The MBS Group

The Weatherman Says... Stories

Wednesday September 08, 2010

I have become addicted to cold water swimming. The water right now isn't that cold - in unheated outdoor pools and ponds it is hovering around 17°C. I am excited about experiencing the slow and gradual drop in temperature. To be honest, a little bit of me was hoping that cold water would burn lots of calories (and fat) thus turning me into a sleek, watery machine. But then I thought...seals, polar bears, cold water, blubber...hhmmm? Maybe this is the wrong sport for burning energy and better for becoming Simon Sealface, Billy Blubberbelly, Waddling Weatherman. Time will tell. Seems to be muggy and dark outside. Rain must be imminent.

Tuesday September 07, 2010

Some serious rain up in them clouds today. A low pressure system is bringing some potentially very heavy rainfall at times across much of the country. I fetched my mum from Heathrow airport this morning. I left at 5.30am and returned during the rush hour, only to find out there was a tube strike. I could have cycled back from Heathrow quicker than it took to drive. Get on yer bikes.....it is the ONLY way around. Selena The Astrologist has already spent more in three months on parking tickets than I have spent in two years of public transport. Her crystal ball is pretty good but it can't get her out of bed in time to move her car!

Monday September 06, 2010

When I was a kid, we had Sinclairs, Amstrads and IBM. Can you believe email has only really been around, for most of us, since '93? These days our online lives consist of Gmail, Facebook, Flickr, Vimeo, YouTube, Venda, iPhoto, Photoshop, Twitter, Wordpress, blogs and many many more. Unbelievable! I grew up playing Space Invaders. The weather is still holding (kind of), but I think there is some rain on the way. Some of it heavy. Temperatures slowly dipping.

Friday September 03, 2010

The weather is fantastic. I went for a swim in the Parliament Hill Lido yesterday. Founded in 1937, it is the best pool I have ever swum in. The water was stunningly clear and cool and the pool is huge. I'm taking the kids there this arvy. Have a great weekend.

Thursday September 02, 2010

Another glorious day in paradise. Why move to Tahiti when the weather in London is fantastic? Who needs tropical perfection, martinis, deck chairs and clear water, when you can have sunny traffic jams, cool, clear blue tube station entrances and the algae-covered Hampstead ponds?

Wednesday September 01, 2010

Weather: pretty darn good, if you ask me! The sun is shining brightly, the sky is clear and, although the mornings are cool, it is lovely in the sunshine. You can still catch a tan if you try.

Tuesday August 31, 2010

Our lodger is an astrologer. She has given me some notes. I am a sceptic but apparently that just means I am left brained. Is that like an astrologer's insult? The door to astrology opened just a tad for me, via the moon affecting tides (hence through surfing). For example...I know that during Spring tides, I might score epic waves, thus putting me in a great mood. Or that during a full moon, I grow hairier and enjoy howling at the night sky. My lodger sees the logic in all this and it provides common ground for our ensuing lectures. As I like howling, this also provides a defence for me claiming to be musical and thus somewhat creative, right brained and possibly a future astrologer. To see the sun in line with the blue sky and Jupiter lounging, makes for a beautiful day.

Friday August 27, 2010

Watches - handbags for men? Many men love watches. Girls like 'em too but they can usually stop at one. Some girls have 27 handbags (and more). I know a guy with over one hundred watches. A watch is, for many men, their only serious piece of jewellery. Plus...it's a machine and we know what boys are like about machines. Watches combine fashion with functionality. It is very very very damp outside at the moment. Oh, for the days of childless entire days in bed!

Thursday August 26, 2010

Thanks to Colin and Andrew for their book recommendations. I shall be investigating them as they sound great (the books, I mean). The weather is providing some hideous cycling conditions at the moment - sticky, damp, moist, humid, sweaty, wet and soggy...not conducive to the preservation of ideal undergarment wearability for the duration of a working day.

Wednesday August 25, 2010

The south sees some evil rainfall this afternoon. Most likely the west and southernmost tip will bear the brunt, but the south as a whole will be deluged from lunchtime today. Can someone recommend a good book? I am stuck, trapped in a barren landscape of literary starvation. My veined orbs are crying out for some kind of linguistic stimulation. The Beano (whilst generally recognised as a timeless masterpiece) just ain't cutting the mustard.

