Big Freeze Small Talk

That’s right people. The nights are drawing in, everywhere we go it’s becoming of utmost importance to don the obligatory woolly hat, scarf, snow boots and mittens, and if you should dare leave the house without your umbrella then you’re pretty much done for. I think that I must be the only person in the whole of the world who likes it.

‘Why?’ I hear you cry. Well, there is just no avoiding it. It’s what the UK is famous for and no matter how much we complain and scowl, there is absolutely nothing that we can do about it. As Londoners, we all know that wind, rain, snow and the cold are going to happen and that no amount of moaning will make it go away any faster, so let’s make the most of it!

As a nation, we all love talking about the weather. Who hasn’t filled an awkward silence in the dentist’s waiting room or with that blind date (that actually made you wish you were blind) with a conversation about how terrible the weather was? It’s like a comfort blanket. No matter what happens, you can always count on the trusty ‘have you seen the snow?!’ chat to get you through an awkward situation, and the more dramatic the forecast, the more justified the conversation is.

Being able to discuss abysmal weather also provides you with a conversation starter. Say, for instance, you rather like the look of that tasty young chap who you often bump into in the kitchen at work but never have the nerve to chat to. Well what better way to break the ice than to comment on the fact that you’ve ‘had a whole six inches of snow’ down near you? Then all that’s left to do is flutter your eyelashes (no doubt sexily smudged from the flakes), dazzle him with your personality and you’re in. Trust me. It’s a tried and tested method.

Bad weather also provides you with an automatic excuse should you be late for any kind of engagement. Granted, the snow can adversely affect your journey to work, and when you don’t need an excuse this can indeed be mildly irritating, but as long as you have a seat, do you really mind that ‘leaves on the line’ are delaying your journey into the office? I certainly don’t. Gives me chance to get in my essential reading, AKA the showbiz section of the Metro.

Another advantage in my eyes is that tube and bus journeys are actually a form of relief. You have battled the elements in order to get on your chosen mode of transport and now you should enjoy the warmth it offers. Surely a winter commute is favourable to a summer one and anything that makes a commute seem like fun has to be a good thing?

The way I see it, general all-round gloominess is part and parcel of living in London, so why not stop whinging about it and use it to your advantage?