I think rather than marvelling at how good your forecast was, I'm
more
concerned at the importance of pointing the finger at the provider of
the
errant forecast. Any ideas who it might have been,

METCHECK. However, the media did successfully HYPE up these coming
"events", although Andrew Bond's own TRACEABLE "woolies and wellies out
of the for the first time since 1980s" did not at all help the
situation that he has since so passionately tried to diffuse.:-(

as Jon says the MO were
always going for an average "warmth" this winter.

LOL, tell me about it! At one stage, the Met Office *SEEMED* to be
going for THREE SOLID MONTHS of EASTERLY WINDS from November-January at
one stage last October!!!:-o

They finally settled, after Metcheck had released their so-called
"coldest winter this century" forecast, for MILD-AVERAGE, so hopefully
this will bring a 2001-type winter, as 2001 was indeed, MILD-AVERAGE,
or "slightly above average" in official and layman's terms.:-)

I have not seen the actual long-term chart temperature graphs to verify
this properly, though.:-( (In fact, to be brutally honest with you, I
dare not look.:-o) However, there was an eerily early correlation
between all of the super-long-rangers, going for a slightly "colder" or
"below normal" winter, with the fun and games peaking in FEBRUARY, I am
indeed most pleased to say.;-)

D.