Dark Days Ahead......

So, it seems that winter is officially here - dark days, dampness, rain, rain - and more rain! Plus extremely cold weather that feels like it is peeling the skin of your cheeks and getting your hair back-combed for free in the gale force winds.

Don't you just love the quintessential British weather? Does it make you feel proud to be born and bred in a Country where you get about 10 days of sunshine a year, about 30 dry days and about 325 wet cold miserable days?

I would like to say yes, but right at this moment in time I would just about do anything to be sitting on a beach....in the Mediterranean....with a cocktail and a whole lot of sun!

After this morning's winter weather debut, I am sitting here with feet that are still damp, jeans that are soaked half way up my calves and I keep finding stray bits of hair that have been knotted up and frizzed out that - goddammit - just won't stay in place. I like to think that I am not a vain person, but at the same time this is so not a good look right now.

You could almost say I feel like a drowned rat - I most certainly feel about as attractive as one and to make matters worse I noticed at the weekend that my tan lines have now officially faded into oblivion. How depressing!

I sit here with the knowledge that this is only just the beginning of the dark winter days ahead - it's not quite got to the stage yet where I whip my foot straight back under the covers in the morning, because it is just too damned cold and consider pulling a sickie for the warmth of the haven that is my bed. But I know it is coming, I can feel it brewing in the air.....

I shall try to stay positive and remind myself that I can get through this. I will get to see my ten days of sunshine soon, which will refresh my memory of just how great London really is.

Where art thou summer......

You spend so long wishing and waiting, counting down the months until you can feel your toes starting defrost and secretly dreading getting your white pins out but looking forward to it all the same...... then before you know it, summer is over in a flash and the dreaded winter months are upon us once again.

I'm sure it's all psychological but it just feels like winter lasts forever and then we get about three weeks of sunshine before being delved into Vitamin D deficiency again....and is it just me, or does it feel like it's getting colder alot earlier this year? I'm sure last year I didn't actually turn my heating on until November but I've already had it on three times and it's only the beginning of October!

Gone is the morning sunshine, warm weather permitting lunches al-fresco & pleasant journeys home from work - instead now we have pitch black darkness in the morning, cold winds with grey skies and almost pitch black evening journeys home (which will change to total pitch black after the clocks go back next week....)

As I'm getting my scarf, gloves, hat & winter coat ready for another cold spell I am already thinking, 'where oh where has the summer gone' the same as every year that has come to pass!