We all know how disappointing the British summer can be. Ideally we'd all have greenhouses or poly tunnels, but if you have neither don't despair. Last year I grew one single cherry tomato plant in a pot on a sunny windowsill - it turned into a vast plant and produced more fruit than I believed possible. All I did was water regularly and feed it. The poor tomato suffers more than most outside in the rain, and is more likely to get tomato blight and an array of other viruses, most of which end up killing the plants.
There are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting a decent crop.
1. Be prepared to cosset them a little, feeding regularly and keeping them sheltered from cold wind.
2. Grow those varieties that suit your location. If they have to be outside choose cherry types such as Gardener's Delight, Sungold and Black Krim, all of which will ripen outside given some sun.
3. Try growing cherry tomato variety 'Tumbling Tom' in a hanging basket with basil for company. These will tolerate outside conditions in the summer, and are either red or yellow fruits.
4. Grow several varieties - that way you'll soon learn which grow best in your garden or which you prefer to eat. And you're more likely to produce a crop from a variety of different plants.
5. Be prepared to ripen fruit indoors on a sunny windowsill. Put them in a paper bag with a banana and this will help to ripen them. But any green tomatoes do make great chutney.