Day 101 - A toast to Dry January

Ah January. The month of fresh starts and broken promises. Here in England, the concept of Dry January is quite popular. A poll I read suggests that 3.1 million Brits are trying to refrain from drinking this month after over-indulging during the holiday season. That may sound like a lot, but when you think that over 60 million others aren't even bothering to try (probably pouring drinks as we speak in an effort to tempt those making the effort...LOL), well then there is no fear there will be much of an impact on pubs. 

Dry January began as a PR event by the charity Alcohol Concern in 2013, so it hasn't been around that long yet. So, who's to say what long-term impact it will have. Many pub hours will tell you that January has always been a slow month for sales...now it just has a name.

Well, with Phil and Alex together in the UK this month, I'm sure they will be doing there best to add a pint or two to the local pubs sales.

One notable change you see in January is businesses closing down for a few weeks. The beautiful Cotswolds do see a lot of tourists, but January is the slowest month, so it proves a good time for proprietors to take a well needed break. We also notice a lot of restoration and maintenance work taking place.

As a result, my efforts to show Alex Bourton on the Water today proved a bit futile. Oh, the town still looks lovely, but workers were taking the opportunity to lay interlocking stones along the walkways running alongside the river. The Motor Museum is closed until February and is undergoing some sort of refurbishment. So, we set off to the Model Village. I had never been to it, and the website indicated it was open. It wasn't! Closed too for "urgent refurbishment."Next up...a trip to the model train store. Again, closed. 

Hmmm. I hope this isn't going to be trend for his entire trip.