Non-motoring > Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. Computing Issues
Thread Author: R.P. Replies: 108

 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - R.P.

Windy Weather updates in here.

Click HERE for volume 1
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 00:49
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Manatee
I just checked the forecast, wondered if the chimney might come through the roof, and realised I couldn't remember who my house insurance is with.

I recalled sacking the Halifax, who had 'tuned' my premium north of £400, but I couldn't actually remember who I had insured with. I then started to worry that I might not actually have done it. I asked the boss, who suggested I check the bank statement. No sign, but then I checked the credit card and found a £205 charge to LV. This led me to search my email, where a found a confirmatory message (marked as read) saying my documents would be in the post.

Neither of us could remember seeing the documents, so the boss went to look in the files, where she found them.

She does all the filing. I had written on the envelope what was in it and where to file it. That was at the beginning of August.

We conclude that neither of us has a reliable memory for this sort of thing. We kind of knew that, which is why we file stuff. But why didn't we look in the file? I suppose because we trusted that we would have remembered if we had filed it.

We must try to remember that we forget things.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - BobbyG
When we had our house fire I had to ask the firewoman to go up the stairs and bring me down my paperwork files as I had no idea who my insurance was with !
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Armel Coussine
There were a few branches and things on the roads down this way on the way to London this afternoon. It's a bit windy here now, but nothing spectacular so far. Persistent though, and perhaps mounting. On the way back from London this evening drizzle turned to more serious rain, and there was water on the roads in all the usual places and some less usual.

It can get very wet indeed in this part of the world. The first time I came here, in the summer of 1968, there were floods all over Sussex and in Surrey as far as Dorking. Every dip in the road seemed to be full of water too deep to drive through. It took ages to find our way through all that and get back to the Smoke. However it was a life-changing weekend for me. I never win raffles or lotteries but have been lucky in some important matters. Undeservedly of course.

Looks rough in the Channel judging by news clips. What could have induced that poor boy to go into that sort of sea? Peer pressure? I bet the peers are feeling sorry. Not to mention the lifeboat men getting knocked about out there, all for nothing.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Sun 27 Oct 13 at 23:56
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - devonite
Anybody got any wind? - not a breath here at 0105am! - maybe its delayed because i put the clock back an hour last night!
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - No FM2R
Oh, have the clocks changed? Cool.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 01:22
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - PeterS
Certainly pretty blowy here now! A bit wet as well... I need to take the car to the garage, so will have to go outside in an hour or so...
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
well it cracked on with a vengeance here. It was pretty mild and balmy all night and then suddenly at 06:00 - BAM - woke me up. Felt the pressure inside the house change with one gust.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - PeterS
I think we might be in for some power cuts as well - the flights are flickering and dimming with increasing frequency!!
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - henry k
Perhaps it was the same gust that tipped our old apple tree over onto our lawn ?
Nothing damaged by it but we will miss seeing it and the great tits have lost there 2014 onwards home.
Another job to be done :-(
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Meldrew
East Midlands - light breeze all night and forecast 10kts gusting 13 today. Where did it go? South of me I guess
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
worst of its over now. It was brief but pretty lively.

Just strong winds here now with occasional gusts, nothing on the mega scale.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 07:05
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Manatee
Hit at 6.30 here. Booming increase in gust. The 40+ forecast by XC was probably about right but it came hours later. Dying back a bit now. Some old fencing pushed over, but I wasn't expecting that to survive this winter.

The south coast looks to be copping it the worst, from Portland eastwards.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - R.P.
Nawt here - never use an alarm, woken by 22 Sqn low and slow departing towards the hills at 0630...bit of rain that's all.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Focusless
Pretty much same as Z in Reading; that XCWeather prediction of maximum gusts around 12-3am was off the mark. My 6:37 train has been rescheduled for 9:38 so working from home.
Last edited by: Focusless on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 07:30
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
Suns out here.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Clk Sec
He'll be off to work, then...
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
son went to work at 06:00 Arrived at 07:30 (Newbury)
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - sherlock47
Flightradar 24 is making interesting viewing -(better than TV?) there are a lot of planes holding in multiple circles before heading for LHR. Most things that met scheduled departure times appear to landing more than 1hr late (holding for 60mins in rough weater must be no fun) - presuming that LHR knew that it would re-open.

