Last year, winter went on, and on. We were still in the midst of it when Easter came. It was snow, and bitter winds at Easter, by then, we were so worn down, we were past caring. Or, was that just me? Well, that was certainly me, by that time, after almost eight months of hard cold. I did not Find anything much to celebrate about it, even though the snow was pretty. Some of us deal well with the cold well, some don't. I guess you can see, in which catorgary I fall. The combination, of the cold, and the longevity of the season certainly wore down my resilience, and everything else. Made worse, by the fact it was almost as cold indoors, as out. It is not easy to stay warm in old houses. My home being fairly typical of many of the older properties in the U.K.
Ah, well, my house, that is of course the larger part of the problem. O.K. Most of the problem. It's a Victorian Gothic building, converted into flats, years ago. I live on the fourth floor, sideways on to the sea. Lucky really, the wind from the sea is in evidence, but not 'full on' as it would be if I faced the sea. To reach my windows, the wind must come from the south east, although it the building is somewhat protected by other buildings on the side, of the facing street. A lady here, who does live facing the sea directly, says her flat actually judders in the high winds. Winds, of the sort we have experienced on, and off this winter. Like a dog shaking itself of water, the building judders, and trembles every half hour or so. She insists that, did it not, then the whole building would suffer, which is no doubt, the truth. She says, perhaps even fracture, or collapse, who knows, not an exaggerated claim. She insists, it is no doubt designed to behave exactly so. As if it is shaking off the strain, and stress of the high gale force winds. A little like street lamps bend, and other high building give to outside forces. Rather than stand rigid, and eventually become damaged. As we know, modern building have such movement built into them. I can't say, I am as confident about a building built so many years ago.
So, the wind finds, and enters these old buildings almost wherever it will, despite some poor secondary double glazing at my windows. The other major factor of buildings such as this, is that it is built of a single skin of brick. This was common back then, around the mid eighteen hundreds. If there were a double skin, then there are no gaps between for insulation to sit. It means of course, that it is difficult, if not impossible to insulate in the modern way at all. Places such as these have no insulation, the cold, as well as the wind enters through the walls, and the windows. Where condensation builds badly between the secondary set of windows, and the original. Until all you can see is foggy glass. Which, is a shame, with such a spectacular view of the English Channel outside.
Although, I love my building, it has such style, and presence. I, along with many living n similar buildings, wish it were easier to keep warm, or get warm. The second fact is, the whole place, has high ceilings, of course, common to Victorian buildings. The proportions of the rooms are wonderful were it a hot climate. Those ceiling would be ideal, as the heat could rise, sitting there, keeping the room cool. The standard method in the heat, for keeping cool rooms. Not that this building is ever warm, you could use it for a giant refrigerator. Thirdly, there is poor heating within the flats. No heat pumps, no gas central heating even. There is only electric heating units, which are adequate. Except no one can afford to run them for long, not with the current exorbitant price of power. I think you will agree, an unhappy coincidence for all. For those of us living in such buiidngs, at least. It comes down to, do you want to live at a good central location, with views. Enjoying the wonderful common areas, and graceful dimensions of the flat, or do you want to be warm?
It's a mute point, because there are never any empty flats here. They are snapped up as quickly as they become vacant. It's a peaceful place to live, and the neighbours are nice. It's safe, and secure too, with lifts, another benifit. Enough said I think, people complain about the cold, but put up with it for all of the above reasons. Perhaps it's inhabitants simlply wear more clothes, as I often have do.
I digress though, I was talking of the actual winter, the weather, and how it effects people. Last year, it was the length of the season, and the level of cold, this year it's the wet. I know for a fact that the extreme damp effects far more people than you think. It upsets joints, and everyone with any form of arthritis finds it more difficult to move, and be pain free. I think the whole world has heard of the floods here in England. It may be mostly in the South West, around Somerset, but the level of water has effected all the country. The amount of water lieing in the fields, and roadsides are extreme. Even without flooding risk, whole swathes of fields are under water, the ground now so waterlogged. Not surprising, as it has nowhere else to go anymore.
I don't know if it's the same in other countries, but England always seems to lurch from one emergency to another. Often due to weather conditions. We have too much water, we have too little water. There are droughts, or floods, seldom the ideal it seems. Of course being an island, means we have lots of wind, and strange weather conditions. Our weather arrives on whichever wind brings it. From the Antarctic, from Europe, and mores often than you may think, from Russia. Everything blasts it's way across to us.
We, the inhabitants of this island, go about our regular life, as best we may. We brave the winds, and dodge the rain. We wrap up warm, or as watertight as we can. We forgo umbrellas, as what use are they in high winds? We heat our homes, as much as we can afford, sometimes, more than we can afford. We moan about the weather a lot, or about its effects on our health, or our lives. If we are lucky enough to avoid being severely affected by floods, or any other disaster, then we read avidly the often, heated discussions between, ministers, assorted politians, or royaly, and the victims of obvious neglect, the people. Quite a few of us, join in with debates, letters, or other forms of publicity open to us, objecting to such largesse. Few of the public wholeheartedly support the obscene amounts of money given in foreign aid in our names. We did not sanction it, we do not understand why more is not spent at home. We have as many, or more deserving cases than these other, so called 'third world' countries.
We become more like a third world country every day. As it is plain to see. More homeless on the streets, more using food banks, more using short term, high interest loans, which can only lead to more poverty, and hardship. More hardship of every kind, escalating.
Politicians...your people are in need. It's time our money was spent on our country. The time has come to care for your own. To stop pretending to richness you do not have. For goodness sakes, when will you see it, and admit. You must redress the balance before it's too late.
This, then, is a glimpse of an English winter. Or is it British politics, and the financial state of our country. To be honest, is there an difference? They blend in together, as one long winter, or winters....and disasters...... for this country.
Viva to the Spring...it can't come soon enough.
Cold, cold, go away
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