Bumpkin

I think thats due to the vast amounts of cider and sloe gin/vodka consumed in this part of the country

As there is so much uncertainty of where it will be snow or rain, I would pack a kit and put it in the boot. Its there just in case. As for chocolate I'd take that anyway whatever the weather or time of year lol

I reckon to get snow in the south we need to dig up the M4 and re-lay it along the bottom of the country, I'm sure its got shield-like properties.

If there is snow about then Shaftesbury usually does well. I went to school there and still have friends living in the town and many a time they have had snow whilst I had rain.

Just been cleaning up in the kitchen and looked out of the window to see a complete white-out! The field behind the house had been invaded by seagulls, must of been thousands of the damn things.

My feelings are (nothing scientific involved) that its next weekend onwards that things will happen properly winter-wise. Thats when i think the effects of the ssw will start being felt. Just remember that you get whatever the weather gives you and there is nothing you can do about it.

http://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/England/Castle_Cary~2653601/long.html Next week is looking interesting. I saw the sun today i made the most of it as you never know when it will appear again!

Thought i'd log in to check on the pub run before bed and found that the site had crashed, thought it was either an epic run and everyone had gone nuts or everything had broken down and members were having mass nervous breakdowns. luckily after a couple of attempts i got on. After seeing some of the epic charts and the mass excitement in the model thread it had better come off now or there will be a mass meltdown of epic proportions and i shall stay well away until the spring Somebody better post the Samaritans number ready just in case.

I'm trying to think back, I was 16 at the time and lived in South Wiltshire. All i can remember is a lot of snow at the end of November as I couldn't get to my friend's birthday party. The A350 over lords hill was closed because of snow and I couldn't get out with my little 50cc motorbike. I also remember pushing my motorbike through snow to get to the A303 to go to visit my boyfriend of the time. I rode 15 miles and when I got to his house my hands were frozen on to the handlebars (I had bike gloves on). I've had a quick look at charts for December and after mild the first week it turned cold but i can't remember it. All i can remember from that month was dumping my boyfriend and contracting gastroenterititis

Whilst we will have a cool down this week, its after mid-month we need to be watching for as thats when we should be seeing the effects of the ssw.

Just popped into the the Model thread with my eyes closed and slowly opened them to find everyone like children in a sweet shop after a good GFS run. I never know what to expect when I go in there. Some cracking charts showing for around +288 but thats miles away so whilst good to see, it will have to be taken with a large pinch of salt. lets hope those charts are still showing at +48. I'm finding it fascinating how the models are dealing with the ssw and what happens with the vortex, it will be interesting to see what happens.

i wouldn't worry too much. We know that it is going to get colder this week but after that is still very uncertain. We don't know what effects the ssw is going to have and the models seem to be struggling as each output is very different to the last. I only take noticed to +96 and +120 maybe but after that anything can happen. TWO commented on last nights output and that is known as the pub run and often is dismissed by alot of knowledgeable posters although I don't know if that is with foundation or not.

I hear rumours that it is going to make an appearance on Wednesday. I will have my shades ready just in case, it will be a shock to the eyes.

Just comments asking for my thoughts and about the ssw. I just explained how the weather is chaotic and difficult to forecast but that it was too early to put away the thermals. No ramping or forecasting. I often get asked for my thoughts and people do seem to except that I'm no forecaster.

I posted some charts on facebook and explained to my friends and family about the ssw and what could possibly happen, just warned them that perhaps winter wasn't over. So if we do get a cold spell I'm a genius and if it doesn't happen then they can see that I wasn't guaranteeing anything and it wasn't a forecast just a warning.

Yellow disc in the sky??? i remember in the olden days we would see that disc quite often, can't remember when I last saw it. Was chilly and foggy last night, fog has now lifted and its back to being meh. So its ssw day, will be interesting to see what happens now.

Cloudy and meh all day. Currently 7.1c and patchy fog. It doesn't feel 7.1c as I have just got back from picking my son up from work and my hands are really cold. So the only thing to do was sneak up behind my husband and put them on his neck to make him squeal like a girl

Very pleased to see dry weather now although it would be nice to see the sun but can't have everything i suppose! I've bought myself a new hat and gloves so probably won't get cold enough to use them now, although I bought myself a lovely pair of purple muckboots in April and basically didn't take them off for months, a very good investment last year.

Happy new year to you all. Lets all hope for a better year weather-wise. I'm personally hoping for a long hot sunny summer, seem rarer than snowy winters these last few years.

Rain was really heavy up until around 2pmish. The road going down into Wincanton (past Holbrook house) was like a brown river, the water was just pouring off the fields. The moat around the house is back, hopefully the last time for a long time now.

I was bitten by one on the side of my knee as I was walking to catch the bus after school (Shaftesbury) when I was 16). In a few hours it had swollen badly and I couldn't bend my knee. Evil little blighters, even the beer named after it tastes yuck.

Currently piddling down, really looking forward to something much drier. Lets have a few weeks of dry then snowmeggedon can come. Keeps everyone happy then.

3.1c for me please.

Another good site for plugs, seed collections and mixtures is this one http://www.wildflowershop.co.uk/index.html Different butterflies are attracted to different flowers and grasses for feeding and egg laying (caterpillar food plant) so it depends on what you want to attract and what sort of location your garden is in. I'm hoping to create a mini meadow in my garden and at the village primary (the weather has hampered me this year). We have meadows nearby and I've seen meadow species of butterflies along the railway embankment so I know we could get them here.

I think that all the fieldfares and redwings have come to live with me as we have really big numbers this year. Also Starling numbers are very good. They come to the farmland around here from Westhay during the day before going back to roost. I saw a barn owl out hunting during the day last week also. The wet spring and summer has had a big effect on wildlife this year. Cerneman has mentioned the birds and river ecology and I noticed it most with the insects. Bees couldn't get out and so plants were not pollinated and so low fruit production. Butterflies had a really bad time of things, 2 butterflies that I see a lot of normally ( common blue & brown argus) I didn't see a single one all year. I did see more holly blues this year than previously but it seems that the darker butterflies that are more cloud tolerant did ok. really good numbers of meadow browns, gatekeepers and ringlets. I haven't seen any spring signs here yet but shall be keeping an eye on things.