Weather

Well, here we are at the end of May / start of June which some quarters say is the start of summer!

Now, being a weather anorak I hear people moaning all the time about the weather as it is now or most of the time. As you can imagine this always rouses my healthy interest in the subject (could be worse - I could be a train spotter).

I have a theory with regards to people's approach or view of the weather. One is that we do have a lot of weather presenters' forecasts that today you will look at and not go to that location because of what they might have said. Years ago you would have just got on and went and made the most of what an island weather would throw at you; on the coast glorious sunshine one minute and warm then bang in comes the fog. Well, that's life I guess (no science lesson here). Now, up to date from the start of the year we have had possibly as near as normal weather you could expect except for local variations like the normal storms we would expect at this time of year with an unsettled atmosphere.

Now June, well this can be good or bad (sitting on the fence). I never really new if flaming June meant warm halcyon days or "FLAMING " June because it was so bad!

Now we know things are warming up - global warming! That's for another day but did you know that June is the only month that has not shown that trend. So do not expect to much this time.

Now, back to the theory. I think the main reasons are at least two fold. One is that so many people take their holidays and breaks abroad to warm sunny climates and so their expectations become too high for our island. The other is the occasional overhype of weather forecasters or should I say presenters which for some reason want to over elaborate certain condition. It's almost, dare I say it, the American touch!

Also bear in mind it's not normally until the start to mid-July before our weather would tend to settle for a period, i.e. through to September. So, if the weather has not normally settled by the 15th July the chances are that it will not settle at all and is probably where the saying comes from that if it rains on St. Swithin's Day it will rain for forty days. I would interpret that at "it will remain unsettled for that period".

So thereby June would be on par with September excepting the daylight difference and is only 25% the chance of having the hottest day of the summer. Same as August, so no surprise in July being the norm.

Anyway, whatever you do - enjoy the sunny days and make the most of them.

Fueled by Greed!

Well here I go again. On the old soap box.

Surely I am not the only one!

Can you believe it! Indeed, is it true with the latest news that gas and electricity are going to rise significantly again over the next year. Tell me, am I missing the point? Is this pay back time for arrogance towards an endless supply of energy or is it just greed? Possibly the truth lies between the two.

Some of the payback now in my views has come out the privatisation of utility companies, i.e. water, gas, electric. How can you have a choice of water? I told my local one that I would like Scottish spring water through my taps. Of course they declined saying it would be too expensive. So where's the choice? Please correct me on any things that I might have wrong but my understanding of these privatisations was that they were to create competition, choice, etc. and to get rid of cartelling. Have we now turned full circle? In the early days you had somewhere up to 22 different suppliers. Now it's down to just 4. Yes, 4. Do you know (and again please correct me if I am wrong) that there's apparently no competition oversears of the companies. How can that be right? Cartelling back! And to cap it all I think most, if not all, are foreign owned. Again, how can that be in our country's interest?

You then get the comments by them that we need the money for exploration. Oh, I think they meant exploitation!!

Weather

Sign of hope!!

Now, this bank holiday weekend (well Sunday/Monday) is forecasted to be one of the wettest for a long while with up to 5 inches of rain in some areas predicted by some forecasters. We will have to wait and see. There's certainly the potential for this as the system will be slow moving.

Now for the positive bit - well maybe!! If this was happening in the depths of winter (around January/February) we would have the forecast for potentially heavy snow. With the added extra of an easterly wind bringing blizzards. Now, from my observations (and this is the hope / wishful thinking part) over the years this seldom happens and the fronts tend to be held at bay more often than not. So we could end up with a lot of cloud and wind but the rain may stay below the M4 corridor. But, and this is a big "but", the level of forecasting is so good these days you would think they will be right.

But with the barometer falling maybe it's best to stay indoors and view live weather information for Henley and see how we fair.

Ungamely

Well, those of you that visit the blog regurlarly will know how I have talked about my morning constitution walk...

...where I see many birds and animals; a couple of Roe Deer in the middle of the road this morning.


I, like many of us, see Red Kites but, maybe not like so many of us, I see up to 8 on the ground searching for Earthworms, etc. At this level it's amazing just how ordinary they look, even to the point of looking a bit clumsy. But wow, we know the difference once they take to the air. Sometimes only a few feet above my head. Wonderful!

Fuel

Well, here's one for all you mathematicians/statisticians.

Forgive me if this has been raised in the press but as I do not get a paper I would not know (that's another blog). With all the attention around fuel and the failing government I have just filled up the family car (no, not a lorry, tank or Rolls Royce, but a Fiat with a large fuel tank) and it took just under £100.00. Ouch!! We went on a family holiday to Warners down in Sidmouth/Seaton back in the early to mid 1980s. We were a family of 4 and went half board. Cor!! That really was extravagant by my standards (yes, it was a great time). Guess how much it cost? Yes, you guessed it - £100.00!!

Anyway, back to the maths. I did hear somewhere that the revenue on fuel is around 75%. Is that true? For the exercise we will say it is. Including the VAT it's certainly not a small percentage. Now, the point I am trying to make (in a long winded fashion) is that any government worth its salt could in the position as it stands redeem a few "Brown points". This is because of the fact that the increase has been rapid and extortionate in recent months the revenue would have increased proportionately. So extra coffers would not have been put into the budget equation. Or was it and they are using this to recover some of their spend or am I just being cynical. I accept that one part of the figure would/could be offset by less private use but in general it would show a massive increase in the tax revenue with the VAT taken into account. So why why are they not offering us a rest bite from these increases and showing us what they really could do to help as many people as possible in their attempts to survive this present credit crunch. So, please someone work those figures out. Then with those figures we might be able to start the campaign to get it done.

Before anyone thinks this is a political call. Where do you see the opposition pressing for this to be done? Nowhere. Why is it always the same in opposition. They always have an excuse not to make big commitments. You know why? In my humble opinion it is that most things to do with raising revenue is always good thing for any opposition!

Come on let's have the figures and opinions. Don't sit on the fence.

Of course (cynical again).

Nice Weather Consequence

Just like most people I love nice weather but the issue here in Henley is that in our location we suffer from the Heathrow flight path noise.


This is due to the fact that the best weather will come with that easterly wind in the summer.

Do you think this has increased and if so why? I thought it was 6am to 10pm now its seems to go before and beyond those hours.

As for the height; they appear to be much lower now. So much so you can see the pilots waving!

Do you know the answers?

Lovely

What a glorious morning; fresh but clear. What we call a good ozone, with crystal clear skies and great visibility.

MP

Moving on from the last blog...

Who do you want to see as our new MP?

Let us know your ideal canididate.

I guess he/she has got to have a lot of blonde hair (counts me out) and be very supportive of their leader! Oh yes, must love Liverpool and Portsmouth too.

BBB

"Bye Bye Boris" Bye bye!

Who was more surprised; Boris or Ken? Or, even more so, Mr Cameron. What was that expression on his face?

Yes. I am sure he was pleased. No, really, honest!

Good luck Boris! Stick to your guns. Let the world now be your stage!!

Green

As you know, this time of year generally gives you a lift even if people's expectations of our weather are too high.

The weather we have now is so perfectly normal and one thing this generates is a splendor of colour my favourite being the greens. They just throw themselves at you with their subtle shades. The added combination of dew and bluebells (just voted Britain's favourite flower) in bright sunshine takes some beating. You can have your endless days of sunshine and heat but you could never better this array of new life in our surroundings. Of course, all in my humble opinion.