We live in hope

In the past half hour we've had thunder, lightening and great chunks of ice pelting down - note, not hail (neat little white spheres of ice) but genine chunks of ice; some cubed, some looking like the chippings from an ice-climb. In fact the temptation as I watched my garden turn white from the safety of my kitchen was to nip out (under the protection of an umbrella, of course) to gather up a bit.

Of course the best thing about this dramatic weather was the delay to this afternoon's festivities but the sky has cleared and the racket has set up: sadly it looks as if I will now have to go out and watch the tawdry bloody fireworks display that marks the absolute end of this long, drawn out week.