Wednesday 23 May 2012

What?


The nation is in shock. Why? Well the weather of course.

We’d become used to having to wear extra clothes and turn the heating up a notch. We’d resigned ourselves to a cold, wet summer, although that may still be on the cards, who knows?

On Sunday I went to watch two of my grandchildren take part in a sports event. It was held in the park which is right on the seafront. We all turned various shades of blue and even a hot doughnut didn’t warm us up (although the price of them got my beloved a bit hot under the collar).

On Tuesday morning I grumbled to my friend in Sydney that it was flipping cold. On Tuesday afternoon I drove down to the town and boiled. That’s when I noticed the full effect of the shock on the general public.

If you’ve ever seen The Walking Dead – well it was like a scene from that without the ragged clothes. People lurching along the pavements before suddenly hurling themselves into the path of oncoming cars.

I watched a woman try to reverse into a parking space. Nothing unusual there you might think except a lorry was already halfway into it. He had to hoot so she went and parked on a double yellow line instead.

And what effect did this sudden strange burst of heat have on me? I rushed into a shop and bought beach buckets. I now have a mammoth supply of beach buckets – but no spades. See, heat addled.

23 comments:

  1. We just can't cope with the change in the weather can we? You'd think we'd be used to it now wouldn't you? Especially as we live in a climate where we can experience all four seasons in one day. I find clothing the biggest problem: it's either too much or not enough and we freeze to death. I'm going to try layering. That way I can wear more or less the same items of clothing all year round. But I must say I am enjoying the sunshine - long may it last. And may God give you spades for your buckets!

    ReplyDelete
  2. But I'm sure you'll make beautiful castles with those buckets, Teresa. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Definitely layering. That's the answer. Been out for the day and I was so hot didn't know what to do with myself. I'd layered the top half but my poor feet were sweltering in tights and boots!! Oh the relief when I got home. But hey, isn't it gorgeous to feel the sun again. Let's hope it's the start of the barbecue summer eh :o) xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's just my luck. I'm recovering from pneumonia and on Doxycycline antibiotics. I can't sit in the sun ... (doh!). On the bright side, it means I can catch up with social networking and get some writing done with spaniels at my feet and the hubby at my beck and call.

    You won't need spades to build sandcastles in the sky, Teresa! Hope you have a lovely time at the beach.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well it makes life interesting, Linda :-) It is lovely to see the sun though x

    I will indeed, Frances - they're the sort of fancy buckets I used to dream of as a child x

    Ooh, hot feet, Sue - just as uncomfortable as cold feet. I'm wondering if it will be safe to put my boots away until autumn now :-) x

    Hope it lasts until you're properly better, Annie! I love what you said about sandcastles in the sky :-) x

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you want to beat that heat addled syndrome. Teresa. I have a suggestion. Move to the East Coast!
    While the rest of the nation sizzles in tee shirts and sandals, over here we’re still shivering in our woolly pullies.
    It’s an unfair divide.
    Admittedly, today wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t the high twenties London seemed to be enjoying.
    We do seem to be obsessed with our weather, don’t we?

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was too cold last week - and I'm too hot this week. Never happy.

    But I am glad it's stopped raining :0)

    XX

    ReplyDelete
  8. LOL! Ahh the sun. We had it yesterday here on Anglesey. Today? Fog! Yes Fog and grey clouds ALL day. But that's Wales for you. 5 days of sun in a row is considered a rarity here! Caroline x

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am on the East coast, Rena :-) The Essex bit of it. We had a nice cool breeze earlier right off the sea :-) x

    ReplyDelete
  10. So am I, Suz - glad it's stopped raining. I was so sick of it and of having wet, muddy feet :-) x

    That's a shame, Caroline - those grey clouds can really get you down when they just won't go away. Hope the sun comes back :-) x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Drove past a seafront park yesterday - it was packed with scantily clad students BBQing their supper (and themselves). There was so much charcoal smoke it looked like sea mist.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey Teresa,
    Ah the effects of the rather strange phenomenon of having a glowing orb over the British sky. I would like to have bought some beach buckets, but was not up to it because I felt a little 'pail':)
    Sunny wishes, your way, Gary x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love beach buckets, especially those old-fashioned ones with the pictures on that you used to be able to buy. Haven't seen one for ages, though.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Enjoyed the imagery there, lol.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Glad to be rid of the chilly weather for a while. I hate being cold, but you can pour on the heat all you like. You can never have too many beach buckets!

    ReplyDelete
  16. It seems to send people mad, this hot weather. One of my daughters has a bright pink back, complete with blinding-white marks where various straps and ribbons were residing as she lay on the grass at college, whence I had driven her super-early for revision purposes. She lay there, on her front, for about three hours! And had ignored the free suntan-lotion dispensers provided by the college!

    Mind you, I seem to remember doing much the same in 1976. That was my last attempt at sun-worshipping in the English summer. It can be deceptively harmful. Fortunately, my daughter is recovering and it's not as painful as we first thought it would be.

    Enjoy your buckets! I love buckets and spades. I'm sure the sort I had as a child in the sixties were made of beautiful, patterned and colourful tin. Gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've seen quite a few barbecued lads and lasses around too, Patsy :-) x

    And sunny wishes to you, Gary - long may it last :-) x

    I haven't either, Biddy! Just the plain plastic ones :-) x

    Didn't enjoy having blue toes though, Diane ;-) x

    Oh how true, Martin - you really can't have too many beach buckets :-) x

    Oh bless her, Joanna! I remember being roasted in 76 too with all the peeling skin and everything. What a summer that was :-)
    I'm glad your daughter didn't hurt herself too much!
    I remember those rubbery spades that had all swirls of colour - loved those! Ah memories :-) x

    ReplyDelete
  18. We're definitely in shock up here, Teresa! And I've had enough extreme heat already - but then I like every season except summer, odd bod that I am!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I saw on the news that it was very hot in Scotland, Rosemary :-) My favourite season is spring, but we seemed to have cut that one out this year! But I do prefer summer to winter x

    ReplyDelete
  20. Longing for an easterly wind! Harvey wakes up far too early on these light mornings, and now we both need a siesta. Zzzz...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Not a breath of wind here at the mo, Joanne - a siesta sounds good when you live with a lark like Harvey :-) x

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm just basking and being grateful! Oh - and forcing my family to have a barbecue every night "because you don't know how long it might last and we have to make hay etc etc..."
    Maybe there will come a time when I'm sick of it (?) but for now I still feel like running around shouting hallelujah, hallelujah!! :) x

    ReplyDelete
  23. Quite right, Lydia - make the most of it :-) x

    ReplyDelete