Don't You Just Love the British Summer ?

[Tom Alexander]

Originally Posted by mary75

Tom, yes, and today it's even worse with an air quality warning. The sun appears red in a hazy grey sky from the smoke coming south from the forest fires in the Interior and north from a new fire in Washington State.

We have finally got out "come-uppance" on Vancouver Island. The mainland outflow pushed a considerable amount of smoke our way, looking like brown fog on the Strait, obscuring the mainland, and even rendering Mount Benson in a browninsh haze.

[Malcolm K.]

We can always tell when it is summertime here in Scotland. The rain gets warmer!

[Tom Alexander]

Originally Posted by Tom Alexander

We have finally got out "come-uppance" on Vancouver Island. The mainland outflow pushed a considerable amount of smoke our way, looking like brown fog on the Strait, obscuring the mainland, and even rendering Mount Benson in a browninsh haze.

Same again today --- can even smell the smoke at times.

Smoke reminds me -- this thread is not about British Summer, but there is also something else British that has to do with smoke:-

Lucas Electrical Theory:

Positive ground depends on proper circuit functioning, which is the transmission of negative ions by retention of visible spectral manifestation known as "smoke". Smoke is the thing that makes electrical circuits work. We know this to be true because every time one lets the smoke out of an electrical circuit, it stops working. This can be verified repeatedly through empirical testing.
For example, if one places a copper bar across the terminals of a battery, prodigious quantities of smoke are liberated and the battery shortly ceases to function. In addition, if one observes smoke escaping from an electrical component such as a Lucas voltage regulator, it will also be observed that the component no longer functions. The logic is elementary and inescapable!
The function of the wiring harness is to conduct the smoke from one device to another. When the wiring springs a leak and lets all the smoke out of the system, nothing works afterward.
Starter motors were considered unsuitable for British motorcycles for some time largely because they consumed large quantities of smoke, requiring very unsightly large wires.
It has been reported that Lucas electrical components are possibly more prone to electrical leakage than their Bosch, Japanese or American counterparts. Experts point out that this is because Lucas is British, and all things British leak. British engines leak oil, British shock absorbers, hydraulic forks and disk brake systems leak fluid, British tires leak air and British Intelligence leaks national defense secrets. Therefore, it follows that British electrical systems must leak smoke. Once again, the logic is clear and inescapable.
In conclusion, the basic concept of transmission of electrical energy in the form of smoke provides a logical explanation of the mysteries of electrical components especially British units manufactured by Joseph Lucas, Ltd. (This has also been referred to as the "smoke theory" because when the smoke comes out its finished, cooked or done for.)
And remember: “A gentleman does not motor about after dark.”
Joseph Lucas “The Prince of Darkness”
1842-1903
A few Lucas quips:
The Lucas motto: “Get home before dark.”
Lucas is the patent holder for the short circuit.
Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper.
Lucas - Inventor of the self-dimming headlamp.
The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF. The other three
switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE.
The Original Anti-Theft Device - Lucas Electrics.
If Lucas made guns, guns would not fire.
Back in the ‘70's, Lucas decided to diversify its product line and began manufacturing vacuum cleaners. It was the only product they offered which did not suck.
Q: Why do the British drink warm beer? A: Because Lucas makes their refrigerators.

[YM-Mundrabilla]

I can confirm (along with a squillion others I imagine) that what Tom says is true. The smoke escaped from the Lucas electricals under the dashboard of my brother's Hillman Hunter years ago and nothing worked after the smoke was gone.

I can also confirm that dry powder from a fire extinguisher is not suitable to replace the smoke as after a kg or so of powder was released under the dashboard still nothing worked.

Is it possible, I suppose, that Australian dry powder is not a suitable substitute for English dry powder which might well be a substitute for Lucas smoke?

[Varley]

Perhaps Lucas had no reserve of smoke. Instructions for Marconi transmitters were tune for maximum smoke and so must have employed a substantial reserve of smoke. Possibly in those glass bottles that we changed when the smoke stopped? Or possibly piped up from the engine room in those copper pipes that Leckie looked after as soon as they went through the radio room bulkhead. That would explain why we were not allowed to transmit in port - insufficient smoke after FWE.

[BobClay]

Also lends support to the controversial law of sending smokers outside of pubs where they can leak their smokey innards into the bad weather out there while we non-leakers can sit inside and drink .... and gloat.

[Naytikos]

I have to confirm this theory after my experiences of yesterday which I spent upon our smaller sister-island where they had 7 power cuts (in British terminology) between 8 and 9 in the morning. Observing the generating plant from 100 feet up a nearby communication tower I could see vast quantities of black smoke emerging from a vertical pipe adjacent to the building.

Naturally I immediately telephoned the plant to advise them that all of their smoke was escaping and that's why there was no electricity around the island.

For some unaccountable reason the person at the other end of the telephone was markedly unappreciative of the information.

I climbed down, caught a plane and came home: can't do my job if others keep losing their smoke!

[BobClay]

It rained all night last night. I thought, a front must be going through. So I looked at the synoptic chart !!

Words fail me ...

[BobClay]

It's raining hard again. I think I've started to figure it out. That double celled low over Baily, Rockall and Hebrides is throwing out a whole spiders web of fronts, cold, warm and occluded. Five of these are approaching Cornwall.

Given five fronts, call them the front front, front of the middle front, middle front, back of the middle front and back front, I think last night's rain was the front front, and the rain now it's the front of the middle front, or the middle front ... or both !!

