Today has been a catalogue of silliness and I've got to blame something other than my own stupidity.

When I parked in the Mercadona car park, I crushed one of their shopping trolleys when I parked my car.

My wife is returning from England tomorrow and having lost her return flight confirmation asked me to email it to her. I printed it out and posted it to her in the correos, it will arrive some time next week.

When I returned from shopping I found the Doberman sitting in the shallow end of the swimming pool, looking happy. I had forgotten to put the ladder across after the vet informed us not to let him in the pool.

A couple of other things happened which I'm going to keep quiet about.

I blame the ridiculous heat.

Pleased to be out of the hothouse for a while, back in the much more comfortable UK.

I'm back in the UK for a while too and its peeing down, cold and miserable. I'm craving "too hot" !!!!!

Jo xxx

You don't know just how envious I am. When I first came over, I never stayed in July and August, I couldn't cope with the heat. But circumstances changed and the option to escape back to the UK when things become too hot is no longer open.

My wife has just phoned me from England to say that it's pissing down where she is, in London. My sister from Scotland phoned earlier to complain of the rain.

I've had to bite my tongue so much that it hurts.

I'm melting on the Costa Blanca.

Now this just can't be correct. How many times have we been told that the UK has the 'Perfect Climate' ???

Jojo, take that vile slander back AT ONCE!

They were lying!!! Its grim, very grim, we even have the central heating on! Roll on Saturday when I can moan about the heat!!

Jo xxx

As I say, I have seen days in May, June, July, and August that could easily be mistaken for November.

Having lit fires in August to keep warm, I don't doubt for a minute what you say.

I can beat that, one Friday morning I arrived at work reversed hastily into my parking place and lo and behold some idiot had put a forklift truck there. Nissan versas forklift, no contest, smashed in the back end. The problem was that I had part exchanged it for a new car and was due to pick it up on Saturday the dealer was not impressed. Found out who parked the forklift and placed his motorbike on top of the building. Pathetic but I felt better.
As for the heat since my op I do not seem to feel it, today felt like a UK summers day. Winter could be a different kettle of fish may have to move to the Canaries.

Graham

Hope you are doing ok. Must be to join in these mad discussions

Great thanks.
Graham

I can confirm that it is very very cool and grey in the Midlands too. I would love to be too hot; don't mind the heat at all - it's a damn good excuse to do very little in the middle of the day.

HBG: you sound lost without your wife.

Jojo: I'm heading for the south coast (UK) next week. Was hoping I'd find it a bit warmer - obviously not.

I believe the answer to your question bil is zero,.... unless of course you can show us a few links to the contrary.

However what is a proven fact is that the UK climate is temperate or temperate maritime to be more exact, which gives it a huge number of advantages over climates like much of Spain which vary between excessive heat and cold to freezing.

As you well know bil the perfect climate does not exist.
The closest I know of in the Northern Hemisphere is the Western Canaries.
The Peninsula is actually even further removed from being the perfect climate than the UK.

This year much of the UK suffered drought-like Springtime conditions, so the recent rainfall was much needed, allbeit arrivng somewhat late for the farmers.

I know that, I just enjoy taking the piss out of those people who used to say I was talking rubbish when I said the UK has a foul, grey climate fit only for mushrooms.

Temperate. Is that a posh word for shit?

Where is Aggie anyway? I keep expecting him to say that there are no grey clouds and that the UK weather is just wonderful.

As I said thats the way its been for many months, so the recent rainfall is a belated blessing from above.

If I chose my location on the basis of climate alone, mainland Spain would not even come into the reckoning.

Anyway I'm just lovin it back here, where I can live life to the full, rather than just try to exist through the infernal Spanish mid-summer.

I don't think we are having an infernally hot summer this year, not where I live (the Axarquia) anyway. Unless my memory has been more affected by the heat than I realised, I don't remember us having more than 4 excessively hot days up to now - although there's another one due on Sunday if the forecasts are right. By excessively hot I mean 36C or over - I don't feel too hot these days if it stays below 35.

The very hot days we have had have been isolated ones rather than all together, so I find it easier when the temperature goes down again the following day.

I wouldn't swap this climate for the UK's - in 2006, the year we left to move to Spain, I had to have my central heating on in August. It hasn't got any better since according to family.