“Despite their promises at the last Election, the politicians had not yet changed the climate. The State Meteorological Institute had so far produced only an unseasonable fall of snow and two little thunderbolts no larger than apricots. The weather varied from day to day and from county to county as it had done of old, most anomalously.”
So opens Love Among the Ruins, Evelyn Waugh’s “romance of the near future” published in 1962. When Boris Johnson laid out his ambitious programme outside Number Ten on Wednesday afternoon he promised almost everything except to change the climate; fortunate as yesterday was the hottest day in London, 38.5 C. Earlier in the week we went back to Cow Pond with the General and Candy and Floss. They surged round to lap water out of a bottle.
They took a look at the pond but none of them fancied a swim. Bertie thought of giving the Norfolk Terriers a push.
Beagle puppies don’t like heat-waves. Bertie over-heats and lies down on the pavement panting and the pavements are too hot for his pads, so it’s just as well the climate has returned to the English Summer Normal setting.
Christopher,
Your second image reminded me of something my father used to often say ‘ regardless of temperature, a gentleman never removes his jacket’. How pleased I was to see that you don’t merely abide by the rules of sartorial etiquette, but actually live them.
I am sure that the political heat extended to the Palace on Wednesday, however I see The Sovereign has a modern way of keeping her cool: a swish Dyson air cooler (see first image, right of chimneypiece). I wonder if Boris called her ‘cool dude’?
Do dogs reflect the personalities of their owners? Or is it the reverse? Either way Candy & Floss much enjoyed their first outing with Bertie.