Yes, it's here whether we like it or not. There are so many things in our privileged West that we can choose - shall we eat in or shall we eat out?; shall I splash out on that new jumper or maybe that new shrub for the garden?; is it time to change the car?: But, like it or not the seasons roll on.
Scotland this week has been deluged, the South Coast has basked in 23 degrees. But we have no control there - we either bask flat out on the beach or watch in horror as the flood water creeps nearer. My Tesco delivery man comes from Glasgow - tells me his parents are flooded whereas his wife's Mum and Dad, who live in Kent, are enjoying a 'Spring in Autumn' walk on the beach.
We're a small(ish) island and yet how areas differ. It set me thinking - wouldn't it be interesting if, during one's lifetime, one could experience the seasons in various different places. (It would mean living there for a few years to really experience it).
The Scilly Isles - October through to March - rare frosts, even rarer snow.
The North of Scotland - ice, rain, gale force winds, snow.
The South coast -bask on the beaches at Bournemouth, Lulworth Cove; join Cro and sit in the sun in Brighton.
Alright - I am simplifying things and one thing is certain - the winter weather in the UK can be capricious wherever we live. But even the difference between town and country can be startling.
'Townies' almost always have wet pavements when it snows whereas we country folk have to get our snow pushers out and clear a path. Traffic in London rarely comes to a standstill in winter snow, whereas here a 'good' snowfall and for a while things come to a standstill.
And in Dungeness (I am still reading Modern Nature) there is always a' cruel wind' whipping the waves to a frenzy. Oh wouldn't it be wonderful if I could experience that (from the comfort of a hotel window and with a mug of hot cocoa in my hand of course).
My father had a collection of sayings which he trotted out at the first of the month - November's was always 'Winter draws on'. (we called good old-fashioned knickers (with elastic in strategic places -you oldies will know what I mean) draws in Lincolnshire. (It might interest readers to know I have not abandoned my thermal vest this year apart from one day (my carer reminds me!)
I can watch the waves crashing over the harbour wall in a howling gale on the television news; I can see the brilliant sunshine on a South coast beach on television while outside (remember hot cocoa in hand) heavy snow fills the air and the wind tells me that the snow is already drifting and sheep in the fields are huddled in the shelter of a stone wall. And I know that in the morning the farmer will be out early with his shovel and his dog to find where they are and dig them out.
But, selfish as I am, I don't want to see the effects of Autumn and Winter on television - I want - just for a day - to be magically whisked round the country to experience it all before I pop my clogs.
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28 comments:
Best bring a brolly for Wales!!!
Weaver, you are such a delight. You brighten my every morning. Thank you for that.
It has been 22C for days in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is very nice. Heavy snow gets compacted on city pavements and makes walking treacherous. It is not cleared by men on the dole as it once was and now it is not cleared at all. The forecast for East Anglia this winter is that it is going to be very cold and dry
Yes, it has been like mid-summer here on Sheppey for the last few days. Yesterday it was blue skies and up to 25 degrees in a hot sun and I was out on my bike along a very busy sea front. Today is nice and warm but with a hazier sun.
The down side is the fact that most of the countryside here is almost as dry as it was in last year's drought and trying to garden is very difficult in rock hard ground.
I still maintain, as I have for a few years now, that we don't really have four seasons any more, spring and summer make one season and autumn and winter the other.
You will be lucky to find a spot to sit on either Bournemouth beach or at Durdle Door, both always packed, and not locals, Lord knows where they come from. I’m told tourists are good for the economy but they are not good for rural dwellers who cannot park in the village or their local beach and the rubbish that is left behind defies description. Dorset used to be such a lovely place but now full of blow ins and gastro pubs, it’s all been ruined for the greedy landlords and caravan parks. Sarah Browne
Having lived in Dorset for 6 years, there's much in Sarah's comment I can agree with. Snow is pretty rare in the Bournemouth area. I remember great excitement the year there was just about enough snow for the youth group to have a snowball fight after church. Now in Norfolk, which is quite a dry county. Today the skies are blue and it's very warm and sunny. I've been in the garden in my teeshirt
I am fortunate in that I live in a place that still knows four seasons, although some days in July can be colder than in September - or, this year, even in October. It's been on our news here that we're experiencing the warmest October on record, and at least in my area, it's also been very dry. Walking on a field lane with dry grass sounds like you're stepping on crisps.
For the past few days, it has been warmer outside than in, at least during the day. When I'm home, I keep all windows wide open to let the warmer air and sunshine in. But half an hour before my shower in the morning, I turn the heating on in the bathroom - I so hate cold bathrooms.
Your armchair travels are better than nothing, but I understand your longing for "the real thing".
Here in Toronto we had 86 F last week and today it is 45 F You can have all four seasons in a week. The leaves have just started to fall, but my daughter who lives 120 miles north had snow yesterday. I have not put the furnace on yet and my house was 61 F today. We are very lucky in Toronto to have a very excellent snow removal system and most main roads get plowed before noon after a heavy snowfall. I hope that won’t happen for awhile yet. If I owned a thermal vest, I would be wearing it this morning. My hubby told me about his brother, a farmer in Scotland having to go out in the morning and digging out his sheep, I thought he was kidding me.
