It was the first important use of rubber, and the misspelled "mackintosh" was soon in great demand in Britain's rainy climate.

FORBES: Pioneers Die Broke

Hanging over all this, of course, is the constitutional position of Wales within the UK. Does the Welsh political class want to get itself into a position where it is demanding significant extra revenues from England by virtue of its hilly terrain and rainy climate?

BBC: Highly politicised liquid assets

For now, says the NFU, traditional, small-scale farming still works in rainy, western areas of the country where the climate suits it.

ECONOMIST: Industrial dairy farming