Report from wild and woolly North Wales
I listened to the wind getting stronger and stronger last night, then when the lights started flickering I went to bed. I think the power went off a couple of hours later...at least that's when I woke up and couldn't read my electric digital bedside clock. I reported it to the electricity company at 8am, and an hour later phoned again to get a recorded message saying they had loads to do because of the storm, and to phone back at midday. Lit fire and wood stove and decided on a cooked breakfast because I could; cooker is calor gas. Got TAFS on laptop, and East Midlands, round the corner from Tatenhill, was giving 35G53, with a tempo gusting to 65!!!! Cancelled flying...wasn't starting till midday anyway, hence leisurely morning. Checked outside, and apart from a few large tree branches blown down, no obvious major damage. Decided further inspection could wait till torrential rain stopped. Still no power now, but I have laptop, open fire with happy cats round it, kettle bubbling away on woodstove. Quite cosy really. Isn't this how people used to live?