I was camping at the fabulous 2000 Trees festival in the Cotswolds for four days last week. There was one heavy rainstorm that lasted about an hour, apart from that it was dry and T-shirt weather until late evening.
I have to disagree Matthew. We get seven months of dark nights and cold weather and I personally find that quite hard to deal with. We get decent May and June followed by wet and crappy July and August. September can be a mixture and then we're back to the seven months of winter.
I really can't stand it and dream of a life abroad. I'm 51 and have never been able to make plans for anything outdoors. My daughter only had one sports day from a possible seven at primary school with the rest being rained off. That's really depressing.
I was camping at the fabulous 2000 Trees festival in the Cotswolds for four days last week. There was one heavy rainstorm that lasted about an hour, apart from that it was dry and T-shirt weather until late evening.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
We have a famously temperate climate in the UK, especially in the south.
That, of course, doesn't mean it suits everyone.
I'm pretty happy with it, especially with a few weeks of foreign sun thrown in.
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I did say especially in the south...
Had a rather depressing week of rain in Cumbria last year - grim up north ;-)
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It was lovely, probably a bit sunburnt...
Put a jumper on at about 5pm as it was a bit breezy.
I agree. We’ve just got back from a week in the south of France and whilst we had a fantastic time, we love the U.K. It was incredibly hot and mosquitoes were everywhere. I’m sure we’d get used to living there but there’s no place like home.
I do admit that winter can be a bit depressing and I’d always planned to spend time abroad from say January to March every year, but having had another child in later life (24, 22 and a 7 yr old) that’s not doable for a few years. We try and have a week in the canaries in December and the climate is perfect then (early to mid 20’s) and if possible a bit further afield in February and that offsets the winter for us.
I haven’t worn anything else than shorts and t-shirts here (Netherlands) since mid-May. Temps are 25+C every day. And since a few weeks showers in the evening (and one heavy summer storm - windy but warm).
Long-term forecast mentions the same weather until early August at least.
I have solar panels on my roof. This is the best year until now.
Felt like wanting to turn it on but relented.
We are off to our best friends in Murcia in a fortnight not relishing it if it’s 48c. It’s was 40/42c when we were there last July but only for a few days. My friend said he has never known his pool so warm 33c.
Good Evening Mr P
I will just pop in on this one. We have just flown back to the UK and it's miserable for July, plenty of showers and not a lot of sun.
Our Spanish villa is near the coast and the temperature hit mid thirties and the pool registered 33 and was too warm for comfort. It was August weather but with a dollop of humidity thrown in which made it uncomfortable. Also the mossies were out in force but for some reason me and the wife remained unbitten whilst our In Laws who were staying with us were bitten to buggery. Possibly the gin and tonics that we sloshed back kept them away but who knows. They were both Tee Totallers and payed the price.
We gave up on the residenci as it would be too much work for a 3 year spell plus my tax bill in Spain would be a lot higher, so I am back to being a British patriot due to the UK having no tax on assets.
The lemon tree is producing lemons at a prolific rate and they were lovely and juicy. We have to go through the bloody 90 day gap so are looking forward to returning in October.
Overall Spain is by far the best place to spend your retirement, no question about that.
^^^^Welcome back to the forum. Not seen you around much recently. Nice to take a break from the chaos now and again.
We put the heating on for a short while last night. But otherwise, this has been a fantastic summer for the UK- why any sane person would queue up at an airport alongside sweaty unkempt Bits this year astounds me tbh.
Well that’s depressing watching Country File the weather forecast just said the next two weeks is very much of the same CRAP.
Been away from watches and the forum for quite a while - rubbish divorce and all that goes with it, etc…..
Had a right chuckle when I saw this thread still running that I started 10 years ago!
Good to see quite a few old’uns still knocking around 👍
Good morning Mick, nice to hear from you. Oh well re residency, was always going to be a bit more of a hassle for you post 2020, and yup do see your point re tax implications.
We seem to be having fewer mossies this year AND they mostly bite mrs P! And significantly fewer, almost no wasps in/ at the pool which is very nice.
Definitely a warm'un this year no doubt...phew, if there's any work needed it gets done before 11 am or it waits.
Palm Springs in August, a few years back. We didn’t hang around too long.
Good Morning Mr P
Yes you are right about fewer wasps which was a blessing.
It was a close damn thing about the residenci, the overall tax bill would have gone up but we are still stuffed in the sense we have to come back to the UK with all the moaning Brits and their sense of entitlement as well as the miserable weather, I am having second thoughts about not going through residenci already.
Anyway I shall now revert back to lurking as it is a much nicer away of spending ones time.
Look after yourself and you too NoTAGLove.
Can’t bring myself to put the heating on in July but have conceded this morning and put a hoodie on it’s so cold. It’s rained 20 of 21 days so far this month and the sky is heavy again this morning so I’m sure another downpour won’t be long. The rain was torrential yesterday.
