No wonder I`m exhausted !   Yesterday was one of those days when things seemed to get worse as the day went by.   And what momentous events they were.   I know we live in unusual, not to say unprecedented, times but really some of the things that came to pass yesterday made me wonder whether I had been transported to the set of a Disney fantasy epic.   But the reality, of course, was that I was simply continuing to live in yet another example of the fact that we are living proof of existing in God`s blueprint, the prototype, the draft edition so that all the bugs can be ironed out before He (or more likely She) produces the proper job.

The big issues of the day included, of course, the anointing of Big Boris as our new Prime Minister following yet another thoroughly undemocratic process which foisted him on the country thanks to the votes of about 92,000 card carrying conservatives.   He`ll have his rant to Parliament today whereupon Parliament will shut down until  a brief reappearance in September.   There was a time when railroads were run properly - this ain`t no way to run a railroad.

Then another hot steamy day of weather - temperatures soaring, humidity rising and us elderly burdens confined to barracks as we comply with Government `advice.`   It`s all down to climate change, of course, although it might still be another design fault that God has to iron out before getting it right.   At least it keeps the climate change protesters, the plastic protesters and the mental health campaigners busy.

But surely the most momentous event in all of yesterday`s priorities was the capitulation of the England cricket team who were dismissed for a mere 85 before lunch in the Lord`s Test against Ireland.   This may have been an allegory of the Irish Government`s  determination to keep the backstop for the border with Northern Ireland - yet another uncanny event with hidden meaning, dire consequences and an unknown outcome.

And finally, in the late evening Hampshire went down to a resounding defeat against Sussex in the T20 competition at Hove, actually.   Just seemed to bring the day to an appropriate finale.   Nurse !!!!!

SCORCHIO....

According to the weather forecasts, today is going to be a scorcher here in south east England, with temperatures rising to the mid to late 30sC although the high humidity might make it feel more like the low 40sC.  And it`s expected to become even hotter and more humid as the week progresses.

Last time we were faced with this kind of forecast, the Government helpfully issued `advice` to the elderly and vulnerable along the lines of `staying indoors, not venturing out into the sun, drinking plenty of fluids, resting as much as possible and generally taking it easy.`

All very helpful.   So I think today I will stay indoors, not go out in the sun, drink plenty of fluids, rest as much as possible and generally take it easy even if it is my 58th wedding anniversary.   

Have a nice day.

JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS ?

There`s a local colloquialism for heavy and persistent rain - it`s called `wazzing.`   And boy is it wazzing today.  It`s also cold and gloomy and it all comes as a bit of a shock after the long, scorchio summer that has now passed us by.

And my mood has not been helped by the events of yesterday.  Firstly and predictably the Saints went to Liverpool and were 3-0 down at half time, thanks to an early own goal of heroic ineptness, a towering header from a Liverpool player who managed to out-jump Saints central defender, 6`6" Jannik Vestergaard and a tap-in by Salah during first half added time.   Saints manager Mark Hughes reckoned that we drew the second half 0-0 to take `a positive` from a disappointing afternoon on Merseyside.   I`m surprised there isn`t an open top bus parade around Southampton this morning to celebrate.

My neighbour must be sick as a parrot, having been over the moon when his beloved Gillingham came from behind to go into a  2-1 lead only to finish up losing 2-4 to table topping Peterborough.  And despite a deficit reducing solo effort from our street`s footy hero Scott ("Buzzin` six-pack") Wagstaff, Wimbledon went down 2-1 away at Accrington, which these days is never an easy place to go to.   And Truro City made the 500-mile round trip to Hereford in an early round of the FA Cup only to draw 0-0 and have to play it all again in an unwanted replay.

In less important issues, the media is full of the Labour Party conference which this week will bore the pants of some of the populace, whilst others will be repelled by some of the `policies` they are about to announce, leaving only the die-hard Corbynistas to enthuse at the prospect of yet another General Election - a classic example of politicians pursuing blind ambition and a lust for power.  Just what we need. 

No wonder I have a feeling of despair this morning, but I hope it`s just one of those days.

This was a bit of my back garden a couple of days ago as we struggle our way through a week dominated by `The Beast from the East` and `Storm Emma.`  Even now as I look out of the window it`s snowing again and it has got me thinking about the experiences I have had with snow over the years.

The first really bad snow I can properly remember was in 1947 - I was seven at the time - and I remember being `sent out to play` in the deep and crisp and even and encouraged to make sure I was home in time for tea.  I still recall being very cold - `shrammed` to use a good old Hampshire description - but it was a memorable introduction to the ravages of severe weather.

