Rain, rain, go away. That must be the cry of many people as we enter the school holidays.

It has been a dismal summer so far, with the weather forcing the cancellation of many events.

The sun is now shining, but will it continue? June was the wettest on record and July has not proved much better.

Locally, the inaugural Cragfest at Kilnsey fell victim to the soggy conditions and further afield the Great Yorkshire Show had to be called off at the end of the first day because the unprecedented wet weather resulted in the car parks being unsafe to use.

Rural watchdogs the Country Land and Business Association has estimated that the loss to the local economy from the Great Yorkshire Show alone to be in the region of £4.5 million.

And it warns the knock-on effects could lead to small family firms going out of business at a time when trading conditions are fragile and the UK economy is in a double-dip recession.

Alas, it seems the damp conditions are something we may have to get used to, with meteorologists predicting that we are likely to face much wetter summers in coming years.

Perhaps the authorities need to take a long, hard look at what systems are in place to cope with heavy, persistent rain.

But it is not all doom and gloom.

Here, in Craven, cafes and tourist attractions with indoor facilities are doing well, providing a welcome refuge for rain-soaked visitors.

Even, outside, tourists continue to enjoy the delights of the Dales and come prepared with wet weather gear. After all, you don’t come to Craven if your main purpose is to find the sun!