Good morning and a Happy New Year to you all. We ushered in the New Year in our usual sedate manner – by the time we finished our celebrations the fireworks were going off in Paris. Too bad we live in the UK. Continue reading “3 January 2010”
8 October 2006
Good morning on a decidedly Autumnal day in beautiful, downtown Byfield. After torrential rain and hurricane velocity gales on Friday, we’ve enjoyed a wonderfully fresh, bright and predominantly sunny weekend with just a minimal bite to the air – gorgeous. Continue reading “8 October 2006”
1 October 2006
Good morning on a reasonably fine looking morning from this perspective (sitting in my study glancing out the windows) which is in somewhat marked contrast to the afternoon we had yesterday when Ms Playchute suggested a bike ride. At the time, the weather looked fairly reasonable – there was a fair amount of blue sky and sunshine. However, as we prepared to embark, a sharp shower arrived from nowhere and that should have been sufficient warning to the pair of us that this was not a good idea. In fact, we actually delayed our departure until the shower had passed and the skies looked moderately pleasant again. Continue reading “1 October 2006”
24 September 2006
Good morning on a wet and fairly dreary looking day in beautiful downtown Byfield. This is in marked contrast to the weather we have enjoyed for most of the week which has been generally sunny and even pleasantly warm for the most part. We had been expecting the tail end of hurricane Gordon but fortunately for us, that went through the north of the British Isles, disrupting some of the preparation for the Ryder Cup in Dublin and lashing Northern Ireland and Scotland but seemingly leaving us pretty much alone. Thanks Gordon. Continue reading “24 September 2006”
17 September 2006
Good morning on another tolerably passable day in beautiful downtown Byfield. A bit of grey sunshine this morning but pleasantly mild and looking like one of those days which could go either way – it could turn out pleasant and moderately sunny or it could rain. This being Britain, the likelihood is that it will rain, of course. Continue reading “17 September 2006”
29 January 2006
Good morning to you all on a fine, if somewhat chilly, Sunday morning. The Siberian weather which had been forecast has been with us for the past couple of days although this morning, I have to confess, it seems a bit milder – perhaps we’re over the worst. Mind you, we haven’t had to put up with the minus 30 degrees centigrade the Muscovites has to put up with last week but, with a good wind, it certainly felt like it. (On the other hand, never having actually experienced minus 30 degrees centigrade, how would I know?) Continue reading “29 January 2006”
22 January 2006
Good morning on a cold, frosty, gray and dreary foggy day, in marked contrast to the last couple of days which have been bright, sunny and positively spring-like. It seems, if the weather people are to be believed (are they ever?) that we are set to inherit the freezing Arctic conditions which the Russians have enjoyed over the past week – temperatures of -30 degrees centigrade (something in the region of -25 Fahrenheit, I gather) which sounds to me to be taking things just a few steps too far. No doubt it won’t be as grim as they are suggesting but just the thought of it makes one want to put on a few extra layers. Continue reading “22 January 2006”
15 January 2006
Good morning to you all on a cold and fairly miserable looking day in beautiful downtown Byfield. I have to confess, we did see the sun once or twice this week but otherwise gray has been the colour of the week. Continue reading “15 January 2006”
8 January 2006
Good morning to you all and be prepared to share in a fantastic discovery which I have recently unearthed and one which will undoubtedly bring fame and fortune to us all. (Well, I can see how it will bring fame although I must confess the “fortune” bit may not be so obvious at the moment but I am sure that the more financially astute amongst us will find a way of converting this discovery into hard currency). I am already preparing to write it up for New Scientist and other leading scientific journals but I thought I should let you all in on the news before it becomes more widely known. Continue reading “8 January 2006”
1 January 2006
Happy New Year to you all and what a splendidly splendid New Year it has been thus far. Ms Playchute and I actually made it as far as celebrating the New Year in Paris this year and then, of course, we were awakened at midnight here by the enormous fireworks display which makes Byfield famous in these parts. (I’m sure I have written in the past but we have the tremendous pleasure of living in the same village as some fellow who works with fireworks and so whenever there is the most merest of excuses, the village is treated to a fireworks display which would put most large cities to shame.) This year’s pyrotechnic demonstration lasted only about thirty minutes but when you have already been asleep for some time the earth shattering, window rattling and bed shaking concussive explosions do tend to provide a bit of a surprise. The good news – Pippa is now clearly completely deaf and felt no need to join us in bed which is, believe me, a considerable relief. Continue reading “1 January 2006”