For years people with bonkers hair and an interest in the human mind have struggled to understand why the British have always bought more convertible cars than people in sunnier places such as France or Italy or California.
But really, it’s simple. If the skies are permanently blue, there’s no novelty in sitting in the sunshine and getting a tan. It’s actually a blessed relief to get in the shade and turn the air conditioning on. But here, under our Tupperware skies, where the drizzle is only ever interrupted by heavier spells of rain, it’s different. Because when the sun does make an appearance, we don’t want to waste the moment by sitting in a steel box.
Now, though, things are changing. We bought nearly
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