Odd weather for the winter solstice.

This morning I looked at the weather app on my phone. It said: “Oldham - tornado”. Tornado? Whatever next? The house carried away? Quests to combat the Wicked Wizard of Westminster? Eventually clicking the heels of our red shoes together and declaring that there is no place like home?

I was so astounded that I wanted to show someone else in the family this strange phenomenon. There was not a breath of wind outside. By the time another family member appeared my phone had switched itself off and by the time I switched it on again the app had changed its status to read: Oldham - mostly cloudy.

The rest of the family would not believe me. However I have read since that there have been tornados, not to mention storms and floods, in other parts of the country. Just not around here!

In fact it was fine enough for my so and me to take his small daughter for a walk into Delph village to buy the newspaper and to marvel at the immense number of “flying Christmas trees”, her description of the trees bracketed to the first floor of just about every small business, and a good number of private houses, on the main street on the village.

The sun even came out at some point but it was not until some time later, after sunset - which comes early on this the shortest day of the year - that Phil and I went for a rather faster walk round the village. Thus satisfying my Fitbit that I have had some exercise today. No matter how many steps I might do in a day, if I have not walked or run at a rate sufficient to get my heart going a bit faster and for longer than ten minutes it will consider that I have not met my exercise goal.

We have been doing an early Christmas with a visit from our son and family. A big family feast, Christmas cake, jelly and ice-cream and, of course, crackers, despite their not being ecologically sound. We will repeat it all, without the southern branch of the family, on Christmas day.

For the moment, this being December 21st, I wish you all a happy Winter Solstice.