lethargic and it is a real effort to do anything at all. I am irritable, out-of-sorts and scratchy. But as soon as the autumn winds begin to blow then I transform into a lively, active creature with thousands of new plans to work on. I enjoy winter with walks in the cold wind and rain, playing in the snow and curling up in front of a fire with a good book. My idea of heaven! When spring comes it is nice to see the flowers coming through and the trees budding. But I know that summer will not be far behind.

So, given that I hate summer, I would fly down to New Zealand or the Falkland Islands and enjoy a really good winter. If I were forced to spend the summer in the northern hemisphere (as I am!) I suppose I am lucky in that I live quite near to the sea. Only ten minutes away by 'bus. And I have a large garden with lots of tall, shady trees.