Bother the weather

I know nina

As soon as we got within 20 mins of Lakeside we saw stationary traffic so took a detour only to get stuck again . At that point we decided to turn round it took another half hour to get back out .

Nightmare ! I feel for the people who are stuck .

I've just read on line that there have been/still are 6 HOUR delays at the crossing due to the bridge being closed.
Seems you got of lightly N&G

Yes I do ninathenana for my sins

I thought an express train was coming up our road this morning, but it was the wind howling

Trains in the south were delayed today because speed restrictions were imposed due to the high winds. I had a brisk walk down to Sandhurst Station in a howling gale, then had to hang around Reading Station for a delayed train. The platforms are perfect wind tunnels! We passed some impressive flooding near Banbury where a lake seemed to have formed overnight. And when I got back to Cheshire it was pouring down, though the wind is not so strong. It didn't help that my taxi didn't arrive on time and I had to ring up and remind the company.

Gertrude and Henry gave us an awful time up here in the North. Am just enjoying the peace. Rain doesn't bother me luckily but our windows whistle and scream and leaked horrendously last week. Curtains and carpets now a bit drier.

N&G do you live on the Essex side ?

Had to take DH to hospital today for an MRI scan. Something wrong with his arm so he cannot drive. On the way there the car was skittering all over the road as the wind caught it broadside, water was pouring down the roads making them very slippy. I have quite a small light car and I was very glad to have the solid bulk of DH with me weighing down the car

High winds here in Suffolk but not too much rain thankfully. Just had a very blustery walk with the dogs on the racecourse, they love it though the wind does seem to send them a bit loopy!

Weather has been awful today and GS has a severe attack of cabin fever. He's been begging to go out and play football - water polo would be more like it! I had some indoor activities lined up for him but he's hard to motivate today. DH has resorted to kicking a soft ball up and down the landing with him! It might be drier tommorrow and Wednesday.

It's not the rain here so much as the high winds and roads.

Thought we'd pop to Lakeside for a mooch as its all indoors ( it's by the Dartford River Crossing .

Huge mistake every road in all directions is at a standstill for 3-5 miles. Due to high winds they've closed the bridge and 2 lanes of the motorway -result....chaos!!

Finally got home after a 25 min round trip took over an hour and we didn't even get close!

Luckily good old M & S garage was open, so it's angel cake and a cuppa all round!

My neighbours and I take each others washing in if one of us is out and it rains.
Kent has been very lucky with the weather, we've had hardly any rain until last night. In fact DH has had to water the rhodis in pots.

The weather washes by me a bit but my OH becomes very very anxious indeed when there is rain and wind, convinced that at any moment we will be flooded or the walls will fall in. He is like a cat on hot bricks and is inconsolable. I have totally given up trying to reassure him because it is an impossible task. I just watch him pacing about and sitting tensed up. There is nothing else I can do. I have tried everything.

I will be very glad when the rain and wind cease; but I suspect he will find something else to worry about!

Not my neighbour a former friends neighbour, and yes, she really expected her to dash home from work to take her washing in. She talks to none of her neighbours as she has complained at some point about things like, unscrubbed front steps, curtains still open after 8.30am not washing net curtains regularily and on and on.
The friend has never worked since marriage and although just 61 is a throwback in a lot of ways.
My Mother adores her as she has conformed to her standards of what a housewife should be. Unlike me of course.

Washing is still on the line Alima, but probably 6 times heavier than when it went out. Haven't looked to see if the rain is still in the air, but odds on it is. Will have to give it a fastspin when it comes in. Gave my tumble dryer away last year as we hadn't used it really for ages. The sun keeps trying it's best to come through, but just lightens up the sky a bit. Back to my book and another cuppa for now. What was all that with your neighbours Felice? Was she expected to come home from work to take in the washing?

An X friend of mine has not spoken to a neighbour for more than ten years, the neighbour had hung her washing out one morning before going to work. There was a shower of rain mid-morning and X friend phoned the neighbour at work to tell her to come and take her washing in.
I do not know the full gist of the conversation but X friend has never spoken to the woman since and I have heard some downright abusive allegations made about her.
Slightly off the Op but it brought the memory back.
Awful here too today, DGS down since last night as parents at a funeral.
School holidays started today and DGS very frustrated at not getting out in the garden.
A lot of parks are closed and Carnival celebrations across the country have been cancelled.

Yes I agree I think its worse to give these weather systems a name its like giving them more significance. In years to come we will be saying 'I remember Imogen in 2016 - we really had storms then'.

Tantalizingly rare glimpses of sun to be seen here but everything is so waterlogged. Desperate to be able to get out but don't move fast enough to dodge the raindrops so no point really.
Hanging out washing seems a distant memory.

However ..... the snowdrops are out and also some beautiful hellebores in various colours which all give us hope of better things to come.

Well its very windy but mostly our rain seems to be at night or when we are tucked up indoors, we've managed a good walk most days and although its been very blowy we haven't needed the heating on in the daytime for a while.. my gas bill will be lower this Winter.
I think we are all noticing these storms more since they have been named for some reason.

My daughter is called Imogen...she is still managing to smile at all the jokes /comments flying her way !!

My DD had something land on her sunroof while she was driving to work this morning. She had glass showering down on her and was very shocked. She had to go home with the rain pouring in. The garage has picked up her car but can't get a hirecar to her until tomorrow so she has had to take two days leave.

Imogen is such a lovely name but what she has brought with her is not lovely.
Watching the tree in my front garden with some anxiety!

May I say that the title to this thread is very restrained, I could think of some other descriptive words for the current wet and windy spell. Fear not Auntyflo, you won't have to go and rescue your washing, it will probably be in the next county by now.

I know I'm lucky, we haven't been flooded and are in a position to keep the house warm. I have good quality waterproofs for dog walking and use of a car so I don't have to stand at the bus stop getting drenched. BUT I'm so fed up with the persistent rain, the way the fields and my garden are like mud baths. The ground is saturated and I've just come home from walking the dogs so it's 3 dog showers, 3 dog towels to wash and dry, total change of clothing for me and dogs confined to the utility till they dry so that wet dog smell doesn't permeate the house. It's miserable isn't it. I keep trying to look on the bright side (with minimal success)

A poor young girl has just delivered a bookcase from Homebase. She was visibly scared having just driven across an exposed stretch of fenland and got lost into the bargain. We gave her directions for a safer route back.

She said it was her first day. I hope she's alright now.