Out On Blue Six: Justin Hayward

*Firstly apologies for the radio silence on this blog for the last week. I spent most of it planning for or standing in city centres waving placards around. All to preserve democracy you understand.

You hear a lot of stupid things on the TV news lately, but one that really got up my nose last week was when one of the presenters said something along the lines of "I love this time of year, autumn". 

No, no, no, NO! 

This is not autumn!

Autumn - this week apparently.

Autumn doesn't start the first week of September, it starts at the end of the month. What next? If we have a sunny day this week, will the proclaim it an Indian summer?! Of course, the conspiracy theorist in me can't help but think that this kind of comment, along with them now starting the football season in the middle of August is all some plan to condition us into thinking that summer ends much earlier, so they don't have to acknowledge the impact climate change has upon our seasons and weather. Pretty soon the summer months will be classified as May (when we seem to experience some of our hottest weather these days) to July, whilst autumn will commence sometime in mid August and last until October 1st when they'll announce that winter is upon us and shan't give up its icy grip until March. Spring will be approximately last for a fortnight in April. There, that'll keep the climate change deniers and governments of the world happy won't it?

But I guess the truth is that presenters of live TV often say stupid things just to fill the time. For that person, here's a suitable track... 

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Out On Blue Six: Blue Pearl

At last! The heatwave has finally broken and the rain has come down. 

I was beginning to forget what rain felt like and to celebrate its much needed return, here's this classic from 1990

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It Was Thirty Years Ago Today...

15th October, 1987

"Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way; well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't, but having said that, actually, the weather will become very windy, but most of the strong winds, incidentally, will be down over Spain and across into France"

Several hours later, hurricane force gusts of up to 100 knots (or 120 mph) attacked the UK, France and the Channel Islands, causing a number of fatalities, power outage and felled an estimated 15 million trees. The great storm is said to have cost the insurance industry £2billion and an internal inquiry at the Met Office following Michael Fish's gaffe.

Fish himself maintains his report was taken out of context, claiming that his comment was in relation to the news story preceding his bulletin which referred to an approaching storm in Florida, Hurricane Floyd. However, he has appeared to contradict himself down the years, claiming that the call was from a colleague's mother at one point, whilst at others suggesting no one phoned up at all. Either way, it secured his notoriety and a snippet of the bulletin was even included in Danny Boyle's 2012 Olympic opening ceremony. 

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Shopping

RIP Ian McCaskill

The fondly remembered BBC weather presenter Ian McCaskill died earlier this week at the age of 78. He had been suffering with dementia for the last five years, his daughter Kirsty revealed.

The Glasgow born McCaskill presented the weather on the BBC for twenty years and, with his exuberant, puckish manner, become oft imitated and even had his own Spitting Image puppet. His career began thanks to his National Service in the RAF in the late '50s, where he found himself assigned to the Meteorological Corps as an airman meteorologist. Upon concluding his service in 1961, McCaskill joined the Met Office, working at Prestwich Airport, Malta and the Manchester Weather Centre, before transferring to the London Weather Centre in 1978 whereupon he became a member of the BBC forecasting team. He retired in 1998 but for a generation he remains synonymous with the televised weather report alongside the likes of fellow presenters Michael Fish, John Kettley and Bill Giles.

RIP

St Swithin's Day

St Swithin's Day if thou dost rain

For forty days it will remain

St Swithin's Day if thou be fair

For forty days 'twill rain nae mare

Today, 15th July is St Swithin's Day. A day when weather watchers in the UK take note for, as the above folk lore rhyme claims, whatever the weather does today will continue in this fashion for the next forty days.

The legend is an old one, with the earliest surviving references dating back to the 14th century, though the sources are somewhat disputed. St Swithin (or Swithun as it is more properly recalled) was a Saxon bishop of Winchester having been consecrated as such in either October 852 or 853. He was said to be an apple grower and renowned for building places of worship and providing charitable donations. He remained in the position of bishop until his death in the summer month of July sometime between 826 and 865. Upon his death his wish was to be buried outdoors, away from the church crypt and tombs, to be interred with the common people and his parishioners where he would be walked and rained upon. The legend is largely believed to have stemmed from his elevation to patron saint of Winchester Cathedral in 971, which saw his body being dug up from the common ground to be placed inside the church in a newly constructed shrine. Going against Swithun's wishes - however kindly intended - incurred the saint's displeasure and a terrible downpour fell upon the cathedral and surrounding environs for a full 40 days.

It's not just the UK where such folklore exists either, in France they have Saint Medard on the 8th June and Saint Gervase and Saint Protais on the 19th June. Likewise in Flanders there is Saint Godelieve on the 6th July whilst on 27th June in Germany there is Seven Sleepers Day. All of these dates are believed to influence the forthcoming weather in the same manner we believe St Swithin's to be, which suggests a more common Pagan influence to the myth.


Whatever the real origins St Swithun remains part of our heritage and is one of the patron saints Christians pray to in times of drought. He is also the saint whom apple growers ask for blessing each year for they believe that rain on St Swithin's Day blesses and christens the apples, that no apple should be picked or eaten before 15th July and that apples still growing on that day will not ripen.

It's certainly an intriguing bit of folklore but there's no real evidence for it having actually happened. Whilst the Met Office have since tested rainfall on St Swithin's Day a total of 55 times and there has been no record of continuous downpour in a period of forty days following.

