By chance I was outside the UK over the Jubilee weekend and missed the celebrations. I caught up on the Queen’s drizzly Thames procession and the concert after it was all over, and overall I was surprised by how much excitement and good will it generated. I thought it might pale in comparison to the wedding of Kate and Wills last year, but somehow the Queen’s stoical dignity seems to have caught the mood of the moment perfectly in contrast to our u-turning, egg-faced, media-cosy politicians.

From what I’ve seen so far, the UK’s independent retailers have put on some fabulous parties in honour of Her Majesty. But one business in particular (as you will see if you read the June 19 issue of Retail Express) was involved in a street party so lavish, so exquisite, that it must be one of the most glamorous parties to have taken place anywhere in the whole country. (Models, classic cars and a vintage military presence all played a part in this colourful jamboree…)

But how was the weekend for the rest of the country? Did the drizzle put a dampener on your sales, or did the wet weather simply drive people in through your door?