Wildswimmer Pete

I experienced Winter 1962/63 and that was a proper winter.

Yet another substandard "high summer" day. Didn't even reach 20C despite the all sunshine while going outdoors felt chilly due to that dratted persistent NW wind. The rest of this week looks no better - approaching the middle of July for heaven's sake. Sadly I've seen this pattern too many times over my seven decades on this planet. Generally chilly with too much rain at the wrong time (during the day rather than overnight). Skies clear at sundown leading to chilly nights, a pattern that repeats until the schools go back at the end of August when the warm, anticyclonic weather returns in September which is too late to be of any real use. I'm not interested in statistics, my opinion is subjective - actual experience.

Today was passable, 20C in full sun so I was again able to catch more rays in the back garden. Currently blue sky and full sun.

Today turned out better. Mostly sunny until cloud invaded around 4pm, managed 20C which is still bit low for the time of year. Managed to top-up my Vit D3 the best way, sunbathing topless.

Another autumnal "high summer" day: overnight min 10C, currently an underwhelming 18C @ 3:25pm, supposedly the warmest part of the day. Cold winds from a northern quarter have been the default summer setting for NW England over the past few years.

We actually managed 20C today after a mild night. Mostly cloudy with very few brief sunny intervals. This was taken at Hatchmere, Frodsham, Cheshire. Water temp. 20C which was surprising given the weeks of cold, wet conditions since the start of June.

Chilly night with just 11C. According to friend's vehicle thermo we reached 27C, I'm sitting in front of my PC topless with all windows open. Doesn't feel particularly humid.

Actually managed to catch some rays in my back garden, first time for many weeks. Currently sunny and blue sky, first time since the beginning of June.

Cloudless sky but currently just about 20C @1pm BST. Not very good for a late June day.

I can think of a better word beginning with "f". Meanwhile we hit the stellar heights of 22C, but still no sun.

This June's grey, sunless grotfest continues unabated. Current temp 20C which is somewhat below par. Although my long-term memory is obviously selective to some extent, my recollection of summers during the 1950s and Sixties were a procession of wet days, sunny days and the odd thundery spell. Not like the wall-to-wall cloud for weeks on end that we now endure.

Last night pretty cold, min 10.0C. Mostly sunny but only about 18C which isn't very good for late June. Currently sunny with 15.4C. Looks like we are in for another cold night. Today is the longest day after which we begin the depressing descent towards the loathsome British winter.

Half-decent day. Some cloud with sunny intervals. The temp. reported by my pal's van was 21C when we went shopping in Widnes (Cheshire) around mid-day. Currently dry and temp. 17.1C, overnight min. 11.3C

Good heavens, sunshine at long last. Hopefully everything will begin drying out now. Still cold outdoors after another cold night (9C). Still needing the heating on in mid-June.

Another monumentally nasty spell of weather. Yesterday torrential rain with a max. of just 10C (mid-June ), today the stellar high of 11C just now, and the rain has started again. The last time I remember the weather being so vile in what we laughingly describe as "summer" was the last weekend of August 1963 (August Bank Holiday was at the beginning of the month at that time.) The unspeakably vile British climate has really excelled itself again.

Another Autumnal day. Woke to thick mist and min. temp of 6.5C. Fine morning but currently now a thunderstorm with rain and hail @ 3.00pm BST.

Another wretched cold, wet day. The British "Summer" is so short that cold, wintry weather at this time of the year is an insult. Today is yet another "January in June" day and there's no sign of any improvement. Bear in mind the nights begin drawing in in just over a fortnight's time. .

Horrible day. Persistent moderate rain and a max of 12C. Pathetic.

@ 6:30pm Thunderstorm here with lightning and thunder, heavy rain and hail, hailstones quite large.

Yet another vile early May day - moderate rain and a miserable 8C. Good job I had my heated jacket on when venturing outdoors.

Day dawned clear and cloudless but quite cold - I sleep under an open window and I felt cold under the duvet which is unusual. Min temp. last night 2.7C. Minor UHI so the countryside probably a couple of degrees lower. Overnight precipitation but I was asleep so couldn't tell whether it was rain or sleet.

Vile day. Driving rain and very cold at just 7C. Very windy.

Cloudless day from dawn to now. Managed an afternoon sunbathing topless in the garden.

Thoroughly vile April day - wind with knives in it and moderate icy rain with some sleet.

I actually experienced all-year-round Summer Time from Spring 1968 to Autumn 1971 and it was an unmitigated disaster. Sunrise around 9am (or even later in Scotland) with having to drive (or even worse, ride) along dark, icy roads to get to work - in my case I had to leave home around 8am to ride across the Wirral on icy back lanes to Port Sunlight to start work at 8:30am. The dark mornings led to a spate of accidents where school kids had to mix it with half-awake drivers and obviously came off worst. It's ironic how RoSPA then declared that permanent Summer Time to be disastrous, but the same RoSPA are now agitating for permanent Summer Time. Hopefully this Brexit nonsense will be shortly a thing of the past and we leave the clocks as they are.