Stormy Weather

[Serial_Apologist]

It's warmer here now the wind has finally died down, it's showing 18.8° (and that's probably cool compared with London & the S.E!) but it sure hasn't felt that warm until now, certainly wasn't tee shirt weather, the same happened yesterday and by around 7pm it was perfectly still and warm. I see it was reported that the coast of Sussex was engulfed in a thick sea fog for this morning, I remember those fogs that used to roll in all of a sudden when I lived by the coast. Apple tree is now in leaf and showing signs of blossom. I had expected today to be noisy with lawnmowers, barbeque parties, etc., but it's almost unnaturally quiet, perhaps like S_A everyone's out on long walks! I hope mangerton has finally had a warm sunny day off.

I cycled to the Green Dragon in Croydon to see the tenor saxophonist Art Themen lead a swinging quartet, which included the drummer Trevor Tomkins; had a toasted bacon sarnie with salad and a half of lager - all for £3,75! - left halfway through, (it being just too nice to spend half an afternoon in a pub!), and have just completed a 6-mile round walk, taking in 3 local parks, looking at their loveliest.

My legs are killing me!!!

Sea fogs are common around the south and west coasts at this time of year, Anna, when the contrast between sea temperatures still not far above winter levels and warm tropical air flowing up from the south or south-west is at its most accentuated.

[BBMmk2]

Yes, SA, down in Brighton & Hove they most certainly are. Quite surreal at ntimes, as well.

Certainly been a lovely day today, thankfully!

[EdgeleyRob]

some one was cutting paving slabs with a mechanical saw


took a trip around the hill tops surrounding the western end of town, spectacular views of The Water and very sunny and warm [car said 21C] ... instant sanity ... Finzi Clarinet Cto on the cd player ....

Perfect.

Phew what a scorcher today !

More like this please.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Glorious day in the Pennines, too - and a lovely soft evening now. It's been so warm, our Pasque Flowers have finally decided it's worthwhile flowering (well, it was Easter Sunday yesterday for the Orthodox Church!) and they look splendid by the side of the dogwood, which is also healthily flourishing. Best Bank Holiday Monday I can remember!

[Petrushka]

Superb day here as well. Sat outside in the garden reading this afternoon for the first time in ages.

Back to work in the morning.

[mangerton]

I hope mangerton has finally had a warm sunny day off.

Well, thank you, Anna. I'm afraid it was neither warm nor sunny, but at least it was dry, quiet and restful. Still, there's another Bank Hol in three weeks, and then I have a fortnight off three weeks after that, when I'm going to what appear at the moment at least to be warmer climes.

I hope all boarders in the south had a warm and fun-filled day.

[salymap]

Today was lovely but at 6pm on R4 the forecaster said we would have one more warm day on Tuesday, then it would turn very much colder. I didn't wait for details but switched off.

Let's hopeshe was wrong. Bad luck mangerton re today.

[Nick Armstrong]

Something for the regulars here tomorrow in the concert interval: a repeat, but not something I noticed before:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mdlly

Ne'er Cast a Clout ...

Duration: 20 minutes

First broadcast: Tuesday 04 September 2012

"Late August when three Kestrels fly - Autumn will be dry."

David King is something of a phenomenon in the world of weather forecasting.

Having spent the last 50 years watching the signs of nature, he believes his cross-referencing system has now reached 90% accuracy rate - up to 9 months ahead of time. His close study of the natural world around his home in Kent has enabled him to trust in sayings, some of which go back hundreds of years, and some of which he has created himself.

"If the first week of August is unusually hot, the winter will be white and long."

To find out about how David King works and walks, David Bramwell, takes to the fields and hedgerows armed with a keen eye, a pair of stout boots and a sheaf of country weather sayings, to find out how we can all learn from the flies, ants, apples and mists to read nature better for ourselves, and which sayings are based in fact.

"N'er Cast A Clout till May is Out"

[Serial_Apologist]

Something for the regulars here tomorrow in the concert interval: a repeat, but not something I noticed before:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01mdlly

Ne'er Cast a Clout ...

Duration: 20 minutes

First broadcast: Tuesday 04 September 2012

"Late August when three Kestrels fly - Autumn will be dry."

David King is something of a phenomenon in the world of weather forecasting.

Having spent the last 50 years watching the signs of nature, he believes his cross-referencing system has now reached 90% accuracy rate - up to 9 months ahead of time. His close study of the natural world around his home in Kent has enabled him to trust in sayings, some of which go back hundreds of years, and some of which he has created himself.

"If the first week of August is unusually hot, the winter will be white and long."