The worst of the wind has now subsided (in Hertfordshire) at 07.30 - bu heavy rain has just started.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Skip
Very windy here all night in N Kent, am up near Rochester Airport so its very exposed. The gusts seem to be strengthening if anything now. A2 closed London bound before Black Prince so will stay put for another hour or so.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Crankcase
They're telling us it's not quite got to us yet, but will do any minute (East Anglia). Certainly a lot more windy now than when I left home an hour ago. Very heavy rain and spray down the A14 this morning, but still zillions of 75mph plus merchants.


 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
Not too bad here yet but some torrential rain.

Ian left at 3.30am (in the car!) and left the yard at 4.30 for Erith, Paddock Wood and Sevenoaks. He's just got through the tunnel with the QE2 bridge being closed and has reported that the traffic is exceptionally light, but the journey was slow in places where there was a cross wind.

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Crankcase
Pat, says on the local "live coverage" that "At about 7.30am, a lorry was blown over on the M11 just south of Stansted, partially blocking the southbound carriageway between junctions 8 and 7. "

TomTom realtime maps is showing a 40 minute delay there already.

I imagine that to be a somewhat sobering experience. Hope you've never got near that?

Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 08:08
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Ambo
Small gale in Poole. Not much damage.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Roger.
08:15. Moderate rain: little wind in our part of North Nottinghamshire.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - helicopter
Slept undisturbed through the night in West Sussex .....

Alarm went off as usual at 6 am and I pulled back the curtains to find one fence panel down and our line of birch trees at the bottom of the garden were bending further than I have seen them ever do in the ten years we have lived here.........

Lawn is now yellow ,absolutely covered in leaves birch leaves and twigs...

However it has calmed down , the wind has dropped , the drive to work was easy , one huge tree down on the journey ( in a bus lane fortunately ) but several branches and fence panels on the ground..

Storm in a teacup really....

 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Fenlander
Bit of a non event in west cambs. No damage but we have good fences, properly built sheds and only younger trees.

Our stormguide barometer has just turned to show rising pressure so I guess the storm is on its way to Kings Lynn and beyond.

 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Duncan
A lot of fuss about very little.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> A lot of fuss about very little.

What? WHAT? you are probably not aware then, that the Helter Skelter at Clacton pier has just blown over

Thats how serious it is.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Manatee
>> A lot of fuss about very little.

We haven't had the Wetherspoons damage report yet.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
For me high winds are the weather I hate the most when driving a lorry.
Others may disagree but IMHO there is a certain amount of skill and experience involved when dealing with ice, snow and fog but there is absolutely nothing you can do about the wind.

Best advice I've ever been given is to only drive as fast as you're prepared to slide down the road on your side.

Ian reported that they were 'doubling up' on the M11 in places that explains why.

Doubling up= When you see a lorry struggling in a cross wind you drive alongside them if you're heavier to protect them.

NOTE: This is NOT elephant racing so please have a bit of patience!

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - DP
The howling wind woke me up around 6am which was only 10 mins before the alarm anyway, so I got up a bit earlier, made a spot of breakfast and a mug of tea, and watched the reports of chaos on the news. Left the house at my usual time, and got into work half an hour early on largely empty (if debris strewn) roads. Couple of downed trees en-route, but only blocking one side of the road, so little more than a trivial delay each time. I suspect had this not occurred during half time, the chaos would have been far worse.

That said, I have (stupidly) agreed to visit a customer in London later today. No trains currently running at all, so that's going to be fun.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Fursty Ferret
Made a cunning swap last week which has seen me ride out the storm in the south of France, where the wind is calm, the croissants warm, and the coffee strong. 23C outside.

What storm? (Assuming, of course, that things are back to normal by tonight).
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 08:55
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - helicopter
but there is absolutely nothing you can do about the wind.....

