There was an item on the BBC Lunchtime news today about the painter Monet
who was fascinated by the London Fogs and who used to come to London in the
wintertime to paint the foggy scenes.
This reminded me that I didn't get any foggy mornings here in 2004. This
must be a very unique event. I certainly don't ever remember any previous
year without a morning fog and this is going back to the 1940s. I remember
that in 1949 I noted at least 10 foggy mornings in October and I used to
keep a watch to see when the first all day fog occurred. There was usually
at least one before the end of November. I used to reckon that if a fog
lasted through the school 'Dinner Hour' it would last all day. If it got
really thick in the afternoon we would be sent home early!
Remembering the smoke pollution from domestic coal fires up until the 1970s,
I suggest that 2004's fog free year may have been the first in this area
since before Victorian times.
Peter Clarke
Ewell , Epsom, 55m.