At sixes and sevens

The BBC weatherman recently informed me that the temperature was “at sixes and sevens”, so obviously, we were none the wiser as to how things were actually going to turn out.

However, the weather has put me off trying out my new bridge camera on the railway a couple of times recently. I just don’t fancy standing around on station platforms on cold or wet days any more. It would not have worried me at all at one time. In our youth, it was probably only settling snow that would have put us off playing football. I am now not just a fair-weather cyclist [when I’m not between bikes] but a fair-weather railway enthusiast, too.

On a recent visit to the home of the first president of the USA at Mount Vernon [Virginia, USA], we discovered that George Washington’s death was precipitated by his decision not to change out of wet clothes to avoid further delaying his dinner guests, having just returned from his estate on horseback. This led to a cold and a sore throat and then quinsy and things went dramatically downhill from there.

So, keep warm and stay dry and roll on summer - but not too hot, this time, please.