Serious question - why not move further South? I live in the UK too but the weather in Norfolk is generally much better, I often look at the weather and am struck by how awful the weather can be just a few hundred miles North of us. To be fair I prefer 20c to 40c any day of the week but we also seem to get a fair few bright days down here
I’d have moved 25 years ago but my wife didn’t want to. Now at 51 it’s too late as our kids have their lives here now and we have elderly relatives to consider. My old boss is from Norfolk (Ipswich fan) and loves living in the North East. He’s been here 30 years now but says he’ll never get used to how bad the weather is.
The sun and heat isn’t all that, we live near Eastbourne and rarely have rain, a couple of months of cold a year and one really good snowfall in fifteen years.
It’s definitely getting hotter too.
Fish and chips and a beer on the beach at the drop of a hat is nice though.
I do know a few people who have moved back from Spain in the last couple of years because they can’t stand the ever more prolific 40+c heatwaves.
Last edited by Dave+63; 21st July 2023 at 08:59.
I know some who like to go away to somewhere cooler for a break in July and or August...We might consider it in the future for a couple of weeks. I don´t think we´d have much of a problem doing a house swap for example.
Touch wood it´s topping out here in my neck of the woods at low to mid 30´s for the present..Just up the road in Murcia city, the car was showing 42.5 at around 11.30 on Wednesday, as I drove past on my way back from Madrid. We´d spent Monday, Tuesday in Toledo...phew, that was hot, definitely well into the 40´s, lovely old city but best visited outside the Summer.
I would rather rot in hell for eternity than put on heating in July, if ever the day comes that i become that soft i will jump off a cliff
Ouch those temperatures are painful and I can see why it makes you miserable.
Not a lot of benefits of living in the SE, but I do really like the summers down here (21 degC today), and so much drier and warmer than in the NW where I grew up.
The heat really holds in the evening which allows more outdoor evening stuff.
A good move if you you are averse to a bit of rain. We're in the midlands and it's been very pleasant so far this month from our perspective. I like overcast days which tend to be better for photography and not having to slap on sunscreen, but we've seen a fair few clear skies as well. We headed south for a great stomp around Ashdown Forest a few days ago, we'd have done it in the pouring rain but this this was just about ideal weather for us.
Today it looks like we're going to have steady rain all day, it's lovely listening to it whilst sitting out in the garden under the greenery and having a bit of contemplation time. If you live in the UK it is best to try to appreciate the mild but changeable weather for what it is, or you are going to suffer a lot of discontentment. It's rarely extreme or life threatening as it can be in many parts of the world and is what makes our isles so green and lush.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Just had to concede and put the heating on for an hour. I came downstairs to find wife and daughter watching the football under throws and blankets. I’m sorry but I’m not being cold in my own home. Been raining without a break for at least 72 hours now and local roads are flooding.
Re the move further South comments, I’ve already told Mrs D that I won’t retire here. The generous Brexiteers have made it difficult to enjoy a retirement abroad so I’ll be looking for somewhere in the UK.
You're not alone apparently, caught an article yesterday referencing the drop in numbers of Brits retiring or 2nd homing onto the continent and the subsequent rise in the UK...2 issues I see with this, it will warp house prices further making it harder for locals to get a start, secondly Britain 's so much more expensive if you want to go out, eat/drink and do stuff in retirement...even more so in the sarf . Also does still rain, moody weather sometimes, north or south.
Nonetheless, best of luck with whatever you decide.
Tongue in cheek, you've got your Sovrinty fwiw, so there's that at least!
Bunting too, I daresay.
Last edited by Passenger; 23rd July 2023 at 09:23.
Answering the initial question: yes I have! Wet morning, 16C I guess.
I’ve just fired up the log burner in my wife’s home office. She’s a little under the weather: the results of a left wirst CST operation on Friday afternoon. Still a little pain etc makes her uncomfortable. Warmth/heat always works for her.
Me? I’m still wearing shorts and walk bare-footed in the house.
As we never have heating on May through October, I always fire up my heating a few times over the summer to keep the the system moving and parts from seizing or breaking.
I know you have done it for a different reason, but I think it is good practise. You would never leave a car for 5 months without turning it over occasionally.
We have a hamper of throws next to the sofa downstairs. We use one or two each while watching TV in the evenings. Can’t heat the entire house just for one room.
Different temps up there but we also have a washable external throw/duvet type thing on top of the bed too. We sleep with the bedroom windows open all year round. I think cold kills germs.
It’s 19, dark, and very windy here right now but I have all windows open airing the house and am sat in some shorts next to an open Juliet balcony typing this.
I was out on my bike on Friday - on the road early (07:30) and it was a bit cool, about 13/14 degrees.
I put the heated grips and seat on....
Does that count?
It did warm up to ~21 in the afternoon, though.
Hammering it down again all day today… but still 30c
Ok, 16 degrees and raining non-stop. Still in shorts but do have socks on.