Of rain and umbrellas

One trivial thing you probably don't know about me (not that it is worth knowing, it is that trivial): I don't like umbrellas. I find them impractical if the weather is really bad (especially windy, when they become downright useless), cumbersome, a darn pain to dry after use and, in this country, they get old really quickly. I mean really, really quickly. They get rusty, fall apart, etc. England is a terrible place for umbrellas. I have long stopped using them and now I simply use coats with hoods. It keeps my hands free.

That said, during my last plane trip, taken from Southampton Airport, I read in the airplane magazine an article about Mr Standord, a brand of umbrellas. And I have to confess two things: I loved their history, how the brand came out to be, and I loved their products. If their umbrellas were not so prohibitively high (around £150), I may even have been tempted to buy one. Maybe as a present to someone. Someone very dear to me, because I wouldn't spoil just anyone like that. And, while I love the design, I cannot buy one for myself, given my natural dislike for the object itself. In the end, it is the look I love, not its use. In the article, they say they will expand their brand to other items, including some clothes. If they ever sell raincoats, I might be tempted to buy one.