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 ?