My maternal grandfather was `old school` - a pattern maker in the Great Western Railway Works at Swindon and I remember my mother telling me that, when my grandfather and his chums went on a coach trip somewhere, they managed to get as far as Aldbourne on the Wiltshire Downs on their way home when the snow finally defeated them.  So, what did they do?  They got off the coach and walked the eight miles from Aldbourne back to Swindon, mainly by walking along the tops of the hedges, such was the depth of the snow they encountered.   They don`t make `em like that any more.

And on Boxing Day in 1962 in started snowing and the snow and icy conditions went on and on.  We had almost forgotten what grass looked like, as it wasn`t until the very end of March that the weather relented and Spring crept into being.   Our first son was born on 31st March 1963 having had the good sense to remain tucked up in the warm whilst the worst of that winter ran its course.

Maybe this winter hasn`t been so bad after all.  And at least my garden looks as tidy as everyone else`s.

Only a couple of days ago, I posted a photo I took wandering around our local lake and what a glorious sunny day it was.   Well, today I wandered down to the riverbank again and took this photo.   As the song says, `What a difference a day makes.`  And I really would like to know whatever happened to global warming.......

Well, I really thought Winter was turning in to Spring but it seems to be going on and on despite the fact that the sunsets are getting decidedly later.   I listened to the weather forecast today and, if anything, the prospects, which were already pretty gloomy, are getting worse.   Very cold days, even colder nights, biting east wind and the prospect of snow and all kinds of disruption in the week ahead.

And as I wandered around the parish with Barney this morning, I was reminded once again of Don Maclean`s American Pie -

`But February made me shiver
With every paper I`d deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn`t take one more step.......`

But whilst this February morning made me shiver, it was a beautiful sunny day and so I took a few photos of our local lake, still looking peaceful, quiet and serene.  Here`s a sample (please click on the photo for a better image) :-

(I`m already thinking of Jerry Keller`s `Here comes Summer.)

FORECASTING MADE SIMPLE...

Living as I do in the good ol` U of K, I suppose I share the national obsession with the weather which can of course, be very unpredictable and ranging from scorchio to brass monkeys and everything in between - if you get my drift.   To quote Tom Jones, it`s not unusual for us to have the four seasons in one day and so, along with our weather obsession, I guess we might also be obsessed with the weather forecasts.

Now some of these are worth watching for their entertainment value - Tomas Schafernaker  (?sp); Alexis Green, the well known Saints babe who presents the weather forecast on BBC South Today;  David Brain who not only does the same on BBC Spotlight South West but also is prone to including videos of well known south west locations;  but by and large, weather forecasts at least on TV tend to be pretty dull affairs, if not a bit complicated for those of us without degrees in atmospheric science or meteorology.  I suppose the most riveting are the forecasts on BBC Radio which include such items as the state of the sea (usually rough or slight); winds (usually light to variable); and visibility (precipitation within sight, etc.)

Now  Porthallow in deepest Cornwall marks the mid point of the 630 mile long south west coast path and, as an aid to travellers and locals alike, has installed a weather stone, designed to make forecasting simple, quick and accurate.   Here it is:-

I took this photo on a recent visit but some of the detail  was obscured by the stone itself. Just to fill in the gaps, the forecast for sunny is `shadow on ground;` the one for snowing is `white on top;` foggy is `can`t see stone;` and when the stone is swinging, it means it`s windy.  So congratulations to the good folk of Porthallow for this splendid initiative which, if it catches on, could save the BBC £millions. 

IN THE SUMMERTIME...

Well, so far it`s been a rubbish summer here in deepest Kent but we have had the occasional spectacular sunset.  Here`s one which I took from our back garden looking across the North Downs to the sun setting in the western sky.......

ANOTHER MURKY MORNING...

This was the scene yesterday morning here in deepest Kent.  It has turned milder but damper and murkier and I think I might just prefer the cold, crisp, bright days we had last week. But, whatever the weather might be here, I`m just thankful not to be caught up in the mega blizzard on the eastern seaboard of America.  Anyway, here`s yesterday`s image from here.......

THE BLEAK MIDWINTER....

Just got back from a walkies with Barney, our Retriever and my goodness it`s turned cold. There`s a biting north-east wind blowing and according to the forecast we`re in for the coldest spell of weather for three or four years.   And here we were admiring the spring flowers all coming into bloom , the grass still growing and every sign of global warming in the air.   That`ll teach us.   Anyway, snow could be here over the weekend and the last time we had snow here in our Kentish enclave, I took this photo of one man and his dog battling the elements.   Could be Barney and me over the next few days.   Brrrr.......

(Please click on photo for a larger image)

AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS...

Just a quick note to wish you, dear reader, a very happy Christmas and all good wishes for 2016. Here in my Kentish enclave, the day began with a brisk walk with our Retriever under cloudy skies and with every prospect of the day becoming wetter and windier as the unseasonal mild weather continues.   There was a time, in the mists of my younger days, when Christmas used to produce snow, which seemed right and proper then, but there`s little prospect of snow, ice and freezing cold weather in today`s forecast, thank goodness - I could do without all that.   But anyway, here`s a photo I took in our local woods the last time we had some proper snow........Jingle Bells!

