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Can I expect usual rush hour chaos or will things be quieter in the run up to Christmas? Driving up from Devon to be at Heathrow just shy of 9:30am. Would prefer not to set off at 5am...
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Apart from the forecast gales and torrential rain it should be a lot quieter on the roads. I think flights could well be delayed due to strong wind (gusts to 70mph) looking at the weather map on TV this morning.
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In the simulator tomorrow morning so will be having just as much fun.
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Why not borrow an Airbus and fly me and a few of my Taliban friends to here, where we could stage a coup d'état, have a few beers, 'introduce' ourselves to the local women, and fly back for the new year:
goo.gl/maps/OI525
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I shouldn't think there'll be many trucks on the road and a lot of people will have started their Christmas holiday early.
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I think there will be just as many Robin, it is by far one of the busiest days of the year for the foodchain at least.
Friday the traffic was surprisingly light so my bet is that school has finished, along with a lot of white collar jobs, will have the same effect tomorrow.
Pat
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>> Friday the traffic was surprisingly light so my bet is that school has finished, along
>> with a lot of white collar jobs, will have the same effect tomorrow.
>>
>> Pat
>>
My Rochester - Dartford commute was unusually quiet both ways on Friday despite the schools not yet having broken up. The queue into the Dartford Tunnels was still as bad as ever when I left at 4.30pm though !
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I'd still add 3 hours to your expected journey time. For me it would be A303 / M3 / M25 so it's usually the M3 that catches me out!
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>> Can I expect usual rush hour chaos or will things be quieter in the run up to Christmas?
I found the same as Pat did on Friday - roads much quieter in the usual places. It will be the same in the morning, the only major queues are likely to be from 10am onwards near major shopping centres (which won't affect you FF) and on the final approach to Heathrow (which probably will).
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your real problem will be getting anywhere near the M25. The bad weather is coming from the west.
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Update:
Made it. Roads quiet. What's this about bad weather?
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Accept it FF, women are always right;)
Pat
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>> Made it. Roads quiet. What's this about bad weather?
>>
To use the pantomime chant " It's behind you!".
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Here now, with you later !
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Nowt here. Thought I might wander into town across the park for a haircut. Should I take a coat?
;-)
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>> your real problem will be getting anywhere near the M25. The bad weather is coming
>> from the west.
>>
And with a vengence. Luckily I don't have to go out till after twelve when it's (Supposed) to have blown through, but I'm putting off going out to load the car at the moment, it's seriously vile.
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Bit of wind and rain in the far SouWest, as usual.
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Blowing a hooley and raining in Northampton now.
Pressure down to 971hP and I think still falling.
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QE2 Bridge at the Dartford Crossing is shut, the traffic is building up in Dartford already as only one tunnel is open !
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Ian is at Boots at Nottingham on a bay with his last pallet coming off and reports it's blowing like mad, as it is here.
The journey back across the A52 with the wind blowing from the South and a totally empty 14'9'' curtain sider trailer will be scary.
More for me, I think though sitting here and worrying about it....
Pat
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>> The journey back across the A52 with the wind blowing from the South and a
>> totally empty 14'9'' curtain sider trailer will be scary.
If the lorry is empty, does it make sense to pull the curtainsides back so that the wind can blow straight through?
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There's always two schools of thought on that one Duncan.
Unless you open the back doors right back as well, there is a real risk of the roof being blown off.
The other problem is managing to find somewhere sheltered enough to actually get the curtains back because once they blow onto the roof then the problems begin.
I have always kept mine done up but made sure they were completely taut to prevent them acting as a sail, so to speak.
Parking up until it drops a bit is not really an option with the current forecast either unless it gets impossible and that's what he will do.
Pat
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Heavy rain here, deep standing water on the roads in parts (up to door level) strong gusty winds blowing a lot of heavy debris out of the trees (large branches) Done my mission of mercy not going out again.
Just heard the A3 is blocked at Tolworth due to a fallen tree (as there are no trees along the side of the A3 there, I would surmise it to be a branch blown of out someones garden - wimpy lot these southerners)
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Windy but no rain so far today in Norwich.
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It's unspeakable out there.
I can't remember anything like this before: as cold, as wet, as windy, but never for as long. This area is prone to temporary flooding. A nuisance.
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Does your view extend as far as the Chichester-Emsworth bit of the Sussex coast, AC? That's where we're due to be on Boxing Day. It's always flooded round Bognor, but I'm wondering how it's likely to be further west.
