Real stories · The coat that retired my umbrella

The Coat That Retired My Umbrella

Hood up, hands free, umbrella retired — that's what this coat has done for my mornings. I'm 67, and for years every grey forecast meant the same performance: one hand for the umbrella, one for Winnie's lead, and no hands at all for the shopping, the gate, or waving at Pauline. York drizzle doesn't even have the decency to fall straight down, so half the time the umbrella was decorative anyway.

What I wanted was a coat that dealt with the weather so my hands didn't have to.

Then I found the Serelianne from a British label called York Boutique — a soft zip coat to mid-thigh with a proper adjustable hood, deep pockets, and a curved hem that sits longer at the back. I chose the blue, and the first surprise is inside: the hood is lined with a green leafy print, a little secret garden that nobody sees until you put it up.

The hood is the whole point. It adjusts snugly with the drawstring and shields you from cold wind and light rain — which is why the umbrella now lives by the back door, dry and unemployed. Hood up, both hands free: lead in one, shopping in the other, and the weather can do as it pleases.

An adjustable hood that actually stays put in wind and drizzle — which is why both my hands have been given back to me.

At £39.95 — half the usual £80 — it cost less than replacing the two umbrellas I lost to York gusts last winter.

It has since done a fortnight of school-run-hour walks with Winnie and one properly wet market morning, and I've not once turned back at the door. I did check before ordering that I could send it back if it didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — which made trying it no risk at all.

If your mornings also depend on an umbrella hand, do have a look. The Serelianne is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 340 women, it comes in blue, black, red, grey, green and orange, in UK sizes 8/10 to 16/18 — and with the wet weeks ahead, coats with proper hoods never hang about long.