Friday 1 June 2007

A Lullaby for the Sleepless

I had this in my drafts folder for a few days and not sure whether to post it or not but as I see that Merry Daze says in her blog she has had trouble sleeping this week and it is full moon tomorrow I thought I would dig it up and publish it.

The Shipping Forecast sonorously read out on BBC Radio 4 after 'Sailing By' can sound like pure poetry. 'Tyne Dogger Bank' - oh such a litany - it sets the mind careering around the UK with slightly sleepy imagination let on the loose.


"And now the Shipping Forecast issued by the Met Office, on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, at 1130 on Monday 28 May 2007.There are warnings of gales in Fisher Humber Wight Portland Plymouth and Biscay." Oh dear - Marion and Martin are due to sail on the Oriana tomorrow bound for the Canary Isles - do hope they are good sailors - it could well be rough at sea.

The general synopsis [whatever that means - it sound interesting though] at 0700:Low north france 994 moving steadily eastwards with little change.[The French never do like change - 'moving eastwards' is that some comment on their politics?] New low expected Dogger 999 [Police, Fire, Ambulance or Coastguard?] by 0700 tomorrow. New low expected Fitzroy 1010 by same time.[A bout of Depression? for Fitz - forecast with predicted time of onset?]

The area forecasts for the next 24 hours:Viking North Utsire South Utsire [oh. poetry - bliss] :North or northeast 5 to 7. [I can just picture the weather vane on the swing] Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough. rain or showers. Moderate or good.Forties Cromarty Forth:North or northeast 5 to 7, decreasing 4 later in Cromarty and Forth. moderate or rough. Rain or showers. Moderate or good.Tyne Dogger:Northerly becoming cyclonic 5 to 7. Rough or very rough. Rain. moderate or good.Fisher:Northeasterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8, perhaps severe gale 9 later. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough. Rain or showers. moderate or good.German Bight:Northeasterly becoming cyclonic then northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 in north. Moderate or rough. Rain or showers. moderate or good.Humber:Northerly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough. Rain. Moderate or good.Thames:Cyclonic 4 or 5 becoming northwest 5 to 7. Moderate or rough. Rain. moderate or good, occasionally poor.Dover Wight Portland:Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first in Wight and Portland, backing westerly 4 or 5 later. Moderate or rough. Occasional rain. Moderate or good, occasionally poor.[doesn't sound too good, may not want to go out to town tomorrow]Plymouth Biscay:Northwesterly 5 to 7, occasionally gale 8 at first, backing southerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6. Moderate or rough. Showers then rain. Mainly good.Fitzroy:Southwesterly becoming cyclonic for a time in north 4 or 5, occasionally 6. Moderate or rough. Showers then rain. Moderate or good.Sole:Mainly northwest backing southeast 5 or 6, decreasing 4 for a time. moderate or rough. Showers then rain. Moderate or good.Lundy Fastnet:Northwesterly backing southerly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first. moderate or rough. Showers. Good.Irish Sea:Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first. Mainly moderate. showers. Good.Shannon:Variable becoming easterly 4 or 5, increasing 5 to 7. Mainly moderate. showers then rain. Moderate or good.Rockall Malin Hebrides Bailey:Northeasterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6. Moderate, occasionally rough. showers. Good.Fair Isle [sweaters, I wonder whether I should take up knitting?] Faeroes Southeast Iceland [Magnus Magnusson & Mastermind]:Mainly northerly 5 to 7, but variable 3 or 4 at first in southeast Iceland. Moderate or rough, occasionally very rough in Fair Isle and Faeroes. Showers then rain. Good. I hate to say it but it's not the same if it's not read out by a deep male voice. By the end of it IF I'm not asleep it must be the time of the full moon.

I also like the Radio 4 signing off tune - a quick burst of 'Sailing By' is very soothing and just gets me in the mood for the shipping forecast lullaby.


3 comments:

merry weather said...

Hello Thinker :) How're you this lovely morning? What can I say about this post - do you touch type ?? You are sweet to link me in, have no idea how to do that ?? I'm still trying to upload a pic into the sidebar - it just doesn't happen.

I have published a comment you sent me twice but it hasn't come up on any of the posts - so very sorry about that and confused... perhaps it will attach itself to some future post which I haven't yet written....

Wishing you a happy day! :)

Penny Pincher said...

Hello merry - this techie thing can be a bit of a handful - can't it. I've often typed a comment on someone's blog and then at last minute pushed the wrong button and whoosh .... But if it was too simple then half the pleasure of getting something on and sorted properly would be lost wouldn't it?
Blame it all on hormones - I do. As does my 85 yr old aunt.

Penny Pincher said...

Hello this is the post that made google think I was a spamming robot or an idiot. Of course I can see why now and will be more careful in future. It was Probably caused by a mixture of all those strange sounding words and so many of the links connecting to BBC Radio. It's good to be back again.