Of course, I could have all this back the front.

[Malcolm G]

I'll be glad to see the back of those fronts
Should be passed around midday tomorrow.

The next lot, passing Thursday, don't look quite so ferocious.

The problem here is that you get all the rain and the clouds are nearly empty when they get to me. That means I still have to water the flower tubs and window boxes even though it has 'rained'.

[Tom Alexander]

Originally Posted by mary75

Tom, yes, and today it's even worse with an air quality warning. The sun appears red in a hazy grey sky from the smoke coming south from the forest fires in the Interior and north from a new fire in Washington State.

Wow! Even on the Island we had a few days of fairly heavy smoke -- couldn't see mount Benson from downtown for a while!! Has cleared nicely in the last day though.

[sibby]

Here in Cromer we have had to water the garden every day for the last 5 days, no rain. Still it is Cromer carnival today, at the moment it is hot and sunny, but on past experience it is bound to turn cool and rain by 1900 when the carnival parade starts.

[BobClay]

To all our American cousins.

I see, I see, I get the picture.

You're sending hurricane Gert our way, (or at least what's left of it.) So, you are refusing to keep bad your weather down your end of the pond ?

Well, if this keeps up, we'll probably have to burn Washington down again (come on guys, think about it, we'd be doing you a favour right now.)

This bloody summer is bad enough without having to wear cast offs ....

[BobClay]

Yesterday I worked most of the day on my conservatory roof. I actually started to wobble a bit it was so hot, apparently now the hottest August Bank Holiday Monday on record.

Today when I went out to do a bit, I had to put a coat on against the rain and cold wind ...

[BobClay]

Summer or no summer I drove up to the Malvern Hills yesterday (Sunday Sept 10th) for a break. Stopped off at Tewkesbury on the way to walk around the battle field of 1471. A decisive battle was fought there near the end of the Wars of the Roses which secured the throne for Edward IV. Some parts of the battlefield are built on, but there's a good path around the site, which runs through 'bloody meadow.'
Here apparently the Lancastrian Army was slaughtered. Medieval battles were a close in bloody affair and once one army buckled little or no quarter was given.
Edward had a good run for ten years or so, then died unexpectedly, which left the field open for his younger brother, Richard to move in and become Richard III .. and we all know how that ended up.

Then I walked up the Worcestershire Beacon, the highest point on the Malverns with a view to die for. Today I did the Herefordshire Beacon, at the other end of the ridge. An ancient fort adorns it call 'The British Camp' which legend has it stood fast against the Roman invasion.

Tomorrow I'm going to walk the ridge line. You can see the Bristol Channel, the Welsh Mountains and the Shropshire plain from these hills. That's enough history here for anyone to chew on.

So far the weather has been fair to good, few heavy showers. Nothing compared the bad weather some poor folks are getting the world over.

[Varley]

I am pleased you're enjoying it and not having 'this Summer's been last whine', Bob. From here the years been good. Too dry at the beginning which not good for the garden (no pears this year) but until last week we had been playing in the garden two or three afternoons a week. I've not missed a week's mowing. All objective measures of a good Summer.

As for the rest of the world, TRS and earthquake prone, much with poisonous creepy crawlies and primitives hurling ordnance. It serves to demonstrate how lucky we are to be in GB.

[BobClay]

There's much truth in that for sure. We don't get much in the way of extremes and I think much of our moaning about the weather is more of a pastime than a genuine whinge. Also I think hills and mountains look better when the weather is a tad obstreperous.

[Farmer John]

It has been an odd season, if only because every day has offered the chance to wear a totally different weight of clothes to the previous. We always have something to enjoy, we live in a wonderful place. Two members of my family live in Thailand, they long for more distinct seasons.

[Naytikos]

Spent part of my childhood just North of the Malvern Hills; beautiful view from the front garden from around ten miles away.

[BobClay]

I've been driving up and down the M5 for years and always been impressed by the sight of the Malverns and every time promising myself I'd go and have a look at them.

I'm glad I finally did.

[BobClay]

Another glorious sunny day while I walked the Malvern ridge line, couldn't ask for better ! All change tonight though as storm Aileen goes through. Good timing as headed home tomorrow.
Also went to Ledbury today and bought an old wooden parallel ruler in a flea market. Don't ask me why just seemed weird to see something nautical this far inland.

[Kevjacko]

Just booked a few days away in the lakes from next Monday. Praying for good weather, me being ever the optimist. Plan to climb Skidaw, walk Windemere, and maybe do a bit of kayaking. Not sure which one I'll get wettest at.

[BobClay]

I walked over Blencathra then Skiddaw a couple of years ago in blazing sunshine. Nigh on bloody killed me but a good walk. Good luck with the weather.

[Kevjacko]

Originally Posted by BobClay

I walked over Blencathra then Skiddaw a couple of years ago in blazing sunshine. Nigh on bloody killed me but a good walk. Good luck with the weather.

Cheers Bob, gonna play Skiddaw by ear weather depending. I sort of want to do it for my wee mate Tony 'Skiddaw' Lawson, kind of left with zero quality of life in a nursing home after being struck down with a heart attack. He has a caravan over there and it was a big part of his life. I've never done Skiddaw but I understand his love of the place.

[BobClay]

Well it's a 3000 footer so a worthy hill. Big rolling mountain with a wide top and views to die for. If you get the weather you'll enjoy it.