Climate

[John Little]

When I lived in Thurso as a kid I remember running round in short trousers and shirts in summer. The days seemed warm to me. I had a couple of friends and we used to go up the river - down the cemetery steps, past a ruined cottage and round a bend where we used to dip in the water.
The winters were cold but that seemed to me to be a winter should be. True, when we moved into a new house on Mount Vernon, the house had no fireplace but new fangled under floor warm air heating- in the mornings I could draw shapes in the frost on the inside of my window.

Then we left and moved south. The English kids made fun of my pronounciation so I stopped saying boook and loook and fitted in... but I was not aware that the weather had changed.

I got older and decided to ride a bike from Lands End to John O Groats. It was summer.... up the west coast of England then to Glasgow, up Loch Lomond. Glencoe, the Great Glen and up the east coast - and got to Caithness. As I approached John O Groats on August 8th it grew cold and I reached the hotel in a hailstorm. From there I cycled to Thurso to B&B against a cauld westerly wind and despite struggling to pedal and having on every stitch of clothes I had with me, I shivered.

Passing through Castletown I saw a field and knew despair. It was full of locals, watching a football match; players in shorts and short sleeved strip, the locals dressed as for a pleasant day- and the truth dawned.

I had gone soft.

It occurs to me that the inhabitants of Caithness must find it overwhelmingly warm as they go futher south...

or do they?

[Fluff]

I remember my first summer down here, I found it unbearable! But I think I have defintly 'sourthernised' lol!

[Green_not_greed]

When I lived in Thurso as a kid I remember running round in short trousers and shirts in summer. The days seemed warm to me. I had a couple of friends and we used to go up the river - down the cemetery steps, past a ruined cottage and round a bend where we used to dip in the water.
The winters were cold but that seemed to me to be a winter should be. True, when we moved into a new house on Mount Vernon, the house had no fireplace but new fangled under floor warm air heating- in the mornings I could draw shapes in the frost on the inside of my window.

Then we left and moved south. The English kids made fun of my pronounciation so I stopped saying boook and loook and fitted in... but I was not aware that the weather had changed.

I got older and decided to ride a bike from Lands End to John O Groats. It was summer.... up the west coast of England then to Glasgow, up Loch Lomond. Glencoe, the Great Glen and up the east coast - and got to Caithness. As I approached John O Groats on August 8th it grew cold and I reached the hotel in a hailstorm. From there I cycled to Thurso to B&B against a cauld westerly wind and despite struggling to pedal and having on every stitch of clothes I had with me, I shivered.

Passing through Castletown I saw a field and knew despair. It was full of locals, watching a football match; players in shorts and short sleeved strip, the locals dressed as for a pleasant day- and the truth dawned.

I had gone soft.

It occurs to me that the inhabitants of Caithness must find it overwhelmingly warm as they go futher south...

or do they?

I'm sure someone will tell you that's yet another example of climate change.....

.....if they do, don't believe them!

[Tilter]

In 1989 we pitched up in Thurso in August, having come from Southern California. It took about 3 months for my blood to thicken up, or whatever it does. At first we stayed in a B&B and the B&B lady kept asking us if we were warm enough. We kept trying to say no, we're freezing, as politely as possible. She kept turning the heat up for us and I thought nothing of it. Later I realised she'd been out getting bucketload after bucket load of peats in to warm us up. When I found out what hard work this was I felt guilty.

Fast forward a couple of years and we kept having to go down to London in summer. Well, the heat was overpowering, especially since I never thought to take anything but sweaters with me. :)

[Gronnuck]

and the truth dawned.
I had gone soft.



Yea hit the nail on the heid therrrr ;)

[John Little]

LOL! You're not wrong though. You're a hard bunch up there weatherwise. :cool:

[bekisman]

How very true, back in July 1980, having lived in the Midlands. We did our Lands End to John O Groats on a couple of Woolies bikes.. going over 'the hump' at Aviemore - although wearing thick warm clothing, we were bleeding freezing - although it was a sunny day..
W
e stopped in a lay-by where there was a snack van (long gone and now banned from the A9) and holding the paper cups to keep our hands warm were joined by a Scottish lad who was heading south, all he had on were shorts and a singlet, and wondered why we were all dressed up?..

Now, after a couple of decades living in the Far North, it's amusing to walk around 'down south' wearing shirts and jeans whilst the rest of 'em have coats, gloves and scarf's (don't last long though, after a couple of days, get acclimatised)..

Anyway congrats John Little on your LEJOG, we went the direct (shorter) route, which, nowadays is a wee bit too busy, let alone bloody dangerous!

[John Little]

Ha-Ha! Nice to meet a fellow traveller - quite a ride ain't it!!

[Leanne]

I'm outside a lot and rarely wear a coat even in winter if I'm moving about. I found when I lived in Cheshire I was always cold but then Cheshire is always drizzly and cold even in summer. There seems to be a lot of sun up here and that's enough to keep me toasty :)

[bekisman]

Ha-Ha! Nice to meet a fellow traveller - quite a ride ain't it!!

Sure is, took us 12 and half days, put on half a stone too! (fat to muscle) or the bleeding Mars Bars we kept eating?

[John Little]

You beat me then - took me 13 and a half - but I lost weight. After Thurso I cycled on - and at Reay was brought up all standing by a hail storm and gale!

Leanne - I reckon you have acclimatised!

[bekisman]

You beat me then - took me 13 and a half - but I lost weight. After Thurso I cycled on - and at Reay was brought up all standing by a hail storm and gale!

Leanne - I reckon you have acclimatised!


We were going to carry on and do the 1000 miles, though no, bikes were falling apart - my pedal fell off coming down into Inverness!. So cycled back to Wick and got the train back to the midlands.. but really enjoyed it..

[Fluff]

I think you always retain a bit of Caithness weather though in you. As it has been getting milder here over the last few weeks the nights have been getting lighter. I was standing outside with my cadets and the thought it was 'sooo cooold' but I thought it felt really mild lol!

[John Little]

You have a good point there- my wife is from Kent and she always feels cold when I think it's quite mild. Which makes the thermostat a bone of contention rather...

[Anfield]

I find it hot in Inverness, never mind England

[Yoda the flump]

I find it hot in Inverness, never mind England

Finally something be both agree on :)

[cuddlepop]

I remember the feeling of being "ici cold" when my oh and I stepped out the car at Thurso one December evening.

We've both never felt so cold in our lifes,its a "chill to the bone" sort of cold unless your use to it.:eek:

[madmissus]

:lol:Well I am Caithness born and bred and the coldest i have ever been is when i was workin in London, in the 1990s, when there was freezin fog, i have nivver been so cauld in aal ma life, had the heatin turned up full blaast and still shiverin

[jings00]

aye ma big brother comes up to visit in the summer from london, i've got the fan on and sweltering, he is in a jersey sayin it's cold!

[annthracks]

We moved to Shetland from Thurso back in '78, not too much of a change in temperature. Fast forward to '89 and a move to Dorset where the night-time temperatures were 19°C - Shetland wasn't reaching that in the daytime!! There must have been something I liked about this place as I'm now back up here!

[John Little]

We were in Thurso for the New Year party as 2008 started and it was bone-chilling cold to us. But strangely warmer in the square - all those bodies generated quite a lot of heat..

No snow either!