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We're north of the South Downs, but there's a lot of flat land and dips in the road, places where quite deep water can collect. I suppose both the Amberley and the Pulborough Brooks, so called, are really floodplains in the sluggish Arun estuary (not so sluggish today probably. One worries about old bridges sometimes).
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Mon 23 Dec 13 at 16:58
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>> Does your view extend as far as the Chichester-Emsworth bit of the Sussex coast, AC?
>> That's where we're due to be on Boxing Day. It's always flooded round Bognor, but
>> I'm wondering how it's likely to be further west.
>>
The Birdham road down to the Witterings was passable this afternoon; a lot of big puddles but no trees down. The smaller back roads are suffering from a lot of run-off from fields though...
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Thanks chaps. We'll probably be OK so long as the A3 is usable - we go to Rowlands Castle, Emsworth, then back east along the coast road through the villages. There's always the M3-M27 route if we don't fancy encountering a fallen tree there or where we jump from A31 to A3 at Puttenham. And the other option - already floated - is to go a day later.
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The A259 was fine as far as Emsworth going west - I had lunch in Bosham and drove that way to the A27 for a last minute bit of shopping in Gunwharf. The roads were remarkably quiet around 15:30 this afternoon.
Last edited by: PeterS on Mon 23 Dec 13 at 20:15
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More windy than wet here in South Oxfordshire. Was out at lunchtime and found plenty of bits of tree but not much standing water. Quite glad all the same that i opted to work at home today.
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>> Just heard the A3 is blocked at Tolworth due to a fallen tree (as there
>> are no trees along the side of the A3 there, I would surmise it to
>> be a branch blown of out someones garden - wimpy lot these southerners)
Here's a picture of it.
www.kingstonguardian.co.uk/news/10896105.Tree_down_on_A3_as_high_winds_lash_borough/
A bit more than a branch.
But that section can come to a grinding halt while all three lanes are working so with only one lane the delays will last a long time.
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>> Blowing a hooley and raining in Northampton now.
>>
>> Pressure down to 971hP and I think still falling.
Violent squall around an hour ago since when wind has dropped a bit. Pressure seems to be bottoming out at 966hPa.
Max/Min suggests it's been as low as 958, last reset in early summer.
Set to absolute pressure and as we're about 300' I guess altitude has a slight effect.
Speculation in Stornoway Gazette that it may be down as far as 930hPa in Minch tomorrow which would be a near record low.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 23 Dec 13 at 17:19
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Ian's made it (slowly) across the A52 and just turned south on the A1...must be an improvement because he's moaning about his fuel consumption with the head wind:)
Pat
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Very blowy here but nowhere near the amount of rain promised.
We get out electricity via a pole in the garden - telegraph pole style. It's waving back and forth up to 2 feet at the top and enlarging the hole it stands in. I reported this to UK Power Networks in the spring, a bloke came and looked at it, gathered up some stones and shoved them around the base. Said somebody would come with a machine to compact the ground. They didn't, so they're going to get another call.
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Still nothing unusual to report here in south east Cheshire. Took the dog for a long-ish stroll along the canal bank earlier. A little bit windy and some evidence of an earlier light shower but nothing else of note.
Nothing much happens here as a rule though. Nothing much at all. Sometimes it would be refreshing if it did.
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>>
>> Nothing much happens here as a rule though. Nothing much at all. Sometimes it would
>> be refreshing if it did.
>>
If someone said that in a soap opera, something would...
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Its all kicked off again down here in t' south. Very strong winds, just had to go out and retrieve the wheelie bin that shot down the drive and climbed the gate.
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From what I've read, Cornwall to Kent is the whole country...
Seen a bit of wet here in Scotland and it was interesting landing in Edinburgh but nothing like we expected according to the news.
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Turnhouse always could be a subject to cross winds. As children we used to sneak under the perimeter fence and lie in the long grass at the end of the runway waiting for planes to land. It was also an RAF base in those days so you would sometimes be favoured with a Lightning or a Vulcan.
Been chased by military jeeps a few times but they never could catch us before we got back to our bikes and scarpered. Nearly 50 years ago now so I expect they've given up !
A Lightning standing on its bum on full afterburner is a sight and sound to behold when you're more or less directly below it.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 23 Dec 13 at 22:20
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>> A Lightning standing on its bum on full afterburner is a sight and sound to
>> behold when you're more or less directly below it.
>>
HOW IS YOUR HEARING THESE DAYS? :)
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Missed the worst so far. Has been windy but not much in the way of rain. Wind is rising again now and according to met office is going to peak at 03.00 wind of 35mph gusting to 60 mph .
