End of winter!

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:27:05 +0000

Mike Causer said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

You're late. You should've posted this at 16:12 (for here, or a little
earlier for most of the UK).

Quoted message said:

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st December.

Quoted message said:

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

terwhit, terwhoo.

And we still haven't had any cold weather. Not even what passes for
cold on this island of constantly-middling-weather. I wonder how
long we'll be spared salt on the road, and the damage to bikes it
brings?

--
not me guv

"Mike Causer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st December.

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

Mike

Only three months to go until I can cycle home from work in daylight again.
I hope I don't get a puncture in the meantime. I dread the thought of trying
to fix a puncture six miles from home in the pitch black without removing
the back wheel.

Adam Lea said:

Only three months to go until I can cycle home from work in daylight again.

Lucky you. I have to wait about 25 weeks. (ALthough I do miss that
horrible rush hour traffic both ways).

Martin.

Mike Causer said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st December.

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

Mike

Nice one, that's how I think about it too. Technically it's only the
start of winter on the 22nd mind.

Mike Causer said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

You guys with Stonehenge get all the news ahead of we who are off to the
west.

In article <[email hidden]>

Adam Lea said:

"Mike Causer" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st December.

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

Only three months to go until I can cycle home from work in daylight again.
I hope I don't get a puncture in the meantime. I dread the thought of trying
to fix a puncture six miles from home in the pitch black without removing
the back wheel.

If you're that bothered about it wrap a spare tube around the frame, so
you can swap tubes without messing around.

On 13 Dec 2006 15:41:43 -0800, "LSMike" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Mike Causer said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st December.

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

Mike

Nice one, that's how I think about it too. Technically it's only the
start of winter on the 22nd mind.

The 21st is mid-winter's night.

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:25:48 +0000

Nick Kew said:

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:27:05 +0000

Mike Causer said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the
winter. Sunset gets later each day from now on.

You're late. You should've posted this at 16:12 (for here, or a
little earlier for most of the UK).

OTOH, you're early for this dreary dark morning ... will the dawn
never come? Poets may say the night is for loving, but they're
talking of a briefer night. And still the dawn recedes ever further:-(

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st
December.

Quoted message said:

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

terwhit, terwhoo.

[enfeebled] tweet?

Quoted message said:

And we still haven't had any cold weather.

It is indeed ridiculous that a chap shouldn't even have looked for
his woollies yet this season? Bah.

--
not me guv

In news:[email hidden],
Nick Kew <[email hidden]> tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:

Quoted message said:

And we still haven't had any cold weather. Not even what passes for
cold on this island of constantly-middling-weather. I wonder how
long we'll be spared salt on the road, and the damage to bikes it
brings?

Up to a point, Lord Copper. The morning of November 4th was definitely
brass monkey weather and it stayed cold enough for there still to be ice
around on some of the back roads of Oxon at lunchtime.

--
Dave Larrington
<http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk>
While you were out at the Rollright Stones, I came and set fire
to your Shed.

Tom Crispin said:

On 13 Dec 2006 15:41:43 -0800, "LSMike" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Nice one, that's how I think about it too. Technically it's only the
start of winter on the 22nd mind.

The 21st is mid-winter's night.

No, conventionally it's the start of winter, though it does depend on
who you're asking. Most of the calendars I've seen list the 22nd as
the start of winter. I was surprised by that too when I moved to the
UK, but it does match with the seasons.

LSMike said:

Tom Crispin said:

On 13 Dec 2006 15:41:43 -0800, "LSMike" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Nice one, that's how I think about it too. Technically it's only the
start of winter on the 22nd mind.

The 21st is mid-winter's night.

No, conventionally it's the start of winter, though it does depend on
who you're asking. Most of the calendars I've seen list the 22nd as
the start of winter. I was surprised by that too when I moved to the
UK, but it does match with the seasons.

That depends on how it is defined. Agricultural users will have that as
midwinter, astronomical users will have it as the start. There are
eight 'quarter festivals' so you can pick and choose. As an allotmenter
I prefer the agricultural ones. As a scientist, the cleanliness of the
astronomical ones appeal.

...d

David Martin said:

That depends on how it is defined. Agricultural users will have that as
midwinter, astronomical users will have it as the start.

Really? Since the solstice is both perihelion and the shortest day I'd
have guessed it was the peak of the winter astronomically, not the
start. My guess would have been the other way around as climate tends
to lag a bit.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Dave Larrington said:

In news:[email hidden],
Nick Kew <[email hidden]> tweaked the Babbage-Engine to tell us:

Quoted message said:

And we still haven't had any cold weather. Not even what passes for
cold on this island of constantly-middling-weather. I wonder how
long we'll be spared salt on the road, and the damage to bikes it
brings?

Up to a point, Lord Copper. The morning of November 4th was definitely
brass monkey weather and it stayed cold enough for there still to be ice
around on some of the back roads of Oxon at lunchtime.

