Stormy Weather

[Serial_Apologist]

Serial - from memory, it's not as simple as a straight "two minutes per day" over the next six months. The curve of sunrise / sunset is surely more sinusoidal, so that at this time of year it's pretty flat, we only slowly add to daylight hours; whereas near the equinoxes the curve is much steeper and we gain daylight time much more appreciably...

Yes, vints, you're right, of course. But it was nice today getting my afternoon cuppa for the first time since the 22nd, without needing to turn the kitchen light on - so something's happening!

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh, that's OK then, as you've seen it you can comfortably settle down and snooze throughout it ... and wake refreshed ... knowing as their favourite Oncle you can shepherd them home away from the dubious delights of Clubland, but what do you do with those teenagers for a week?
Not Harry Potter studios again?

I'm looking forward to seeing it again! Have you found out if your local can 'do' 3D?

[Anna]

I'm looking forward to seeing it again! Have you found out if your local can 'do' 3D?

No, not yet, it doesn't say on their website (not due here until January 11th) I did watch the trailer though when you first mentioned it and as they are doing matinees thought it was just a film for young kiddies ....
Well, the Met Office were correct in saying it would bucket down here around 9am, it's almost impossible to hear through the rain Edit: Thankfully shortlived and beautiful moon now sailing across the sky.

[marthe]

First snow of the season here in Rhode Island. Wishing all a belated very Happy Christmas and will hold off on the New year's greetings until the day itself. I've been off-line for a bit but am catching up now. Here chez m, we've got fires going in three of our four fireplaces and are sipping a lovely Christmas scaldis de Belgique. saly, I saw a mention of mahlerei and Sky a few posts back, please send my best wishes when you get in touch with mahlerei.

[Serial_Apologist]

First snow of the season here in Rhode Island. Wishing all a belated very Happy Christmas and will hold off on the New year's greetings until the day itself. I've been off-line for a bit but am catching up now. Here chez m, we've got fires going in three of our four fireplaces and are sipping a lovely Christmas scaldis de Belgique. saly, I saw a mention of mahlerei and Sky a few posts back, please send my best wishes when you get in touch with mahlerei.

Lovely to be hearing from you, and a Very Happy New Year, marthe! and a across the waves!

[mangerton]

First snow of the season here in Rhode Island. Wishing all a belated very Happy Christmas and will hold off on the New year's greetings until the day itself. I've been off-line for a bit but am catching up now. Here chez m, we've got fires going in three of our four fireplaces and are sipping a lovely Christmas scaldis de Belgique. saly, I saw a mention of mahlerei and Sky a few posts back, please send my best wishes when you get in touch with mahlerei.

Yes, good to hear from you again, marthe. It all sounds very cosy. I'd to look up "scaldis" and I gather it's a very strong beer, which sounds delicious, if perhaps dangerous!

Like you, I'll hold off on the HNY greetings till after the bells; that's the Scottish way.

[salymap]

Lovely to be hearing from you, and a Very Happy New Year, marthe! and a across the waves!

Echoed by me. We wondered how you were getting on. AsI'm only about one eighth Scottish I'll wish you a happy new year now and again later if you are online. Mahlerei and daughter have had the nasty bug that's going around but hope they are recovered by now. I potter along, neglecting the housework to phone and email, or take calls. It was a lovely Christmas here too apart fromthe rain, which didn't let up.
bestio for now .........

[Anna]

I'm really rather envious of marthe and her four fireplaces and imagine her sitting before a roaring fire looking out over a snowy landscape ... sounds idyllic! It's rained slightly here but clearing skies, some heavy stuff tomorrow morning.
I shall have to brave the supermarket tomorrow, usual mayhem with people stocking up for New Year parties I imagine but I was wondering, why do they get 1st and 2nd of January as bank holidays in Scotland, is it because Hogmanay is celebrated more than Christmas?

[Serial_Apologist]

Today I met up with younger relations at the National Gallery. Meet-up time was agreed for 12 noon, and I had intended taking the 11.30 train from here to Victoria, then the District Line to Embankment. Got to the station - the train was cancelled, and the next one due at 11.59! The only thing to do was run back to the flat (6 minutes) and get the bike out. I left a message on their mobile, cycled as fast as I could, and arrived at the National at 12.15: not bad, eh, for an unfit 67-year old smoker? Needless to say, I'm totally whacked now!

Batten down the hatches for tonight's and tomorrow's expected gales and heavy rain. Weather's expected to calm down a bit thereafter.

[mangerton]

I'm really rather envious of marthe and her four fireplaces and imagine her sitting before a roaring fire looking out over a snowy landscape ... sounds idyllic! It's rained slightly here but clearing skies, some heavy stuff tomorrow morning.
I shall have to brave the supermarket tomorrow, usual mayhem with people stocking up for New Year parties I imagine but I was wondering, why do they get 1st and 2nd of January as bank holidays in Scotland, is it because Hogmanay is celebrated more than Christmas?

