Is it raining with you........

This wet 'n' wild weather maybe wreaking havoc elsewhere, but here in north London my rhubarb is coming up roses....... let the harvesting begin.....

Top tip: Go see Her, it's a brilliant movie and that comes from a technophobe-sci-fi-hating-not-very-keen-on-Joaquin fan!!

This is England......

I went to the Isle of Wight last week, just for a couple of days.....

 We had sun and sand and picked things.......

And we had rain and wind and took shelter in a pub, ate crab sandwiches, drank pints ......

And watched the waves.....

And then we walked in the sunshine along the coast......

And sat in the garden and ate lunch........

Everywhere we went we always took the weather......

Top tip: Civil Wars new CD, aptly titled: Civil Wars, is as brilliant as their last and perfect to dance the rainy-day-blues away; so sad they will no longer play together again.

Weather girl......

The dull mist-cloud hangs low over north London, it claws it's way through my black, shower-proof coat making me feel damp. I absolutely hate these top-heavy, cloud-sky days which is tough living in England. But, as they say, we didn't come here for the weather.

However, the weather has gone really weird, sort of extreme spring, well definitely in London. On the phone a friend exclaims:

"I'm soaked, did you hear that thunder?"

A couple of miles away I peer out of the window at the wispy cloud and pale sunshine.

And then there was the hail, huge if you saw it, not if you blinked.

The blossom on the trees outside my window is blooming pale pink and white, heralding the summer, carpeting the the street in petal snow, so strong is the breeze.

The tulips in the yard, cerise and cherry-red, bob and bow like so many Japanese, kimono-clad Geisha, bent by the hard showers that hit like mini monsoons.

The flowers have burst bright, first parched, then quenched, now drenched. And its cold.

I layer cashmere with wool under coat and scarf and sunglasses. An hour later I am hot. Then I'm wet. Then freezing. At half past six the sky is blue, I buy white wine, sun-kissed tomatoes and olives. By half seven I want to drink red. The heating goes back up to Bombay.

I shall be spending next weekend in a Yurt, not in some far-flung, hot tropic or perched on the Mongolian Steppe, but instead somewhere in Sussex. Why?

Top tip: 30 Rock is back..... Comedy Central 10.30pm Friday, another good reason to stay in

Weather or not.......

I woke up early, the sun was shinning. A beautiful day. I got up, put on a summer dress: black with a red and white flower print, buttons up the front, I bought it in Spitalfield's Market: cute with more than a hint of ho-down. Then I put on strappy sandals to go out. The sun went in. I put on socks and tan leather, vintage cowboy boots. And a cardi. The clouds thickened. I added a jacket. It went dark. I put on a coat instead and took my umbrella. This is not summer.......


Top tip: an umbrella is a handbag essential.