weather watching

it is around this time before every festival that we start to keep one eye on the long range weather forecasts. How accurate which ever one we use purports to be is slightly irrelevant at this distance. You would think that with the majority of our events occurring inside that this would not be an important passtime, but we have found that the weather has a strong impact on last minute audiences either way. Rain discourages people from leaving their houses. Excellent weather discourages people from leaving their BBQs. Our major outdoor event, the Medieval Market, is extremely weather dependent, with stalls, activities and events scheduled throughout the day throughout the city on 5 July. Around 25,000 to 30,000 people visit Lichfield on this day, and bad weather this year will make the 2009 Georgian Market that little bit more difficult. At this distance, thunderstorms are forecast, but we've had fine weather for the last three years despite similar advance weather projections. Plan for the worst, hope for the best I guess...