Rain here today, tending to sleet and snow in higher areas, and strong winds to boot.

In answer to your holiday query, Anna, the answer lies, as it so often does, in religion. After the Reformation, the Presbyterians in Scotland declared Christmas to be "Popish", and banned its celebration. New Year perforce became the major Scottish celebration, and it was only in (I think) 1958 that Christmas Day in Scotland became a public holiday. Until then factories and other places of work were open, post was delivered, and newspapers were published. Holidays were of course fewer then, and even after 1958 some workers had to choose between Christmas or New Year as the one winter holiday, and New Year was almost always the chosen day. I started work in 1969, and I believe that was the first year that my company was closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. At that time NYD was the one day in Scotland when post was neither delivered nor collected. Jan 2nd and Boxing Day became public holidays in 1973 and 74 respectively.

[Nick Armstrong]

Today I met up with younger relations at the National Gallery. Meet-up time was agreed for 12 noon, and I had intended taking the 11.30 train from here to Victoria, then the District Line to Embankment. Got to the station - the train was cancelled, and the next one due at 11.59! The only thing to do was run back to the flat (6 minutes) and get the bike out. I left a message on their mobile, cycled as fast as I could, and arrived at the National at 12.15: not bad, eh, for an unfit 67-year old smoker? Needless to say, I'm totally whacked now!

Bravo S_A ! Been doing a lot of driving lately with guests in this rotten weather, but today I got the bike out for some reasonably local chores - blowy but not unpleasant. Hope the wind was with you on your chase into town...

[Serial_Apologist]

Bravo S_A ! Been doing a lot of driving lately with guests in this rotten weather, but today I got the bike out for some reasonably local chores - blowy but not unpleasant. Hope the wind was with you on your chase into town...

It was, Cali - and facing me all the (uphill) way home!

I don't normally cycle much in winter, for obvious weather reasons!

[marthe]

Rain here today, tending to sleet and snow in higher areas, and strong winds to boot.

In answer to your holiday query, Anna, the answer lies, as it so often does, in religion. After the Reformation, the Presbyterians in Scotland declared Christmas to be "Popish", and banned its celebration. New Year perforce became the major Scottish celebration, and it was only in (I think) 1958 that Christmas Day in Scotland became a public holiday. Until then factories and other places of work were open, post was delivered, and newspapers were published. Holidays were of course fewer then, and even after 1958 some workers had to choose between Christmas or New Year as the one winter holiday, and New Year was almost always the chosen day. I started work in 1969, and I believe that was the first year that my company was closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. At that time NYD was the one day in Scotland when post was neither delivered nor collected. Jan 2nd and Boxing Day became public holidays in 1973 and 74 respectively.

Goodness, the Scots must have had a lot in common with those early New England settlers who didn't hold with any of that mid-winter Popish nonsense. Some of these killjoys saved up the most onerous task of the year (mucking out the sheepcote or digging a cellar hole) just for December 25th to prove that they weren't indulging in any Romish or pagan nonsense. Only the Anglicans "kept Christmas" during Newport's early days. It was illegal to celebrate in neighboring Massachusetts. I'm not sure if they got up to any high jinks for the New Year! At any rate, there was always plenty of excellent rum around with which to make merry, should they have been so inclined. Nowadays, Christmas-in-Newport is a month-long celebration of the holidays that includes tree-lighting, doorway decorations, carol-singing, "holiday strolls" in the various shopping areas, a 21-gun salute fired off by the Artillery Company of Newport etc...

Many thanks to all for their Christmas greetings and good wishes! Weatherwise, we've had a few inches of ice-covered snow and are in for a cold and windy night. The sunset, just passed, gilded all the ice-covered tree branches so that they appeared to be decked with hundreds of fairy lights. So beautiful and too ephemeral to try and photograph. Nature imitating art imitating nature.

[Nick Armstrong]

It was, Cali - and facing me all the (uphill) way home!

I don't normally cycle much in winter, for obvious weather reasons!

I'll pick it up again when back to work in a week.

Bet it felt good to get home and put the feet up!!

[mangerton]

Goodness, the Scots must have had a lot in common with those early New England settlers who didn't hold with any of that mid-winter Popish nonsense. Some of these killjoys saved up the most onerous task of the year (mucking out the sheepcote or digging a cellar hole) just for December 25th to prove that they weren't indulging in any Romish or pagan nonsense. Only the Anglicans "kept Christmas" during Newport's early days. It was illegal to celebrate in neighboring Massachusetts. I'm not sure if they got up to any high jinks for the New Year! At any rate, there was always plenty of excellent rum around with which to make merry, should they have been so inclined. Nowadays, Christmas-in-Newport is a month-long celebration of the holidays that includes tree-lighting, doorway decorations, carol-singing, "holiday strolls" in the various shopping areas, a 21-gun salute fired off by the Artillery Company of Newport etc...

Yes, we commented before on this uneasy "someone, somewhere is enjoying himself" feeling. Still, it sounds as if we're both making up for it now.