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Rather gusty going down the M11 fully laden around 11.30am. The weight kept it planted though, I've had worse. Squally in Berkeley Square at 1.00ish, bins blowing around, shops' A-signs scudding along the pavement and keeling over, that sort of thing. Stiff breeze in Harefield around 3pm, and patches of very wet weather beteeen Hemel and Northampton going back up the M1 at 4.30-5.30. Nothing you don't get on the M62 or M74 though.
I can't leave the back end open on this one (the entire back wall comes down on hydraulics to act as a ramp) so my curtains stay tight shut.
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Been pretty rough around here. One fatality in the Ogwen valley - a local fell into and drowned in a stream. Got three dogs here this week. Have to let them out in a minute. No walkies.
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Nothing out of the ordinary round here. Some wind and a lot of rain, on and off. Ratto came round and quickly sorted out some minor PC niggles.....he's a star !
Put the light on in the dining room and the glass bit of one of the bulbs fell out onto the table without breaking. Then I caught the bottom of me jeans on the corner of the open dishwasher door. This spun me round and I fell over backwards, fortunately into a clear bit of floor and banged me 'ed....on the carpet, which is quite thick ( like me 'ed ) No damage done.
That's all the excitement here for the day !
I hope !
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Pretty windy and very wet in Reading yesterday, and started winding up again overnight. I was woken up at ~1.30am by what sounded like very strong gusts, and this morning there are bits of what look like the neighbour's corrugated conservatory roof outside our front door.
Ok this morning though. Got the fresh veg etc. from Asda which at 6.45 was only just starting to get busy; no pancetta though :(
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Didn't seem too bad last night though did have to go on a rescue mission to find the door of the meter cupboard for the electricity supply. Whole lot is drenched inside and the electricity monitor has stopped working, but electricity is still flowing down the pipes so no harm done.
Was given almost exactly the same conditions in the simulator yesterday so no lucky escape. Only problem being at the start of the check cycle is that not all the bugs with the scenario are ironed out...
Instructor: "it wasn't supposed to do that...".
New underwear, please.
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It has calmed down here now but last night had to collect my son from Three Bridges in Crawley at almost Midnight as no trains direct to Horsham from Victoria ....
Lots of flooding under the railway bridges and on the A 264 at Colgate and between Colgate and Horsham and I was taking it very carefully indeed after my previous experience of writing off a car in floods 6 years ago in Northumberland....
This morning lots of fence debris around Horsham and the only road onto the estate where I work is flooded . Lots of people have parked outside the Estate on the roadside and then got stuck in the muddy grass ..absolute chaos. I have parked in the local Holiday Inn and walked in.
Nothing much doing at work , even from the guys in the Gulf I think I may just go home and put my feet up with a mince Pie or two....
Merry Christmas to all....
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just been out for an inventory, two fence panels down (neighbours responsibility - jet helped him lift the repaired ones back in, wheely bin that made a break for freedom vomited its contents up down the drive Windows covered with mud and muck, newly refitted terrestrial aerial held up well.
Last night was worse than the last big blow we had a month or two back.
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Lost a couple of ridge tiles. One just missed the car.
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>> Lost a couple of ridge tiles. One just missed the car.
That was what I was worried was going to happen, however the option was parking the cars out on the road underneath a none too safe looking 40ft tree !
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>>two fence panels down (neighbours responsibility wheely bin that made a break for freedom vomited its contents up down the drive
Windows covered with mud and muck, newly refitted terrestrial aerial held up well.
No doubt we'll read all about it in the Daily Wail.
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>>Some good pictures.
Bad ones too :(
My septic tank got flooded with all the rain yesterday, I didn't realise it until late last night when I heard a sort of gurgling noise from the waste pipes (indoors!)
I've been down this road before with septic tanks and I was awake at 4.30am thinking how I was going to sort it out.
All okay now the rain has gorn though ... until the next deluge arrives on Friday!!
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>>Some good pictures.
Bad ones too :(
My septic tank got flooded with all the rain yesterday, I didn't realise it until late last night when I heard a sort of gurgling noise from the waste pipes (indoors!)
I've been down this road before with septic tanks and I was awake at 4.30am thinking how I was going to sort it out.
All okay now the rain has gorn though ... until the next deluge arrives on Friday!!
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>>'The nightmare before Christmas'
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2528791/UK-weather-Nightmare-Christmas-flood-risk-families-told-flee-homes.html
I like the picture taken in Shepton Mallet of a man with his finger in a, erm, dyke.