We have 4 seasons here in Illinois, altho, some seem shorter than others these days. My favorites are Spring and Autumn.
It is warm here at 17C, although misty. So much more comfortable than the 30C+ temperatures we were experiencing last week on our holiday.
I love the 4 distinct seasons in Massachusetts. The weather conditions are well defined but lately are defied. For example, little to no snow during winter and week long stretches of 100 degree F weather in the summer. Both are odd for New England but now more common than not. Today is a perfect October day. Sunshine, cool air, bright sunshine and a blue sky.
Beautiful day here in Suffolk today. Just right for more garden clearing, still much to do.
No telling what winter will bring us - we just have to wait and see
Sarah Browne - I t is exactly the same here in Wensleydale - in Summer our car park in the little town where I live is full early on with walkers who have parked for the day and gone off on a long walk. The other problem we have is our roads are narrow and most villages are cottages built long before cars were thought of, so too close together for garages - so in the evening both sides of the road are nose to tail with cars parked. Only a narrow bit down the middle to actually drive on. Makes for countless hold ups.
Derek - same here.
Yes the lived experiences are what are most important to remember. But maybe your magic will keep you from going from a car into that wonderful hotel, and feeling the wind and snow for that moment in time.
My dad said he knew of children on farms and in the country villages who were sewn into their underwear for winter. It must have become very smelly and itchy.
I love 4 seasons, too, and still have the snow shovel my parents gave me when we first moved to a Chicago suburb from Memphis!
We're now in Virginia which usually has 4 seasons - except for no real winter in Jan-March, 2023).
Today is sunny, breezy with the high forecast to be 67*F (19.5*C) and tonight's low 45*F (18*C). In the next few days we'll warm up to about 77*F (25*C) and this is about normal for us.
Pat, you can get your choice of roaring fires in fireplaces on your TV or computer screen thanks to You Tube and your son or carer!
Hugs!
It is interesting watching the weather news here in the US with the wide swath of territory that is covered. It's been surreal for me in the upper midwest this summer. Torrential rain on the west coast, horrible rain and flooding on the east coast, and incredible heat waves for weeks on end in the west and southwest. But here we have had an unusually temperate spring, summer, and now fall. Fairly frequent rains through the hot summer and wonderful cool, humidity free days have make working in the garden a delight. Generally, it's too hot and sultry to do much of anything other than mowing and trimming the lawn in July, August, and a good bit of September but I've worked straight through the last 6 moths and consequently I am so ready for some cold downtime.
I always enjoy your posts and this one is no exception. I am not as intrepid as you, and prefer to witness winter at it's worst (or best) from the comfort of my reclining chair. I am thoroughly enjoying October as we are enjoying very pleasant weather at present. On the whole I am happy to take what ever each seasons brings, but if the weather behaves itself everything is more enjoyable.
Now that's a great ending to a post. Were you a weather reporter at one time??? Good description of the weather variations.
Ah yes, to whisk around the world, experiencing each climate in turn! What an adventure that would be. I am fortunate, like others that commented here, to enjoy 4 distinct seasons. I admit that July is my least favorite, with its heat and humidity, but the gardens more than make up for the discomfort.
I have the same sort of longings myself. It's not so much about the weather for me. It is just that I want to see everything.
We've been back for 5 weeks and still no rain. My son swam in the sea on Sunday afternoon. We are promised some rain for Thursday; we'll see!
We have some school holidays are in October, so as teachers, husband and I would always experience Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere when we travelled there during that time.
I would have loved to experience a snowy Winter in England, but many an Australian has returned home permanently saying another English Winter would be just too much to take.
A friend and wife taught in an irrigated area of country South Australia which from a height, to the uninitiated, looked like a vast desert plain which goes on forever until you reach the heavily-irrigated citrus area. This couple collected two exchange teachers from Scotland at the State airport to teach there.
The young women arrived in heavy winter woolen clothes straight into a Summer of 40 degree heat. They eventually arrived at the desert plain unconviced by our friends that there could possibly be a town out there in the shimmering heat- quite panicked evidently!
There are certainly extreme seasonal differences when travelling! - Pam.
Pam - this made me smile. Your distances in Australia are quite incomprehensible to me living in little old UK. I got a taste of 'distance' travelling through the Taiga on the trans-Siberian Railway a few years ago.
Tasker - many years ago I taught in a school for the mentally disabled and there was a dear little boy there - can't remember his hame but his
face I recall well - he had only one shirt - his mum would sew him into it on a Monday morning for the whole week - then she would wash it at the weekend. In addition he was incontinent. We all loved him dearly - he was an absolute angel - but much ostracised by the other children. Now it would not be tolerated but I am speaking of 1970.
Thanks everyone. Very busy day here.
With regard to the sewing in of underwear, I was told when I arrived in Newcastle in early 1970 that the children of Byker and Wallsend were attired in this way for the winter months.
Rachel - I wonder if it still goes on or are Social Services on to it I wonder. Interesting that the West Midlands wasn't the only spot.
Weave, thanks for the comment here. On one of those trips we travelled from Australia to Cornwall to visit ancestral towns. The lady who owned the B& B was fascinated." I'd love to research my family more" she said "but its so far to get to London...and there's the dogs...".
- Pam.
I think living standards have improved in the last 50 years Pat and the practice will have ceased.
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