Laying off the baked beans in full english breakfasts and plenty of Gaviscon helps Pat........
Last edited by: helicopter on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 08:53
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Rudedog
Sounds like most trains are either heavily delayed or cancelled into/out of London mainline stations, radio reports of a couple of HGVs overturned blocking motorways on the edge of M25 ring, surprised it passed me with such little disruption as I'm on the top of the N.Downs.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Duncan
>> Ian reported that they were 'doubling up' on the M11 in places that explains why.
>>
>> Doubling up= When you see a lorry struggling in a cross wind you drive alongside
>> them if you're heavier to protect them.
>>
>> NOTE: This is NOT elephant racing so please have a bit of patience!
>>
>> Pat
>>

Have you considered that if is not safe to be on the road, then perhaps you shouldn't be on the road?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
>>Have you considered that if is not safe to be on the road, then perhaps you shouldn't be on the road?<<

Have you ever tried to tell a TM, Haulage Company or a customer that? They will tell you that everyone else has managed to get there and there's no problem.

At what point is it not safe to be on the road?...when you get blown over?
Before you get blown over? Who makes that decision?

How do you know what it's like 10 miles down the road until you get there?

It's not quite that simple Duncan, and just because it isn't blowing a hooley in your front room doesn't mean it isn't elsewhere....just as in the traffic office where the tracker is being watched.

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
but surely on your course you explain to them about making Risk Assessments? H&S begins and stops with them, kinda thing?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
We're talking about lorry drivers here Z, who for years have been told 'you're not paid to think, you're paid to drive'.

Can you imagine ringing in and saying' I've just done a risk assessment and I'm parking up'?

The answer would be 'Aye, so have I and you're P45 will be waiting when you finally get back'!

It takes years to grow the balls to ring in and say it's too windy/icy and I'm parking up, it takes a good firm to say the choice is yours....I feel for those out there today who haven't yet got to that stage and are scared to death.

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Mapmaker
What about driving past a matrix sign that says 'road closed to high-sided vehicles'?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
That's a definite no mapmaker although as in any walk of life, there will always be one or two who want to be heroes.

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Mapmaker
Yes; from hero to zero... I passed a matrix like that on the A66 between Bowes and Brough one afternoon some years ago. Passed a truck lying on its side. And posted about it in HJ with absolutely no sympathy at all.

Turned out some months later that the driver must have been still in the cab when I passed, and was trying to sue his employer. Canny solicitor had found my post on HJ and contacted me. The power of the 'net in evidence gathering.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
So often it is the same type of driver who wants to be a hero who will try and sue his employer when it doesn't work.

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Fursty Ferret

>>
>> Can you imagine ringing in and saying' I've just done a risk assessment and I'm
>> parking up'?
>>
>> The answer would be 'Aye, so have I and you're P45 will be waiting when
>> you finally get back'!
>>

Good thing we have something called employment law, then.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Pat
Employment law relies on proof FF and in the world of haulage it is always the spoken word, never the written word.

Of course you wouldn't be sacked for refusing to drive in the wind....you'd not get any decent work to earn any decent money though!

Its a very different world....

Pat
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Alanovich
Two trees down on Reading Bridge this morning, with a bus trapped between. Bridge closed, obvs.

Lightest traffic I've ever seen on a Monday morning in town. Fastest drive to work of all time. I'd've cycled if I didn't have two laptops and chargers to cart about.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Robin O'Reliant
Not a leaf out of place here.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - No FM2R
Seems my parents have problems; Huge tree down across their drive/lane so they cannot get out by car and apparently its also too big to climb over or walk around.

 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Alanovich
>> Seems my parents have problems; Huge tree down across their drive/lane so they cannot get
>> out by car and apparently its also too big to climb over or walk around.
>>

South Orcsfordshestershire, NF? This corner of eden seems to have caught the worst of it. Several roads around Caversham closed with fallen trees. Reading Council out and about with many chainsaws. Electricity in my office is dodgy - lights flickering as local supply companies fix up broken lines and reroute power accordingly.

