Adrian Chiles has declared his hatred for the period from the start of last month to the end of this, describing it as a time of wet, damp, and grey conditions. He laments that days are either cold or suddenly warm, cooking people in their rainwear, and that the greyness pervades everything from clouds and buildings to trees, cars, and people.
Chiles compares living through these months to being in a black-and-white film, but worse, because such films have blacks and whites as well as greys. He notes that even snow only stays white for about 15 minutes before fading to grey, and that the occasional splash of colour, such as vivid red, only accentuates the monochrome and deepens the gloom.
He describes the sun popping out as toying with him, and he is not fooled, knowing it will vanish again for days and weeks. He argues that longer days are pointless as they create more time for greyness, and he prefers blackness over greyness, stating, 'Black beats grey. Everything beats grey.'
After a blood test, a phlebotomist told Chiles to cheer up, saying every day brings us closer to spring, but he remains sceptical, saying, 'I’ll believe it when I see it.'