A CHANGEABLE OUTLOOK..

The picture shows BBC weather lady, Carol Kirkwood, either hearing the news that she has been pitchforked into Strictly Come Dancing or that the Met. Office have lost the contract to supply weather forecasts to the BBC.  Instead, the BBC are putting the service out to tender with a hint of delicious irony.  They claim that the move is being made so as to guarantee `value for money` which would be fine, were it not for the fact that they have more management layers than you would find in a mille feuille as well as high altitude salaries and expenses both internally and to `talent.`

Now if they are genuine in their search for `value for money` for the licence payers, maybe they should look at other areas than might be ripe for tendering.   For example, the burgeoning number of regional programmes - both TV and radio.  At the last count there were 15 separate regional television stations in England alone and an extraordinary 48 local BBC radio stations.   

Now I must confess to watching about three of the 15 TV stations - South East Today, `cos that`s where I live;  South Today to keep tabs on Southampton FC; and BBC Spotlight, the regional channel for the south west, where I have vested interests.  And I`ve noticed that they all have their cast of news and weather presenters, their Political Editors, their Environment correspondents; Sports sections, Social Affairs persons, Education correspondents and on and on it goes - they all seem to mirror the main BBC News channels, so I guess the whole of the BBC News output could do with some `value for money` examination.

It will be interesting to see what the change from Met Office forecasts brings.  I imagine the weather itself will be whatever it will be, but the presentation might be very different.  I can see announcements such as, "And now for the weather, brought to you by Ryan Airways."    Or the next spell of cold and frosty weather will be sponsored by Snuggles Duvets.  

As for Carol and her chums, well there are loads of them scattered across the 15 regional channels as well as in Salford and I wish them no harm in this process, but there is always Strictly Come Dancing, The Voice, Britain`s Got Talent, Bargain Hunt and Big Brother to turn to.  

DROWNING IN BUREAUCRACY

On journeys down to Devon or Cornwall, we pass through Somerset - something we have done for 40 years or so - and it`s a pity really because Somerset is a beautiful county with spectacular scenery.  And each time we have passed through the Somerset Levels I have been fascinated by the landscape and the insularity yet the community feeling of the villages - Muchelney, Huish Episcopi,Westonzoyland, Burrowbridge and the rest.

Of course, the Levels have been in the news as a result of damaging floods, which have been going on for weeks with little sign of a let-up - yet more heavy and persistent rainfall is predicted in the next few days.   No wonder the beleaguered villagers and farmers are in despair, especially as this is by no means the first time they have had to endure all the hardship and despondency that flooding on this scale brings.   OK, we`ve had our share here in Kent - Yalding, Tonbridge, East Peckham and the like, but we`ve experienced nothing like that in Somerset.

And so, after weeks and weeks, the Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, finally set foot in Somerset yesterday in a `fact finding mission.`   Unsurprisingly he was assailed by local residents and the farming community as to why nothing had been done to help them and to alleviate the problems.   His response?  Well, he was always on a hiding to nothing but he didn`t help his cause by saying, "I hope we will have a very clear action plan presented to me in six weeks` time so that I can make a categoric decision once and for all, but then long term look to see how, with partnership funding, local agencies such as the internal drainage boards, the Environment Agency, the county council, the four district councils, NGOs and people like the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts can work together......."

Drowning in bureaucracy.   It all reminded me of one of the management slogans I used to employ in a former life - "For God`s sake do something, even if you just say goodbye!"

HERE ONE MINUTE..

Well, almost in answer to my recent rant about the media`s obsession with our weather, Mother Nature has been throwing everything at us in the last couple of weeks - torrential rain, hail, thunder, gales, all leading to widespread flooding, the distressful loss of lives and destruction of property.   Where we live, we`re a long walk from the beach and so I have not been able to experience these events at close range.   Instead, I`ve been watching the television reports, especially those on the BBC south west regional Spotlight programme - Channel 967 on Sky - although one day we did drive down to Sandgate on the Kent coast and were astonished at the power of the sea and the waves crashing against the sea defences.

But that was nothing compared to the events in other parts of the country - Devon, Cornwall and Wales in particular - and the picture above shows one of our favourite haunts, Porthcothan on Cornwall`s north coast.  Last year, we enjoyed a couple of visits there and the coast path walks from Porthcothan to Bedruthan Steps and the other way along to Treyarnon and back.   Here`s a photo I took last summer of the rocks and the natural arch at Porthcothan Bay:-

......and here`s a picture of the same spot taken yesterday after the arch simply collapsed into the sea as a result of the power of the storm force wind and the waves:-

A classic case of `Here one minute, gone the next` but it has reminded me that being on the coast path in Cornwall in all the glory of high Summer is a very different prospect from being there in Winter when the Atlantic storms can wreak this kind of destruction.   (I`m just sorry I wasn`t there to witness it.)