To find out about how David King works and walks, David Bramwell, takes to the fields and hedgerows armed with a keen eye, a pair of stout boots and a sheaf of country weather sayings, to find out how we can all learn from the flies, ants, apples and mists to read nature better for ourselves, and which sayings are based in fact.

"N'er Cast A Clout till May is Out"

I used to know the chappie who started a weather forecasting service based on sunspot activity - whose name in a current senior moment escapes me. He belonged in a sister Trotskyist organisation to myself in the late 1970s. Luckily for those dependent of accurate weather forecastings his predictions have proved more accurate in that vein than in expectations of immant social revolution!

Anyway, , make the most of today, I say to all and sundry, because this looks likely to be the last summery day for some time to come. I had given consideration to taking to the Essex lanes today, but the public transport authorities seem bent on making things awkward for those wanting to take bikes on various train lines, with restrictions and time permutations galore in operation depending on which day in the week on which lines. F'rinstance, Overground would restrict me to trains leaving Crystal Palace after 10 am, and, for the return journey, where I would change from the District Line starting from Upminster at Whitechapel, trains leaving Highbury & Islington before 4 pm - meaning I would probably have to get back to Upminster by about 3 pm to be sure of making the connection. Not much of a day's outing! It seems that only the District, Metropolitan and Circle lines permit bikes on board, and that the majority of other train services within the London travel pass borders are in sync. at weekends. The trouble with that is that forward planning on any "best at weekend" basis is forever vitiated by most closures for engineering works taking place at weekends... this being planned at short notice, so that one can only find out which lines/stations are closed by checking the TFL website on the same day!

I think I'm just going to laze out in the garden, and give my legs a chance to recover...

[salymap]

When I worked in the Music library we had a measly two weeks holiday. I found that booking the first week in June and September nearly always gave me fine [ish] weather.

S_A do take care old chap

[amateur51]

I think I'm just going to laze out in the garden, and give my legs a chance to recover...

Will they be out in the garden with you, S_A?

Totally agree about the general disaster that is London Underground's planned repairs programme - I know that it's essential work and that we're suffering because ours is the oldest system in the world BUT do parts of the underground systems in other major cities around the globe close so often?

[Serial_Apologist]

Will they be out in the garden with you, S_A?

I can't remember any Douglas Bader jokes, Ams, and in any case they probably wouldn't pass any test of acceptability.

Totally agree about the general disaster that is London Underground's planned repairs programme - I know that it's essential work and that we're suffering because ours is the oldest system in the world BUT do parts of the underground systems in other major cities around the globe close so often?

The brick vaultings on the cut-and-fill parts, in other words the oldest parts of the system, seem to have stood up best - our Victorian forbears realy knew what they were doing (aside from the issue of planning well ahead, nowadays and for as long as I can remember sacrificed to short term gain); it seems to be the rails, their underpinnings, and the never updated signalling system that have become the main problem for the Underground.

[amateur51]

I can't remember any Douglas Bader jokes, Ams, and in any case they probably wouldn't pass any test of acceptability.

To my shame & consternation I was once nearly arrested in Foregate Street in Chester when I was about nineteen, doing my locally famous Douglas Bader impersonation down the central white line one Sunday evening. I was there because my home town is in Wales, about 12 miles away and in those days you got an extra half-hour's drinking time in England.

Police officer: What are you doing?

Me: I'm doing my famous Douglas Bader impersonation, ossifer!

Police office: Oh no you're not! You're gonna bugger off home before I see you!

And I did!

Well done that Police Officer, I say.

Someone stand behind Simon and scottycelt less they should see these words of praise for Lily Law and keel over with shock

[salymap]

It's turned really cold in the S/E. Windy too. I cast a clout [jumper] butam looking for a warm cardi-
you can't believe anything any more.Brr. a whisky-Mac sounds nice,since everyone seems to posting about drink

[Serial_Apologist]

It's turned really cold in the S/E. Windy too. I cast a clout [jumper] butam looking for a warm cardi-
you can't believe anything any more.Brr. a whisky-Mac sounds nice,since everyone seems to posting about drink

They got it wrong, saly! Mostly the professionals are pretty spot-on these days, but, even as the nice smiling lady forecaster on BBC 1 lunchtime news was announcing a warm mostly sunny afternoon, I was shouting at the screen, "Look outside, you silly-billies! Look up: yes, that's altocumulus castellanus coming from the south! The wind is in the south-east - classic signs of an upper-air convergence zone, meaning showers at the very least, if not thunderstorms!" But would they listen??

Remind me what a whisky Mac is, or was, sal. We used to serve them back in the 60s. It's not Scotch and Mackeson, now, is it. Is it the same as a Manhattan - Scotch and sweet vermouth?