My own street is heavily tree lined, and my house is surrounded by many tall trees, some still heavy with leaf, but no major damage here - lots of smaller branches and debris on the road to swerve around though. I put the Golf in the garage last night and left the Laguna to its fate - had quite a few small branches in the spot where the Golf usually sits, but no marks on the Laguna. Garage is mostly used for storage at the mo and the Laguna is too long to fit in, but the Golf fits so thought it best to get at least one car stashed away.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - No FM2R
>>South Orcsfordshestershire, NF?

Out towards Tadley.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Alanovich
Ah, t'other side o' t'M4. Southerners. ;-)

Let me know if they need any help. Groceries, meds, anything like that.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Dulwich Estate
Well, I can't be expected to backtrack fully, especially as there's a fallen tree blocking my way.

However, as I sit in the buffet car of hindsight pondering the curled up railway sandwich, no doubt caused by loss of power to the fridge, I'm slowly chewing (through gritted teeth) a slice of humble pie.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Alanovich
It's no 1987, Dulwich.

Nice to see your handle on here again. It's been a while unless I'm much mistaken (which I usually am).
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Duncan
>> Nice to see your handle on here again. It's been a while unless I'm much
>> mistaken (which I usually am).
>>

He has posted ten times since 21st October.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - No FM2R
Appreciate the offer Al, I think its ok but will shout if needed.

Thanks again.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - VxFan
Few branches down, but no roads blocked. Had no electric since approx 05:40. Still off AFAIAA. Tried phoning home, but as our cordless phone relies on electric for the base station, it won't work if there isn't any. Mum's mobile is on Orange and they recently switched off the local transmitter so don't get a signal at home anymore on that network.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Mapmaker
>>but as our cordless phone relies on electric for the base station, it won't work if there isn't any.

You should always have a non-electric, old-fashioned phone on the system for just these circumstances.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - sooty123
Was forecasted for 70 mph winds in my neck of the woods. Went to bed at midnight, never heard or saw much more than a breeze.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Dutchie
Armageddon didn't arrive her either East Riding of Yorkshire plenty of rain.Now slowing to a drizzle, sky is brightening up.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
First train has just gone through my local station. Was going to go out and film a train today, but the line its on (the Alton line) has several trees on it.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Ted

Nothing out of the ordinary here. I left both cars on the road last night in case something blew off the house roof. Got up at 0830 to look out and see the Eucalyptus gently waving at me.

Raining, of course, but this is Madchester .....we're hard, we can take it !

Ted
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - VxFan
>> You should always have a non-electric, old-fashioned phone on the system for just these circumstances.

Got one somewhere, but couldn't find it before I left for work this morning. Although our cordless Panasonic phone is great in every other aspect, it doesn't have a back up battery in the base station like our old Binatone did which allowed something like 15 mins of calls in the event of an emergency.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Meldrew
No wind/gale problems in East Midlands but you should see our normally very small river, usually a dry ditch, and now flowing with difficulty under a culvert type bridge. High as I have seen it in 12 years but already going down and no flood risk of any sort
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - BobbyG
My house cordless phones both ran out of battery due to the base stations being unplugged accidentally.
Didn't realize for close on 10 days, never missed it, never use it.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - VxFan
>> never missed it, never use it.

bobbynomates?

;)
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - henry k
>> Perhaps it was the same gust that tipped our old apple tree over onto our lawn ?
>> Nothing damaged by it but we will miss seeing it and the great tits have lost there 2014 onwards home.
>> Another job to be done :-(
>>
Ventured out to size job. To my amazement just a few small twigs have been broken.
It is just as if it had been very very gently placed on the lawn.
No other things of any description had broken its fall. It has snapped off a ground level and hardly any earth has been lifted. Most odd!
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Runfer D'Hills
Did it used to block light from a neighbour's garden, and are there any saw marks?...

;-)
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Duncan
>> >> Perhaps it was the same gust that tipped our old apple tree over onto
>> our lawn ?

