Hanging on

It's a common enough sight, but always strikes me as submissive and particularly absurd in the sort of parky weather we've been having recently.

I'm talking about couples who walk along, the man with hands thrust deep inside pockets for warmth while the woman holds his arm, hand at the mercy of the weather.

It seems a strange way to go about. I 'get' hand-holding, which seems rather charming and equal, not least in the hand-exposure stakes.

 By contrast, the public woman-on-arm seems so passive : an indifferent male burrowing for warmth while the female hangs possessively on in the cold.