Olympics on the horizon

Regular readers [don't make me laugh: Ed] will know that I opposed the UK's bid to host the Olympics and I remain opposed, partly on the grounds of the huge and unwarranted cost, partly the corruption in the IOC, evidenced by the reselling of tickets by officials at inflated prices, partly because I loathe the nationalism and corporatism that surrounds what should be a fun athletics event and partly because of its disruptive impact on those of us obliged to pay for it but who have no intention of going anywhere near it.

Anyway, TFL are getting excited about it. Twice on my short Bakerloo journey into town this morning the driver told us we should start panicking about travelling during the games and advised checking  Getaheadofthegames for more info. This website is quite useful, showing on a day by day basis the stations most likely to be severely busy.  Not too vital for your correspondent who hopes to avoid the whole business but I would recommend anyone who must travel into or around London during the games to check it out. I am a little dubious about how busy things will be because anyone who, like me, has some choice in the matter will surely not be travelling whilst the games are on. We shall find out soon.

A spot of rain

This article is just to put the record straight.  I recently was foolish enough to make a favourable comment on the pleasant weather of late May. So of course it has been heavy rain and cloud ever since.  There has been severe flooding in Wales and southern England. Some places have had almost a month's rain in a day. Even in beautiful Ruislip there has been plenty of the wet stuff, day after day. Some of the plants, selected for their drought-resistant properties, that we put in the garden recently are looking distinctly unwell. Oh the irony. [not sure this is ironic actually: Ed]

We still have a hosepipe ban in force, though who on earth would need to use a hosepipe right now I cannot imagine.  It will probably be lifted in the autumn when we will presumably get another prolonged dry spell that sets up a drought for next summer, assuming there is a next summer.

So there we are. A heatwave in eastern Europe where the European Football Championships are under way, with England making their usual soggy start [nice weather links there: Ed] and the same peculiar pattern here as for several recent years - a hot dry spring and a cool wet summer.  The climate is not what it was when I was a lad.