Tuesday August 24, 2010

Someone told me about a new way of eating. Apparently, sportspeople eat this way. Five meals a day, they say. Mini-meals. Suits me. I get to eat every three hours. How exciting never having to wait for the next meal. Scoffing all day. And it makes you lose weight. Crisps for breakfast, apple for snack, Tangfastics on toast for lunch, nuts for snack, soup and bread and pasta and chocolate for dinner. Cereal for bedtime snack (wouldn't want my belly to have to wait a whole seven hours till breakfast). The sky is obese with potential rain.

Monday August 23, 2010

Being butler to the Queen must surely be easier than parenting young kids. The soundtrack to my life: don't like this one, can't hear the music, I need a wipe, more, yuck, where's my dum, another one, open the window, my turn. Its raining in Devon.

Friday August 20, 2010

Muggy in the east, gonna rain in the west. I'm heading west tonight into the rain, and then it's going to pass to the east. Heavy duty wind in the north...blowing to 70mph tonight. Road trip....wahoo!

Thursday August 19, 2010

There is nothing more embarrassing for a cyclist on a cool bike, than getting your feet stuck in your clips at a traffic light. You pull up, swagger (if that's possible on a bike), come to a halt and then tip over, right in front of all the cars at a red light. It's the equivalent of a girl going out with her dress tucked in the back of her knickers! The sun is shining and my hip bone is aching!

Wednesday August 18, 2010

My younger daughter is something of a camel. She is very little...maybe that has something to do with it. Anyway, she hardly eats for three days and then chows down like a horse. So I can only deduce that she has a hump and is storing energy! Sorry Savannah...I do love you more than life itself but will you please eat your breakfast sometimes? Interchangeable visibility and the potential for some impressive downpours.

Tuesday August 17, 2010

My brother has invented an alter ego for himself, basically in order to score a free gold scooter. My brother is THE MAN when it comes to getting free stuff...even if it means dressing up like a berk! Disco Dave is his name and he wears a Discoman suit. Obviously, he now rides a gold scooter. If you look not very hard you might find him on Youtube as Discodavelegend gettin' his freak on to James Brown. I think it's going to rain...but then I am a weather genius (a humble one at that).

Monday August 16, 2010

There is a campaign mounting to stop the British clocks being moved backwards by an hour in Winter. Personally, I'm all for it. Let's face it...getting up in the dark, having lunch in the dark and coming home in the dark is not one of the UK's most endearing features. Speaking of darkness...the weather has definitely become a little Autumnal of late. Quite a lot more rain, wind and cloud. Maybe we could just change the clocks guerrilla style...just don't do it. Turn up an hour late to all meetings and eventually they will join you. Tipping point and all that jazz.

Friday August 13, 2010

Big rain on the way in the next day or so. Summer is wobbling, but we have to admit it's been very good so far by British standards. In an effort to brighten up the world a little, today I am wearing pink socks. If you think about it...pink really is a colour with attitude. Girls....the source of all life in the universe, bow down to colour pink. It makes them wobbly at the knees and if they could, many girls would wave a magic wand and turn the entire world pink. Manly men like pink because it means they can show their softer, more eccentric side, whilst still being hard enough to duff up any starters.

Wednesday August 11, 2010

The other night, I watched the film Invictus. Directed by Clint Eastwood, it focuses on the period of release for Nelson Mandela and the winning of the rugby world cup for South Africa. I think I used up an entire bog roll as the tears came a-pouring. Unfortunately, I was in the UK for that period but remember my mum saying that people were lying in the street howling, screaming and crying with joy. Mandela wearing the Springbok jersey may have been one of the greatest pieces of marketing of all time. It's a fantastic country with incredible history and oh by the way...we just put on the best football world cup ever! Loving the sun.

Monday August 09, 2010

Summer is still here and gorgeous. Mild and balmy, sunny and lazily warm.....especially with red wine hangover. My Aussie mate with a bigger beard than mine came over for a chin wag and dinner. This guy is a hardcore adventurer: next year, he is planning a trek to the south pole and wants to kite surf back out of there....I wouldn't fancy dropping the kite in the water on that trip!