Now, don’t blame me when your summer holiday in Devon is ruined by floods. It’s just a gut feeling.

Or maybe wishful thinking. But, fingers crossed, we’re in for a good one. And whilst £200-plus trampolines may be off the agenda for a lot of families at the moment, good weather usually means an upswing in outdoor toy sales. God knows, it’s something we’ve missed for the last couple of years.

But first we have the crucial Easter period coming up. The second Christmas. And never was there a more interesting and potentially defining Easter as this year.

There are many questions to answer about the state of the market post-Woolies and in the middle of the recession, so the coming weeks may give us a clearer picture of what the trade can expect going forward.

Toys has always thrown up opportunities for those that can recognise them for what they are and that’s particularly the case now for the independent sector. With no Woolies, just for once is isn’t simply about the weather.

But, hey, a heatwave really wouldn’t hurt.