Dark mornings, a cold face and trying to unlock your phone with gloves on: Brits rank the 25 things they hate most about winter

Winter can be a romantic time in Britain: imagine crackling fires and walks in the frosty countryside.

But as a recent survey shows, there’s a lot to hate about the colder months.

Research try to find out “the worst thing about winter in Great Britain” – according to the British. And “dark mornings” was the biggest winter killer, topping the list of 25 with 49 percent of the vote.

“Slipping on the Ice” secured the silver medal with 44 percent, while bronze went to “Having a Cold Face” with 41 percent.

Other common winter complaints include “a runny nose” (fourth, 38 percent); “Heating costs” (fifth, 34 percent); and “defrost the car” came in sixth with “cold hands” (32 percent).

The study shows Brits are comfort-loving creatures as temperatures drop and the nights draw in.

That’s because many said they hate getting out of a warm bed and into a cold house in the morning (seventh, 31 percent).

It was followed in the rankings by chapped lips (eighth, 25 percent); sweating under several layers (ninth, 24 percent); and wet feet (tenth, 23 percent).

The all-too-common feeling of your umbrella turning inside out was also a winter nuisance (11th, 22 percent), as was trying to unlock a phone while wearing gloves.

It finished in 14th place with broken boilers and a vitamin D deficiency (17 percent).

And one in six Britons (16 per cent) said they hate winter travel disruption, and are 15th in heated arguments with colleagues over the temperature in the office.

While one in ten (10 percent) said they hate glasses, a dead car battery or text messages asking “Is it snowing where you live?” – all in the 18th century.

Many said they hate getting out of a warm bed in the morning when the house is cold (seventh place)

“Slipping on Ice” won the silver medal with 44 percent of the vote

The survey of 2,000 Britons, commissioned by the Post, also revealed how the country generally feels about winter.

Overall, 81 percent of voters said they hated the season.

While more than half (56 per cent) even said it was one of the worst things about living in the UK.

Almost nine out of 10 respondents said they thought about seeking the winter sun between November and February.

Where?

Canary Islands (43 percent); Maldives (36 percent); Barbados (31 percent); Dubai (28 percent) and Miami (27 percent) were the most popular destinations in the survey.

Despite the nation’s desire to get away in winter, the research found that travel insurance is more likely to be forgotten for winter holidays in the sun than for summer trips.

Assuming there is no snow: “Defrosting the car” came in sixth place

The all-too-common phenomenon of your umbrella blowing inside out has been highlighted as a common winter nuisance

Of those who had a policy, one in six said they had no idea what it covered.

And of those who didn’t get coverage, 24 percent said insurance was too expensive and 15 percent said they were happy to take the risk and save money.

But it turns out that more than one in seven had something happen to them on holiday and then discovered they weren’t covered by travel insurance.

The post encourages winter sunbathers to “ensure they have travel insurance and read their policies carefully to avoid unnecessary fees, which can be extremely expensive.”

Paul Paddock, head of travel and protection at the Post Office, added: “Winter weather can lead to flight cancellations. So consider trip interruption insurance.” Or if you’re planning to bring Christmas presents, find out about gadget cover and baggage cover limits.

“There’s also family travel insurance if that’s something everyone can enjoy – or dedicated travel insurance packages for a cruise if that’s your preference.”

“Not everything is included as standard, so make sure you check the conditions.”