:}
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Blimey, there are some quite wet places aren't there?
Our lawn is a bit soggy but that's about it.
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Don't tell anyone but there are floods in Surrey......
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Do they sell wellies in Waitrose?
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>> Don't tell anyone but there are floods in Surrey......
My feet are dry.
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It's extremely soggy here, but the wind stopped before dawn I think and now it's a murky, still evening. The A29 was blocked at Pulborough early this afternoon, a big pool of water outside what used to be the Swan pub just beside the Arun there, which is a bit high. The country store between there and the station, where I went to get my youngest daughter some rubber boots (my only bit of Christmas shopping so far, it's going to be busy at the beginning of next year), had its ground floor back room ankle deep. But all the tree debris some of which needed to be dodged on the roads late last night had vanished as if by magic.
The trains were all over the place yesterday and our daughter, scheduled to arrive from Bristol at 5pm, turned up eventually at a station some miles away near the coast at 11.30. Herself had to do all the driving in the dreadful conditions because by that time I wasn't legal. Her night vision isn't up to much, poor darling, and I would have been a whole lot better, a bit quicker and safer too, without all those nervous random brake applications... We both knew it, and I even tried to persuade her that old bill would be rescuing people out of rivers and attending multiple shunts on the M25, not breathalysing people in the cold and rain, but she still worried so I just went along for the ride. She did very well considering.
Now it is a very still, dark nightfall. Drinkies down at the end of the drive in two hours, yee-HAH!
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>> The trains were all over the place yesterday and our daughter, scheduled to arrive from
>> Bristol at 5pm, turned up eventually at a station some miles away near the coast
>> at 11.30. Herself had to do all the driving in the dreadful conditions because by
>> that time I wasn't legal. Her night vision isn't up to much, poor darling, and
>> I would have been a whole lot better, a bit quicker and safer too, without
>> all those nervous random brake applications.>>
So, in the circumstances, it didn't occur to you that it would be a good idea to remain legally sober in case you had to turn out to drive your daughter?
:-(
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>> So, in the circumstances, it didn't occur to you that it would be a good idea to remain legally sober in case you had to turn out to drive your daughter?
The spirit is willing, Duncan, but the flesh is weak. One thing leads to another. Anyway there was someone else legal who could do it, even if I would have been safer and more relaxed in my illegal state than she was in her legal one.
It's kind of you to scold me though. I know it's for my own good.
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>> Don't tell anyone but there are floods in Surrey......
>>
Just slightly! A trip to Dorking to collect the turkey should have taken 10 mins at 8.00 am. It took an hour! A24 shut with Burford Bridge hotel at the foot of Box Hill under 4' of water from the Mole. All other roads had fallen trees of various sizes creating obstacle courses. The A25 was flooded causing big delays. Local knowledge of the back lanes essential to make progress.
Leatherhead blocked by floods apparently. Doubtless Cobham High Street would have been blocked by The Mill.
All on the busiest food shopping day of the year!
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Tue 24 Dec 13 at 18:04
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Pictures of the floods at Burford Bridge and Reigate on the BBC website.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25504970
Cobham flooded as well, according to reports on the radio.
I went to Kingston this morning and found flooding on Lower Marsh Lane. Despite the name I hadn't seen any flooding there in 30 years. I wouldn't have wanted to drive through it but luckily I was on my bike. Although as it is next to the sewage works I was a little bit concerned about the contents of the flood!
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>> Pictures of the floods at Burford Bridge and Reigate on the BBC website.
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25504970
>>
>> Cobham flooded as well, according to reports on the radio.
The Mole is notorious for flooding, all the water comes off the north downs into it in a flash, its geography (funnelled through the downs at Burford Bridge) does not help and building on its flood plain makes it worse.
The Wey is going to be next in the next 48 hours and the thames shortly after.
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.
Last edited by: Dog on Tue 24 Dec 13 at 11:09
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Every cloud does indeed have a silver lining. We got some heavy rain overnight but now it's sunny and calm.
My car was looking a bit dishevelled having been got thoroughly muddy at the weekend. I had steeled myself to wash it today but the force of the rain has removed almost all the dirt.
Bit of a result really.
When it was new, they put some kind of treatment on the paint which is supposed to shrug off dirt. It does, to a certain extent anyway, seem to work. It must be due for a re-treatment by now I guess. I have a pack of the stuff in the garage somewhere.
Starguard I think it's called. Might get around to it in the Spring. One year.
