It took me quite a while then to work out who you were talking about. I've never actually listened to her on the radio, although I've been in concerts a couple of times from which she's been doing a live broadcast so I have heard her public speaking style. Can't say I was a fan, she seemed to garble everything but maybe I'm just jealous - I remember her from when we used to take analysis classes together at university ... she even complimented me on my black nail varnish once! (Long story.)

I have done no such thing!!

So the storms are going north of Watford. Here endeth the BBC News featuring reporters hanging onto lamposts in the rain/wind.

I've just had a nervous look out of the window after a very noisy night. All the trees are still standing, I think, though doing alarming dances.

I hope Milly's house is still there, with not too much sea water in it. I do feel a sneaking envy that she can see the sea. I'm not far from it, but I can't actually see it from here.

Glad you're still there, Milly! I wouldn't go out if I didn't absolutely have to - luckily, I don't. Will make a cautious inspection later. It keeps appearing to calm down and then getting violent again, so it's treacherous.

Round here it's a bit like the earthquake - i.e. nothing really happened (unless you were driving a high-sided vehicle). My bird-table is on its side, but that's because I put it there. I thought it might be blown over and damage something - otherwise, the lid blew off the box the milkman (yes, I still have one!) puts the milk in - that's it, definitely "I dropped my cup of tea" stuff.

If you watched the national news this evening you will have seen the situation on the North West coast.  It's been awful.  The winds have died right down now thank goodness.  I'll go and inspect properly for damage tomorrow, but a cursory look round shows nothing out of the ordinary at all.  My fencing is miraculously intact and I haven't come across any broken roof tiles.  There is the odd grain or two of sand in the vicinity though....

My poor dog has had no walk today.  We'll make up for it tomorrow.

No problems, thank you for asking!    I've had a look round and can't find any structural damage at all and my fences have miraculously held.  My only persistent problem is that we keep being buried in sand because the Council have dumped a 20 foot heap right behind our houses along here.  They shovel it all up from the pavements with their JCBs and dump it right behind us - so of course every time there's a gale we're showered with the stuff like rain at about 80 mph.  It costs me over £100 every week to pay someone to shift it all.  I just can't do it myself it's far too heavy.  I can only half-fill a wheelbarrow anyway and still be able to push it so it would take me twice as long in any event.  You can't buy a house backing on to the beach and not get some sand, but instead of the sprinkling there used to be - it's now amounting to tons!

Last year I made a big fuss about it in the media and ran some articles in the local paper.  A retired bank manager up the road made national news and was on news tv because he'd been barrowing his back on to the beach.  The council sent a representative to warn him there would be a £400 fine if he did it again and they threatened to confiscate his wheelbarrow apparently.  It was in the Daily Mail.  If we remove sand from our gardens, it may be "contaminated" by weedkiller or whatever.....we're supposed to just pile it up on the pavements outside our houses for the JCBs to take it away.  We all dutifully do this and they come and guess where they put it all?  Behind us - back on the beach!!!!  It is ok for them to "contaminate" the beach, but not us. 

The local council have steadfastly refused to remedy the situation.  They are a complete disgrace.  They've just voted to permanently close our public swimming pool.  2000 people marched last Saturday and demonstrated against the closure.  It made no difference at all.  They're closing it in July right at the start of the holiday season.  They say they can't afford the £200,000 per year it takes to keep it going because they need the money towards their new £7,000,000 town hall!  Then it turned out that it was a fait accompli anyway and there would have been no point marching against it - because it was sold SIX MONTHS ago - to a hotel company.  That news has only just broken.  It had been kept very quiet. 

One thing's for sure they won't be voted in again!  However the damage is done really.  They're bringing this dear little town to its knees.   

Sorry, this should have gone on the Grumpy Old Rant thread I suppose.