Reading ninthace's experience brought back a memory of when me and my then girlfriend, now wife, walked the SWCP between St Ives and the Lizard in 1990. Walking into Penzance the path had become overgrown and, it being June, not enough people were passing to make a lear passage. As a result we got a few stings and scratches. These tend to have little effect on me, but Mrs pdstsp is a different mater - she has always suffered with hay fever and other allergies including fairly dramatic reactions to small bites and stings.
As it was my birthday we had booked a hotel for the night in Penzance and we arrived, showered and headed for the bar. We were the only guests and, by this time, my wife's face was blotchy and her eyes were red with the affect of the pollen and scratches and stings. The barman was a "large" bloke - 2nd row forward build - when I was standing at the bar trying to order he looked at me with total disgust in his eyes and asked " Have you been hitting her?". Fortunately my wife laughed and explained her predicament so we were allowed our beers. About 10 minutes later the barman appeared at our table with a packet of piriton.