The growing number of indoor snow centres in the UK makes it possible for Brits to get around a perennial problem that faced us when we bought our ski equipment – testing it first.

We had the choice of buying abroad in a ski resort where we could test it but not easily return it to the shop if there was a problem, or of buying at our local ski shop but not really testing it until we got to the Alps and then had little come back if there was a problem.