In the Footsteps of Doctor Foster.

"Dr Foster went to Gloucester in a shower of rain
 He stepped in a puddle right up to his middle and
 Never went there again."

That's how I remember the old nursery rhyme going. Last week, Dearly Beloved and I went to stay at a haunted hotel in Tewkesbury which is just outside Gloucester and we paid this esteemed old city with its fine cathedral a visit. It was raining. To be fair it was raining in Tewkesbury as well.

Some might say that going on holiday in the pouring rain would put a dampener on the occasion; not a bit of it. There are many excellent benefits to rain drenched holidays. For a start you don't have that dilemma of which clothes to pack. If the weather forecast is for heavy precipitation for the duration then you don't need to pack shorts and tee shirts just in case. There is no need for women to pack a range of strappy sandals to go with various outfits because you're only going to be wearing a heavy jacket and boots.

Bad weather is excellent for keeping the crowds away from tourist attractions. Once you've managed to fight your way to Tewkesbury Abbey through the teeming rain you can be sure that you will be able to drip your way round it in relative isolation. There are no crowds to jostle you or get in the way of your photos. Just you and a handful of hardy souls all quietly steaming away.

Bad weather is also an excellent excuse for guilt-free lunchtime drinking. What better way to spend an hour or two than sitting in front of a roaring fire and looking out of the window at the poor sods outside getting soaked. There's no point in just wandering about in the rain getting wet for the sake of it. Better just stay put and have another round. Wet weather and a hotel room can also be conducive to other interesting indoor sports that involve the removal of clothing, should you be so inclined.

A further advantage of countrywide bad weather is that you know your plants at home are getting watered. No need to worry about returning home to dried out hanging baskets or wilting flower pots, natures doing the decent thing and keeping them going for you. Then there's the added security of your car. Most self-respecting oiks will be at home on their game consoles instead of cycling around looking for cars to break into. It's a quiet night when constable rain's on duty. If people didn't go on holiday in the rain then nobody would ever go to Wales.

Fortunately for Dearly Beloved and I we didn't find any deep puddles in Gloucester although there are maritime and military museums with a nice dredger you can walk round. It's a pleasant enough place but, like Dr Foster, we probably won't be going back there. By the way, we didn't see any ghosts at our haunted hotel. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or not.