Agnes Mathieson, 74, Carries Three Umbrellas on a Dry Day ‘Because That’s When They Get You’
Craigie pensioner refuses to trust 15°C sunshine. Neighbours describe her as 'prepared beyond science'.
One for rain, one for wind, one for 'just in case'. Photo: Park taeho, “Umbrella bag dispenser”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Agnes Mathieson of Craigie has not left the house without an umbrella since 1971, and she was not about to start today, sunny intervals or no sunny intervals.
“Dry day? That’s when they get you,” said Agnes, 74, arranging three umbrellas in her bag — a compact, a golf and an emergency backup she calls “the reserve”. “You get to the Kinnoull Street lights, the sky goes dark, and you think: Agnes, why did you listen to the radio?”
Her neighbour Davie has mocked her for decades and has been rained on during every single one of them.
Agnes says she will carry all three until spring, “or until the Met Office signs something”.
The real story: Perth forecast (Met Office)
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There’s an Agnes in every family. Ours carries four umbrellas and a rain mac for the dog.
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I sat next to her on the bus once. Bone dry, even on the inside.
— Graham T., Scone, 29 October 2026
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