Jun 25 2007
2 Old English Rain ceremonies
England has always had two fairly reliable ways of bringing the rain in summer.
In the first three sticks are placed near the centre of a field, three more sticks are placed facing them 22 yards away. Two men in white coats come out into the middle of the field, followed by 11 younger men in white trousers and sports shirts, carrying a hard red ball. This often makes it rain. This summer it worked perfectly at Durham, although it was not reliable in London.
In the second, people place a net between two posts across the middle of a beautiful English lawn. Two men in white shorts and sports shirts come out carrying huge bags full of towels, rackets and other equipment.This brings on the rain. It also works if two young ladies come out dressed in white with large bags full of equipment.
It worked perfectly today. It was so like it has always been that the BBC will need to bring a new expert on to interview, to reassure us that we should expect it to be cold and very wet in June as part of?? global warming!
John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
