Battered Britain

For the last two months the UK has been overcast, extremely windy and very, very wet. It was officially the wettest, warmest December ever. We have hardly glimpsed the sun and yet it has still been unseasonably warm (the last time I said that we had snow the following week). The North and West has undoubtedly had the worst of the weather but floods and damage have been widespread.

However, a wise person once said, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” So, we have still been out exploring, wrapped up in waterproofs and Wellington-boots. I have been even been gathering apples in January (!) I found them on the ground beneath a tree but they were still quite edible.

Charmouth, The Dark Area is the Landslip

We visited Devon during the Xmas break and witnessed some spectacular seas as they battered the South. Fossil hunters were out in force along the Jurassic coast, where storms have been causing massive landslides. A huge section of cliff collapsed across the beach, causing considerable danger but also bringing out new finds for the enthusiasts. I even filmed a miniature landslip in action.

Even sunny Southampton has had more than its share of storms, the wind at times has been ferocious and the rain torrential. Many local rivers have burst their banks and flooded the surrounding areas but thankfully the majority of the residential areas have been spared.

I'm not going to make any predictions about the signs of Spring, we haven't even seen any signs of Winter yet!

Signs of Spring - In January?



A Blooming Frosty Rose in January!



I don’t want to perpetuate the myth that people in England just talk about the weather all the time, but it has been a rubbish Winter so far. In fact, compared to last year when we had lots of snow, frost and ice; December and January have been positively Springlike.

Snowdrops Out in December!

Hopefully, making statements like this will tempt fate and Jack-Frost will soon return with a vengeance, we certainly had a frost this morning. Everyone moans about the cold but it does make the arrival of Spring so much more welcome and wonderful, when it finally comes.

Frost on Wild Strawberry Leaves...

At the moment, we have bluebells in our garden and wild roses in bloom alongside last season’s hips.

I'll Have Some of That For My Frost Collection

I have even spotted trees with fresh blossom on them and the hedgerows are showing the green/brown hues of rising sap when they ought to be barren and grey.

A Decent Hoar Frost Will Soon Put a Stop to All This Nonsense