Imagine that! I actively hoped for the nimbus clouds to come rolling on in. Talk about bonkers. But then that's just how happy this umbrella made me feel. When the heavens finally opened I skipped merrily down the street, delighted that I was able to use this paragon of prettiness to the purpose for which it was designed.
Then one evening I took it to Shoreditch House and I left it behind. That was a sad day.
After a suitable period of mourning, I decided that it was time to seek out a suitable replacement. It had to be entirely worthy of its predecessor and I came equipped with criteria: I wanted a walker, it needed to work with both my purple winter coat and red mac, it should be as large as feasibly possible and not have one of those frames which buckle and flop at the slightest hind of wind. Plus, of course, it had to look fabulous.
After searching the far corners of the web and checking new arrivals on eBay daily, I stumbled across the mecca that is Bombay Duck. (I suspect that this online treasure trove will make a regular appearance on these pages). From a selection of truly stunning brollies, I selected this particular gem:
This umbrella brings me compliments from strangers in the street, not only when it's raining but even just hanging on my arm. It is that little bit larger than most umbrellas so it keeps my arms and bag dry, plus its exaggerated curvature means that it both protects my hair from buffeting winds and resists turning inside-out. The pom-poms suggest flimsiness but they bely the sturdiness of the frame; it withstands my daily commute into central London and has survived both torrential rain and blizzards, all whilst looking deceptively like a parasol. I love it so much that when I accidentally left it hanging on a wall after my birthday party earlier this year, I promptly bought another one.
I learnt two things from this episode.
1) Always do your research. Don't just buy a generic umbrella from Boots because it's there. A little bit of research shows that something covering all bases will be available, even if you have to take the time to find it.
2) Don't take your favourite umbrella to your birthday party, drink copious numbers of cocktails and catch the night-bus home.
View the beautiful brolly in its full glory at Bombay Duck . . . but buy it for a couple of quid cheaper at Brollies Galore.
This is me, with my brolly. I'm at London Zoo. Facepainting for grown-ups is coming back, you mark my words.