An apple tree was blown down in our back garden in 1987. I jacked it up again with an Acrow prop and it took root again.

Worth trying?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - henry k
>> An apple tree was blown down in our back garden in 1987.
>> I jacked it up again with an Acrow prop and it took root again.
>>
>> Worth trying?
>>
Fraid not. It was already tilting at about 45 degrees before the event.
It was 80% dead. We kept it as the apples were so tasty.
It will save me having to drape it with chicken wire to keep those delightful parakeets for stripping it :-(

There is a young apple tree growing from the base but it must be the rootstock as the apples are totally different and not very nice so I will have to zap that as well.
Last edited by: henry k on Mon 28 Oct 13 at 15:59
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Duncan
>> It was 80% dead. We kept it as the apples were so tasty.
>> It will save me having to drape it with chicken wire to keep those delightful
>> parakeets for stripping it :-(
>>


Where are the parakeets from then?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> >> It was 80% dead. We kept it as the apples were so tasty.
>> >> It will save me having to drape it with chicken wire to keep those
>> delightful
>> >> parakeets for stripping it :-(
>> >>
>>
>>
>> Where are the parakeets from then?

Native ring neck parakeets, they have large colonies in north surrey. No-one is quite sure where they came from.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Ted

>> Native ring neck parakeets, they have large colonies in north surrey. No-one is quite sure
>> where they came from.
>>
Oh dear, having to educate the Southerners again !.........................Eggs ! That's where they come from !

Sheesh !

Ted
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Kevin
>No-one is quite sure where they came from.

They were very naughty birds deported from Australia to a cold, harsh penal colony.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Bromptonaut
>> Native ring neck parakeets, they have large colonies in north Surrey. No-one is quite sure
>> where they came from.

Their range spreads. At Jordans Youth Hostel, just north of he A40 between Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield, this weekend - reunion with old friends. Bloomin Parakeets squawking about in the hostel grounds.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> >> Native ring neck parakeets, they have large colonies in north Surrey. No-one is quite
>> sure
>> >> where they came from.
>>
>> Their range spreads. At Jordans Youth Hostel, just north of he A40 between Gerrards Cross
>> and Beaconsfield, this weekend - reunion with old friends. Bloomin Parakeets squawking about in the
>> hostel grounds.

On the other hand, some spread is good, we have a pair of Kites nearby. Wont be long before they make it to the Surrey Hills - superb natural habitat for them, after they have feasted on the young parakeets on the way I hope!
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 9 Mar 14 at 19:34
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Bromptonaut
The Stokenchurch Kites range round there too. Fascinating to watch, as big a a Buzzard but much more a master of the air. So that's two species that were not there thirty year ago when the hostel was a regular weekend destination.

Several of us were up just after 07:00 this morning drinking tea on the verandah and watching listening to the wildlife. The place looks and feels utterly rural while being actually sandwiched between Beaonsfield/M40/Chalfonts and Gerrards X.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 9 Mar 14 at 20:03
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - MD
My old stomping ground. Heaven...
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - MD
>> Felt the pressure inside the house change with one gust.
>>
Curry?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - MD
Fairly quiet here now although I think we missed the worst of it.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Duncan
A lot of fuss over very little.

There's nothing to see. Move along there now.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Mapmaker
So Beestons in Suffolk have a double-decker bus blown over. So their response is to terminate all services for the rest of the day.

www.beestons.co.uk/

Silly over reaction.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Meldrew
Their only bus?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Cliff Pope
Report from west Wales:
Calm day, gentle breeze, some light rain, bright sunny morning and early afternoon.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - zookeeper
im sure ive caught the sun this afternoon
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Manatee
We've a branch off an old apple tree, and some fence down that I didn't think would last the winter - but I thought it might get there!

Quite pleased the half-cover stayed on the MX5. This one fastens with velcro round the wiper arms, mirrors, door handles and has tags trapped by the boot lid. The previous one with knicker elastic chin straps front and rear would have been miles away.

It was sunny enough to use it this afternoon, so I did.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - mikeyb
Feel a bit let down here. Local rag had been warning of doomsday, so I had prepared best I could and we got next to nothing.