THE BEAUTIFUL SOUTH ?

This was the scene this morning on the lane leading to our neighbouring village, although I cannot understand what possesses people to even attempt to drive through conditions like that.   One thing that has impressed me of late is the accuracy of the weather forecasts; they got this one spot on and so we all knew what was coming and should have been prepared for problems like this.   So, well done, the Met. Office.

We`ve had all the predicted high winds with their damaging gusts, the 80cm of rain (I think that`s about three inches in old money) and now the subsequent localised flooding and chaos on the highways and byways of this fair isle.  What`s more, there`s another deluge on its way for the end of the week with yet more storm force winds, travel disruption and all round inconvenience.  Now I feel for the inconvenience suffered by those whose power supplies have been affected and for those whose Yuletide journeys have been disrupted on the roads, the airports and the railway network.

And, of course, all this has led to yet another media bonanza, with extended leading items on every TV news bulletin, local and national radio and pages of newsprint.   All very predictable.   But I have a deep suspicion that the weather conditions we`re having here in the beautiful south are pretty much the norm for this time of the year in more northern parts, where they expect it, they`re used to it, they just get on with it and they don`t make the kind of fuss we`re having down here.   I think it`s called Scotland and I think it`s called Winter.

We seem to be bottom heavy as a nation - the concentration of population in and around the urban sprawl of the capital, the frantic pace of life, of traffic, of everything - and it`s not until you get right away from this almost suffocating quarter in the south east that you realise there is a whole different world out there where the weather and the problems it might bring are just accepted as part of the natural order of things. 

But maybe it`s just me ?

SLIP SLIDING AWAY..

As you can see from my photo, it`s been snowing all day here in deepest Kent and while I was out giving Barney his walkies this afternoon, somehow memories of winters past came flooding back.  It was, of course, 50 years ago that we had the great freeze of 1963, when the snow that fell on Boxing Day was still with us at the end of March.   Mrs. Snopper and I had been married for 18 months or so and we had moved into a quite nasty old house which we rented in a quite nasty bit of Maidstone.   During all that big freeze, our first son was `expected` but he had the good sense to stay in the warm and not emerge until the very last day of March, whereupon the snow and ice finally disappeared and we lived happily ever after.

But I also remember the big freeze of 1947, when as a boy of seven or eight, my family were still living in Hythe on the western shore of Southampton Water, where my Dad worked on the maintenance unit for BOAC flying boats.   I still have vivid memories of being pitchforked out of the house each day and told to get out there and enjoy the snow and don`t come home until tea time.  (That fairly accurately exemplifies my relationship with my parents.   They didn`t understand me;  they were Japanese.)  I remember playing snowball fights with my school friends up on the deserted golf course but strangely never once feeling the cold.   Our village school was never closed either and I can still recall a daily battle with small bottles of school milk that always had a couple of inches of ice on the top.

Now I don`t know when it was, but my Mother used to tell me about the time when her father, my grandfather, once went on a `works outing` from Swindon GWR Railway Works to the races at Newbury.   The day brought the worst snow seen for years and on the return journey, their charabanc (not sure they had coaches as such) got stuck in the snowdrifts near Aldbourne, high up on the Wiltshire Downs.   As you do, my grandfather and his chums proceeded to walk along the tops of the hedges all the way back to Swindon - a tramp of some 12 miles.

So today, with all its winter charm, is hopefully no more than a fleeting interlude before the thermometer climbs back into positive territory, because the older I get the more I can do without cold, snow and ice and the more I look forward to the return of the sun on my back and a summer to remember, rather than winters of discontent. 

GLOBAL WARMING?

BRING IT ON!!

So is this an Indian Summer? As summer draws to a close people often talk wistfully of the prospect of an Indian Summer. But what do they really mean? Summer in India can be unbearably hot with temperatures of over 45 degrees Celsius.

The origins of an `Indian Summer` are uncertain, but it may relate to the Indians of North America, rather than those of the Asian subcontinent. Alistair Cooke, in one of his renowned ‘Letters from America’ suggests that: "During the autumn period, these summer spells of quiet, anticyclonic weather are associated with mainly clear skies and long nights. This leads to plenty of nocturnal cooling and radiation fog forms extensively. The Indians used these periods of poor visibility in the fog to attack white settlers, and there lay the connection."

Whatever the truth may be, I have no doubt that in the next few days someone with a very low carbon footprint will pop up and claim that our current Indian Summer is yet another example of global warming. If the lovely weather we`re having now is what global warming brings, then that`s fine by me. Bring it on! In the meantime, I`ll watch out for dawn raids from across the border in Sussex.