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I thought that we had got away unscathed until I went to put something away in the garage a couple of minutes ago and discovered that part of the roof is missing !
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"Got the fresh veg etc. from Asda which at 6.45 was only just starting to get busy; no pancetta though :("
Asda sells pancetta (usually)? Good Lord! Pearls before swine, and all that. (Not a good metaphor, now I think about it... pancetta... swine...)
I'm a Waitrose man, myself...
Mind you, the Christmas cockerel has come from an independent organic farm, from where I picked it up yesterday.
:-)
Last edited by: FocalPoint on Tue 24 Dec 13 at 12:04
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Went to rescue my mother from the hospital to bring her home for Xmas dinner. The River Wey was high. Just taken her back and the river is now over and closed the A245 and the A318 at Byfleet.
Always reminded about the time it takes for floods to build and move - this lot was flooding Guildford 12 hours ago. The thames will go at Chertsey in about 12-24 hours as this lot makes it way down.
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The Arun meanders though wetland and flood plain through a gap in the Downs to Arundel. It is tidal though as far as Houghton Bridge or further, just a couple of miles from here. At certain times of day the current flows backwards. When it rains a lot that causes floods.
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The Medway has flooded Maidstone, around the bridges on the one way system which is now closed. I cannot remember seeing it as bad as it is now,
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>this lot was flooding Guildford 12 hours ago.
HMS Vanguard came up the canal and docked in Basingstoke this afternoon.
Someone calling himself Old Navy was asking the locals for directions.
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>> >this lot was flooding Guildford 12 hours ago.
>>
>> HMS Vanguard came up the canal and docked in Basingstoke this afternoon.
>>
>> Someone calling himself Old Navy was asking the locals for directions.
He must have driven in down the M3 then, Basingstoke lost its canal when the Greywell tunnel collapsed - it's now just a damp reedy spot.
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>it's now just a damp reedy spot.
Yup. That's Basingstoke alright.
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Nice day today, but I was drinking coffee and reading the comic when everyone went out for a walk so didn't go.
Soon got interrupted though and asked to drive out and pick them up. The little girls had been sploshing around in the floods and got wet. No peace for the wicked. Now lunch is being proposed. Just one thing after another... between paragraphs of poncy stuff about Sartre and Gramsci too...
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The wind's rising again out there.
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Had a pretty easy run to the coast and back yesterday. Fog in places - near home and on the M3 towards Winchester - but very little standing water, which made for an easier return in the dark.
Heard a bit of wind in the night, but the threatened tempest seems to have passed us by. How are things further west?
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The A245 at Byfleet has been blocked now for 48 hours
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAgrY3ZzqS8
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Some familiar roads and excellent shots there Z, but Fifi would have loved a paddle.
Pat
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>> Some familiar roads and excellent shots there Z, but Fifi would have loved a paddle.
>>
>> Pat
this time last year she did, alas this year she can't. Now got her on Steroids, and her mobility is improving, tho using them is like burning the candle at both ends and will do her kidneys in. Last chance saloon as they say.
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>> The A245 at Byfleet has been blocked now for 48 hours
>>
I heard that Brooklands Tesco & M&S car park was flooded, I wonder if Mercedes-Benz World was affected? Beware cheap second-hand Mercs with damp carpets if it was!
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>> I heard that Brooklands Tesco & M&S car park was flooded,
>>
Indeed Brooklands was affected.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25537751
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All okay in Cornwall this morning and overnight, A30/A38 was quiet when I went out at 7.30am.
Bit breezy - good day for a walk.
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Blew a hoolie all night here - still doing so. Made for a lot of noise as we are surrounded by trees. No visible damage. Off to the woods
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>>Off to the woods
Sure of a big surprise?
Very windy here last night. Had a look around outside this morning and thankfully everything is still intact. Ground very wet but no flooding.
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We'll be leaving around 6am on Monday and would like to be having a coffee on the quay by 12 noon if possible.
Leaving by 10am on Wednesday morning is going to be the hard part!
Pat
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Oh yes:)
I shall need those heated seats on New years Day after wandering all around Looe in 6'' heels;)
Pat
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I spoke too soon, just had a hailstorm and the wind has picked up a tad, still going for that walk though!
>>I shall need those heated seats on New years Day after wandering all around Looe in 6'' heels
Watch out for those cobblestones or yule fall a over t :)
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Been cleaning the windows today on a spring like day up here. They were coated (on all sides of the house) in sea salt....bearing in mind that that the sea is at least 4 miles away that was one mother of a storm
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M25 tomorrow morning - CGNorwich