However, the Met Office do believe there is something to the old wives tale. The middle of July (which is when the saint's day falls) tends to be the period of time when the jet stream settles into a relatively consistent pattern. If the jet stream lies north of the UK throughout the summer, continental high pressure is able to move in, bringing warmth and sunshine. If it sticks further south, it is the Arctic and/or Atlantic air and weather systems which are likely to  figure, bringing colder, wetter weathers.

And the weather today? Well it's pissing it down. Typical!

Out On Blue Six : Bad Manners

Given that we've had some lovely weather these past couple of days, I thought it only right to share this track today

Factoid: Buster Bloodvessel threw up in front of me in St Helens shortly before going on stage at the town's Chicago Rock!

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Bumday

Bumberella, if you will

Take Me To Church...

Weather Girl Anna Church that is - who brightened up many a cold day over the festive season

Fighting Back : Petitions to Sign

First off the bat today, let's tackle the insufficient information regarding your right to appeal against benefit decisions. Sign this petition to get things changed and your rights made clear.

The repugnant, shameless Iain Duncan Smith (the cunt) has announced a further benefits shake up, despite being proven to have blood on his hands and lies on his lips. How this man is still in a job is beyond me. We need to get him out! Sign this petition demanding his removal, and this to get the CPS to investigate him for the manslaughter of benefit claimants.

It's not just the Tories alas who show their disgusting true colours regarding the disabled in our society. Liz Kendall, the prospective Labour leader, made an almighty gaffe on BBC News last week when she said "Yes, we must support the disabled. But we must also support the ordinary people as well" That kind of mindset should nix anyone's dream of high office. Sign here to demand she apologises.

The Labour leadership election is sadly becoming a terrible farce of dishonourable unfair conduct. Several thousand votes have been purged - and we all know who these votes are for - which stinks of corruption within the system by the Blairites. Sign here to demand this stops.

Whatever the outcome next month, Labour needs to unite and realise who its enemy actually is - the Tories. The in-fighting and constant statements of intent to battle within a potential Corbyn led party is despicable. The party needs to unite and this petition asks them to realise this for our sakes. Cos y'know, we're only the electorate after all.

For over a fortnight now, parts of Lancashire have been without safe drinking water thanks to the bug cryptosporidium having been found in the local water supply. Some 300,000 homes have suffered as a result. But how did this parasite get into the water supply? This petition demands an inquiry.

The Tory govt has turned its back on those who helped them fight the war in Afghanistan, namely the hundreds of interpreters who risked their lives to help our forces. Cameron refuses to resettle these interpreters who served our country between 2006 and 2012 unless they can 'prove' their lives are at great risk. They seem to ignore the murdered family members, bullet holes through cars and injuries they have faced. A previous petition gained 50,000 signatures, but still the Tories have done nothing. Sign here to remind them of their responsibility.

It disgusts and astounds me that this government proposes to cut the wages of our firefighters. These people risk life and limb to ensure our safety and they're struggling to make ends meet as it is. Sign here to reverse that decision and ensure their situation improves.

Chichester Ambulance Service is to be closed to make way for a centralised hub which outsources services to private contractors. This is a waste of NHS money and a terrible risk for Chichester itself. Please sign this petition to express your dissatisfaction with the decision.

Lastly, this one doesn't have anything to do with injustice but I would like people to consider signing it. The BBC are terminating its contract with The Met Office, a contract that has seen these professional forecasters broadcast our weather report for over 90 years, to seek another provider of the service. I think this is a really bad move and so do many others. This is just one petition calling for this decision to be overturned.

Silent Sunday : Deer

Silent Sunday : Fog

Silent Sunday : Sun Rays

Brighten Up Your Day : Anna Church

Being British I have an interest in the weather. Being male, I have an interest in women. This often means I'm interested in the female weather forecasters on the BBC! 

Readers with a long memory may recall I was very keen on Laura Tobin until she defected to ITV and their breakfast show. There's been a bit of a dry spell in terms of interest since then (though I have grown fond of Nina Ridge; she of the striking features i.e. nose and teeth that friends tell me is often my 'type') But last night, whilst watching the early evening round up for North West Tonight I stumbled across Anna Church, who I believe normally presents for East Midlands Today.

Well how lucky are the Midlanders? Isn't she lovely? A beautiful curvy real woman. As you can see in the following clips, she'd give you a real warm front alright!

On these cold wintry nights she's just the sort of person you'd need to keep you warm. Her twitter page has lots of lovely photos including a main banner picture that certainly shows off her asset!

Yup, new infatuation here! I might have to start taking an interest in the regional affairs of the East Midlands ;)

Wordless Wednesday : Owl

Silent Sunday : Lone Wolf

Silent Sunday : Rain

Out On Blue Six : Blue Pearl

I was reminded of this track last night when, after a week of oppressively close weather (we're currently experiencing something of a heatwave here in the UK - I know, it's actually hot in the summer, a real fluke for us!) the heavens finally opened for some sweet relieving rainfall at around 10pm last night. That was me barechested and off into the garden for a bit of an arms outstretched spin!

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Out On Blue Six : Billy Bragg/Dubstar

Because today is St Swithin's Day (see last year's post here if you don't know what that is!) One song, two versions - let's hope for a good summer!

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Wordless Wednesday : Umbrella