The things one will put up with to get a culture "fix"

You know, sometimes one is simply left standing in awe at the tenacity of culture vultures.
A classic case in point was yesterday. We were off to The Globe to take in Hamlet.  For those of you who haven't visited this theatre I should clarify that although all perimeter seating is under thatched roof cover the central area directly in front of the stage is allocated to those prepared to stand during the entire performance and just to add a little drama to these guy's experience, this area is also fully exposed to the elements.
Roll onto midday Wednesday. I have checked the weather forecast ( a survival "must do" in this neck of the woods) and had established that there was a 70% chance of rain during the performance ( that's language, for it is a guarantee that you are going to be dumped on in big licks!).
We had covered seats. Even so, we dragged along both wet weather gear and umbrellas.
When we arrived at the theatre we were confronted by any number of punters dressed as if it was a sunny day in the middle of summer. Boy, were these guys in for a big reality check.
Twenty minutes prior to kick off and the skies opened up. Talk about rain. This was torrential. This was flood warning territory.
No matter, the show must go on.
Having taken our seats I turned to Julia and suggested that a heap of standing area patrons would have regretted forking out for their five quid entrance passes as they obviously weren't about to stand in one position for three hours in heavy rain.
How wrong was I on that call.
These patrons are a legend. Their tenacity is frankly stunning, and yes, inspirational .
From go to whoa, a period of nearly three hours, these guys just toughed it out in incredibly miserable conditions.
The fact that this particular version of Hamlet was both intensive and riveting probably diverted the standing-area patrons attention away from any self pitying type thoughts. However,  I reiterate, for someone to be able to stand in one place in a continuous heavy downpour for nigh on three hours whilst, at the same time staying focused on the play being presented in front of you, well, that's pretty amazing stuff.
The other really interesting thing was the attitude of the actors towards all this inclement weather. These guys simply didn't give a toss.
They appreciated that they were performing to an adoring public and they responded in kind.
By the end of the performance all actors were dripping from head to foot and loving the experience.