As is customary with the British psyche the main topic of conversation at the moment is the weather. Heavy rainfall on already sodden ground has caused major flooding and many people are enduring damage to their properties for the second time this year. The Environment Agency has said that work on flood defences since 2007 has prevented the damage from affecting large numbers of people but that's little consolation to those who are suffering.
Whilst we can all have sympathy for the flood victims, I am still amazed by the fact that plans will be submitted to build more housing estates on flood plains - that's just asking for trouble. A phrase commonly heard after any major disaster is that "Lessons will be learned" but it doesn't seem that they are learned quickly enough. And how often do you hear "It's the hottest/coldest/wettest/driest since .....whenever" which only goes to prove it has been this ... whatever... previously and yet we still get the same thing happening over and over again. Obviously there are still a lot more lessons to be learned.
Ilkeston's Carnival was cancelled a few weeks ago due to the bad weather in what became the wettest June since records began. Early last week news filtered through that the proposed Steam Rally at Elvaston scheduled for this weekend also became a victim of the weather as did Awsworth's "Party on the Rec." On Friday a torrential downpour when it was forecast that a month's rainfall would drop on the East Midlands in one day caused Derbyshire's evening T20 cricket match against local rivals Nottinghamshire to be called off before lunch. Add to that Ilkeston FC's pre-season friendly at home to Skegness together with their Family Fun Day plus the Ashfield Festival in Nottinghamshire.
I'm expecting a government announcement any time now that summer is cancelled for 2012. We can only hope it improves by the start of the Olympics otherwise the only events possible will be water sports - at all the venues!
It was the northern hemisphere's summer solstice last week which is generally referred to as being the "longest day". This actually means it's the longest day of sunlight whilst south of the equator it's the shortest. Some say that it also marks the start of summer but given that some places in the north of England had the equivalent of a month's rainfall on Friday night and Saturday morning, I don't think there will be many celebrating the new season. Once again communities have come together to help and support each other.
Monday June 25th of course was the midpoint between Christmases and means that the nights will now begin to draw in and we will be closer to Christmas Day 2012 than Christmas Day 2011. Now doesn't that make you feel better? No, I didn't think so - but as we're now officially in summer, we'd better make the most of it. Besides Wimbledon has started and that guarantees good weather doesn't it? I'm sure we had bad summer weather when I was young but I tend to remember only the sunny days.
There was huge disappointment all round this weekend as the Annual Carnival had to be cancelled. It was not surprising really as the strong winds and heavy rainfall during the preceding week had left puddles on the car park (left) at the recreation ground and the ground itself was waterlogged. It would have been folly to stage the carnival here.
I think it was last year the the Summer Happening on Victoria Park also had to be cancelled due to similar conditions. Not only is it disappointing for the general public when these things happen but it is even more so for the organisers and charities who would normally have benefited from the events.
The truth is though you can look elsewhere and always see someone worse off. For example this week in west Wales, people have been driven from their homes by flash floods but it is in the face of such tragedies that communities come together to help each other. The people of Wales will come back even stronger, Ilkeston will have another Carnival and communities will continue to thrive. Life will go on with or without the help of the government. And David Cameron thinks the "Big Society" is something he thought up. Come into the real world David; open your eyes and see what has been happening for years. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-18387529