Likewise last Saturday we made a trip to Cadwell Park race circuit in
LIncs. The backroads thereabouts were decidedly frosty and the wind on
top of the hill [1] was Very Cold Indeed thankyouverymuch.

[1] There are indeed hills in Lincs, no matter what anyone else might
say.
--
Carol
"I can't stress this enough. Edible ball bearings. Masterpiece."
- The Doctor

I am still in shorts on 14 December. I confess I put my longs on one day
last week but finished up far too warm. and took them off for my afternoon
ride that day.

Not been out for long runs this week though. I don't mind the rain or cold
that much but a blustery, gusting wind just adds that extra vulnerability
that makes me feel just too uncomfortable on a busy road.

Today the wind is forecast to be 20 mph gusting to 30 mph this morning and
it is howling around the bricks and mortar here. I'll see what it's like
after lunch!

But WINTER?

The last time I remember real snow in England was in winter 62/63 when it
snowed on Christmas eve ( where I was marooned in Somerset) and it lasted
until March -- and we had fresh snow in the lake district on the Easter w/e
( I remember spending a couple of days with my squadron recovering boy
scouts from all over the place -- we had been there to act as a sort of
"enemy" to a fairly large scale scouting exercise -- which collapsed under a
heavy snow fall). Although I do remember being on a small mountain ( The
Deister) in Germany in '69 at -40 C or F (!) with us using blow lamps on
the generator fuel pipes to keep the diesel flowing.

--
Trevor A Panther
In South Yorkshire,
England, United Kingdom.
www.tapan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

"Tom Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 13 Dec 2006 15:41:43 -0800, "LSMike" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Mike Causer said:

Well, to the extent that today was the earliest sunset of the winter.
Sunset gets later each day from now on.

OTOH, if you're a morning person the latest sunrise is 31st December.

Methinks the owls get a better deal than the larks.

Mike

Nice one, that's how I think about it too. Technically it's only the
start of winter on the 22nd mind.

The 21st is mid-winter's night.

Pinky wrote in news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

The last time I remember real snow in England was in winter 62/63

'87 gave us enough snow to make a full-size igloo in the back garden.
That's gotta count as real snow.

In article <[email hidden]>, Nick Kew
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

And we still haven't had any cold weather. Not even what passes for
cold on this island of constantly-middling-weather.

Heading out to the pool at 7am in London it felt more like late evening
in summer than a winter morning. I think this was partly thanks to a
tail wind, though I was double-gloved and wearing fleece Altura pants as
the ride home is decidedly cooler, being mostly into the wind.
--
congokid
Eating out in London? Read my tips...
http://congokid.com

Peter Clinch said:

Really? Since the solstice is both perihelion and the shortest day

Solstice is 2006 Dec 22 and perihelion is 2007 Jan 3.

Mike

On 2006-12-14, Carol Hague <[email hidden]> wrote:

*snip*

Quoted message said:

Likewise last Saturday we made a trip to Cadwell Park race circuit in
LIncs. The backroads thereabouts were decidedly frosty and the wind on
top of the hill [1] was Very Cold Indeed thankyouverymuch.

Lincolnshires winds are quite special aren't they?

Quoted message said:

[1] There are indeed hills in Lincs, no matter what anyone else might
say.

Hills! Pah! Mere measurement errors! I can see the Cliff from my office
window - up North[1] it might just qualify as flat land... 🙂

Regards,

-david will soon escape the Hideous Plateau of Leng and go to an area with
proper landscapes

[1] Proper North, not this Midlands fence-sitting lark...

David Nutter said:

On 2006-12-14, Carol Hague <[email hidden]> wrote:

*snip*

Quoted message said:

Likewise last Saturday we made a trip to Cadwell Park race circuit in
LIncs. The backroads thereabouts were decidedly frosty and the wind on
top of the hill [1] was Very Cold Indeed thankyouverymuch.

Lincolnshires winds are quite special aren't they?

That's one word for them. Probably the only polite one....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

[1] There are indeed hills in Lincs, no matter what anyone else might
say.

Hills! Pah! Mere measurement errors! I can see the Cliff from my office
window - up North[1] it might just qualify as flat land... 🙂

As a small round person who has stoked a tandem trike from Scamblesby to
Skegness and back (and been blamed for the inevitable Getting Lost that
takes place on such rides) there is no doubt in my mind that Lincs has
hills. What they have in the Great Uncivilised Waste beyond the Humber
(and I've lived there so I know whereof I speak) are Insurmountable
Peaks, possibly including Mount Doom and a supporting cast of Orcs and
Wargs :-)

Quoted message said:

[1] Proper North, not this Midlands fence-sitting lark...

It's moderately hilly here in the wilds of Derby too.
--
Carol
"I can't stress this enough. Edible ball bearings. Masterpiece."
- The Doctor