British summers have a reputation for being a bit..well…crap. They can often be glorious but, equally, they can be  just rubbish. This spring going into early summer has been utter garbage with, apart from a nine-day spell of glorious sunshine and 86°F temperatures, two MONTHS of rain, gales and more rain. This is utter crap even by our usual fairly low standards, but the south coast doesn’t usually get months on end of rubbish weather, this is usually the preserve of Scotland.

Part of the reason, apart from Atlantic lows coming in from the west is the jet stream which should be over the north of Scotland right now but, instead, is lying over the south of England. This is about the third or fourth straight year it’s done this and it’s getting old now. I have said for a long time I want to emigrate but now, if I could afford it and had a job to go to, I would go tomorrow as this is one crap summer too far!

It is admittedly academic, given that there are no real dark skies until the middle to end of July, but so far this June we have not had a single clear night…NOT ONE! I may not be observing at this time of year but I want high temperatures and sunshine, not wind and rain! Apart from that 9-day nice spell May was nearly as bad but we did actually muster up 14 clear nights out of 31. I was away for half of April but that was very poor from the information I was given. If it’s any consolation it’s the same situation on the Continent and, Down Under, conditions are also miserable (but not surprising as it’s coming into their winter).

What do we want? SUMMER! When do we want it? NOW!

Finally, and on a totally unrelated but more cheerful note, with the Queen’s Jubilee recently and other exciting British things coming up during the rest of the summer (I use the term summer loosely, given the current diabolical conditions), here’s a patriotic tune to tap toes to, the Grenadier Guards’ marching tune.

Oh and good luck England in their final Euro 2012 group game on Tuesday – and beyond…