Had quite a bit of rain today and a bit of lightening this afternoon, but that's about it.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - VxFan
Electric been on and off all evening.

The PVR has been going doolally with loads of failed or missed recordings. Looks like I'll be hammering the broadband all night to download stuff I've missed.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Runfer D'Hills
You have an electric bean?

Cool !

;-)
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - -
What a let down, problem free run down to South Wales this morning early, some torrential rain in Northants on the way, tipped easy in gentle breeze in glorious sunshine in shirt sleeves, easy trip home with slight tail wind.

What windy weather, must be them home counties softies listening to the BBC panic station again.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Fursty Ferret
Just got home after bravely riding out the storm in the south of France.

Damage report:

A wheely bin fell over. Kind neighbours stood it up again for me. Err, that's it.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - BiggerBadderDave
"Damage report: A wheely bin fell over."

Similar problems in Warsaw FF. The lawn was covered in leaves. Took twenty minutes to rake them.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> What windy weather, must be them home counties softies listening to the BBC panic station
>> again.

I am sure the young girl crushed by the tree will be pleased to know it was unjustified panic.


Oh thats right, she can't, she is dead. Still blame the BBC tho can't we.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 29 Oct 13 at 08:11
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Rudedog
What doesn't seem to help is that even the London radio station I tune into is still describing the storm as Britain's worst for 20 years whereas the damage and disruption was mainly confined to the Southern part of the country.

I'll be interested to find out exactly what caused the three houses to explode after a tree fell on a street gas main in Hounslow (unfortunately two people died).
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> I'll be interested to find out exactly what caused the three houses to explode after
>> a tree fell on a street gas main in Hounslow (unfortunately two people died).

Maybe, just maybe, its because the tree fractured the gas main?]


And the south is not part of Britain then?
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 29 Oct 13 at 08:59
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Rudedog
Sorry I hacen't explained myself very well, it just sounds like when an event happens down here in the Southern counties it becomes 'Britain' whereas when bad weather hits further up the country it becomes the 'North' or isn't reported.

I was just interested in knowing how a tree crashing down in the street lead to three houses exploding, I could understand gas leaking from the main into the street but how did it back-up into the houses?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> Sorry I hacen't explained myself very well, it just sounds like when an event happens
>> down here in the Southern counties it becomes 'Britain' whereas when bad weather hits further
>> up the country it becomes the 'North' or isn't reported.

One third of the UK population lives in London and the Southeast of course its widely reported if a big wind hits 20 million people. You honestly think that a large wind and 6 deaths that happened in "the north" would be unreported? There is no North / South BBC or news bias, merely northerners have an inferiority complex and are constant whining "neeehh nehhh what about us"


>> I was just interested in knowing how a tree crashing down in the street lead
>> to three houses exploding, I could understand gas leaking from the main into the street
>> but how did it back-up into the houses?

Gas is under pressure. (less than you think to be fair) but still under pressure, and it will find ways through the soil, normally along the routes of gas feed pipes that lead straight into houses.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Alanovich
>> What doesn't seem to help is that even the London radio station I tune into
>> is still describing the storm as Britain's worst for 20 years whereas the damage and
>> disruption was mainly confined to the Southern part of the country.

Help what?

It happened in a part of Britain, it's Britain's worst storm for 20 years. Does a storm have to cover the whole of Britain for it to count? When was the last time we had one of those?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Focusless
A weatherman on Sunday (before the event obviously) said it looked like being the worst storm since 2007, when 9 died.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6272193.stm
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Focusless
Perhaps all the pre-storm media coverage did save a few lives?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - PeterS
I heard in the news this morning that their are still 60 odd thousand people without power - over 10 times that originally I think, so not quite a storm in a teacup I don't think! I wouldn't like to be without power for > 24 hours at this time of year...

