Casting my Clout

Readers not from the north of England or those unfamiliar with its sayings may well be confused by that title. It relates to the saying "ne'er cast a clout til May be out". Roughly translated it means don't stop wearing your thermal vest until May is over. In practice this means that if you dare to walk down the high street before June without wearing a cardigan and mac on a hot day, old women feel they are justified in tutting at you.

Despite it only being the 10th May, I put aside this old warning and , today I made the change over between my summer and winter wardrobes. Away went the jumpers, parka and boots, out came the t-shirts, linen trousers and sandals.

Whilst having this changeover, I learnt the following things:

• I have a disproportionate number of tops, compared with trousers and skirts
• For someone who prefers plain clothes in neutral colours, I have an awful lot of strange coloured, heavily patterned clothes
• For someone who is very clumsy, I have a lot of silk and/or dry-clean only clothes
• Most of my clothes come from the same four shops
• There are two items in my wardrobe that I've never worn and doubt I ever will, but I don't feel able to part with them yet
• There are five things in my wardrobe that I'm keeping for sentimental value

After I'd sorted out the clothes, I hung some towels outside dry. Coupled with having "cast my clout", I feel sure it will now rain.