Brolly bulldogs

In the torrential rains of Wednesday evening, I arranged to meet some friends for a coffee and took my umbrella with me.

It's a big brolly that you usually see executive businessmen holding at golf courses whilst they shout "Buy, buy, sell, sell" down their tiny mobile phones to some poor personal assistant who (probably) deserves better.

Bristol's not too densely populated, so you can get away with a brolly of this size without too many problems unlike London, where you'd probably be vilified for carrying an umbrella larger than enough to cover the three most central hairs on the crown of your head.

Upon standing on the side of a road waiting for the red man to turn green, I realised that I was part of a large and amusing game.

Brolly Bulldogs.

The aim of the game is to get through the wall of brollies on the other side of the road without breaking stride. It's all about who has the strongest nerves and the stoniest face, as though they deserve to be disturbed the least.

I launched off the pavement with the velocity of a professional speed-walker and a vociferous battle cry erupted (in my head).

My opposite number was a man six feet high and with narrow shoulders. "I can take him, I'm more confident than him", I reasoned.

Of course, the other guy was completely unaware of the game and moved out of the way.

VICTORY