Only 3 branches, albeit substantial ones, part blocking roads on my way to work yesterday, but speaking to a colleague in Dorset they'd had 15 down along an 8 miles stretch of road! Plenty of logs for next winter I guess;-)
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
The death toll in Europe is now 13 from this storm (it got stronger). Surprised we haven't had the "blah blah we can never cope" rubbish either. As it happens trains services in Holland and Gemrnay are still disrupted, and all the European Airports in its path had to close and divert aircraft.

Not bad for "bbc panic"
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Manatee
I don't mind the gentle mocking of southern residents and as a northerner might even enjoy it, but it's not really justified.

It's true that the weather is on the whole kinder, the frosts less severe, and the winds less strong than where I lived at 900 ft in the Pennines. It always seemed to be blowing a gale there, and when I looked for a house here the first thing that struck me was that many of them would fall down after a couple of Pennine winters.

But that's not really the point. Regardless of whether your once-in-20-years-wind-speed is 50mph or 80mph, when it comes it's going to knock over all those trees and fences, and damage all those marginal structures, that have just been waiting for it.

Avoiding needless travel was sound advice for yesterday. The wind speeds were significantly higher than usual for the region, and a lot of trees came down which regardless of danger is very disruptive. Traffic density is so high to begin with on critical routes that telling everybody to get on with it, knowing of the additional difficulties and the displacement of rail commuters, would have been silly. The sensible advice was to do what you had to do, but to defer your journey or work from home if practical, giving essential travellers a chance and almost certainly reducing deaths and injuries.

 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - MJW1994
Very little impact in Bristol/South Glos area. I was aware of a few strong gusts in the night but mainly cos I sleep with the window open in all weathers unless it’s really wintery. My friend was worried about the trees to the back of her flat but they looked good and solid copper beeches.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Armel Coussine
Not everyone in West Sussex was as fortunate as helicopter.

I was idly watching a (very nasty indeed) Korean movie at 2 a.m. on Monday when everything went off (a judgement on me for watching the movie, I thought at the time). We have been without electricity since then, until half an hour ago. Our supply (and that for the farm across the road) comes on a long spur from what might be called the village, although you would be hard put to define its centre or indeed to find it. One could see where a cable hundreds of yards long had broken off its pole and come down, apparently snapping in the process.

We are entirely dependent on electricity for heating, hot water, internet and even telephone (although we have an old-fashioned phone that we can plug in on these occasions). Not having hot water is the worst thing. But we had to get a couple of camping-gaz lamps (candles being a bit feeble for reading to a modern eye) and very expensive they were. Washing, and washing up, have been accumulating. I am pretty filthy and goat-like, and even herself looks as if her hair needs brushing more often than usual.

A couple of hundred thousand houses were without power across the region, and it's a safe bet that we were among the last to be reconnected. This isn't a complaint. It's the trade-off for living in an area of ONB, which means the back of beyond usually. We're going to need the stove in here again tonight, because the heating takes its time to come on. Nice to be able to see though.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Wed 30 Oct 13 at 15:58
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - PeterS
That's a long times without power AC (no pun intended...). Hope all is Ok now? We avoided power cuts, though there were plenty of flickering lights first thing on Monday morning. The power was off in the Fontwell area though until quite late on Tuesday morning - we're about 5 miles away but were OK.

On the positive side, any opportunity to top up the log pile from fallen trees?!?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Crankcase
Welcome back AC.

Talking of missing in action - where's Dog? Usually posts most days, nothing since the 19th? Is Cornwall under water?
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Clk Sec
>> Talking of missing

And our old friend L'escargot. He hasn't clocked in for over a month.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - Zero
>> Welcome back AC.
>>
>> Talking of missing in action - where's Dog? Usually posts most days, nothing since the
>> 19th? Is Cornwall under water?

He made the mistake of changing ISP (just for the sake of it) not been heard of since.
 Windy Weather - end of my tether...Vol 2. - helicopter
Welcome back AC -

I see from the local paper that we were indeed quite lucky in Horsham although there were several areas of the town affected by power cuts.

The fence panel down which I thought was mine is in fact the responsibility of my neighbour so did not really affect me at all except for a couple of hours raking up leaves from the rear lawn.
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