See:..........

http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/p...r20030930.html



--
Martin Rowley
Web: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/booty.weather/

See:..........

http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/p...r20030930.html

Thanks for this Martin.
Well well - journalists will have to rewrite their stories and record books
now. Have to confess, I was keeping quiet about this - I was minding my own
business in the Met Office archives at Bracknell about 10 days ago when the
postman arrived. He delivered a parcel. It contained a maximum thermometer. It
was the faversham thermometer (I kid you not!!) after having been tested and
found to be sound. I assume the Met Office have done something similar to the
observer (connection to lie-detector??). I expect they are dusting off a glass
case to display the thermometer right now...... :-)

How can an observer not phone in such a remarkable temperature on reading it
the following morning? Is the media still interested in this story though? In
our fast-moving news agenda, cold weather is topical in the next few days, not
hot (irony intended here!...). Will people still refer to newspapers of mid
August going on about Gravesend?

Julian

Julian Mayes, West Molesey. Surrey.

On 30 Sep 2003 19:38:16 GMT, (JJCMayes1) wrote:

See:..........

http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/p...r20030930.html

Thanks for this Martin.
Well well - journalists will have to rewrite their stories and record books
now. Have to confess, I was keeping quiet about this - I was minding my own
business in the Met Office archives at Bracknell about 10 days ago when the
postman arrived. He delivered a parcel. It contained a maximum thermometer. It
was the faversham thermometer (I kid you not!!) after having been tested and
found to be sound. I assume the Met Office have done something similar to the
observer (connection to lie-detector??). I expect they are dusting off a glass
case to display the thermometer right now...... :-)

Hehe...

How can an observer not phone in such a remarkable temperature on reading it
the following morning?

Indeed!. Unless he *did* phone it in but the Met Office kept quiet
about it. They did say in August that not all the readings were in. If
he didn't, I'll be suspicious of it unless its an automated station
read periodically. Would love to know more about the circumstances.
The excess over the old Cheltenham record (1degC) simply amazes me.

Is the media still interested in this story though? In
our fast-moving news agenda, cold weather is topical in the next few days, not
hot (irony intended here!...). Will people still refer to newspapers of mid
August going on about Gravesend?

For a while but you can be sure that word will get out... it's quite a
coup for the owners of the home of the National Fruit Collections:
http://www.brogdale.org/html/visit_us.html

Some background for people who don't know the exact location:

Brogdale is just South of Faversham, half a mile due West of M2
junction 6, about 100 metres South of the M2 carriageway. Altitude is
41m amsl and it's 5 miles North of the North Downs summits (170m to
200m amsl). So, in the lee of the Southerlies that day, which may
explain the record.

I for one would visit the site if in the area, so it's bound to be
good for business if and when the news gets out. No mention of the
record on their website, yet. It's a MUCH nicer location than
Gravesend Broadness

--
Dave

On 30 Sep 2003 19:38:16 GMT, (JJCMayes1) wrote:

See:..........

http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/p...r20030930.html

Thanks for this Martin.
Well well - journalists will have to rewrite their stories and record books
now. Have to confess, I was keeping quiet about this - I was minding my own
business in the Met Office archives at Bracknell about 10 days ago when the
postman arrived. He delivered a parcel. It contained a maximum thermometer. It
was the faversham thermometer (I kid you not!!) after having been tested and
found to be sound. I assume the Met Office have done something similar to the
observer (connection to lie-detector??). I expect they are dusting off a glass
case to display the thermometer right now...... :-)

Hehe...

How can an observer not phone in such a remarkable temperature on reading it
the following morning?

Indeed!. Unless he *did* phone it in but the Met Office kept quiet
about it. They did say in August that not all the readings were in. If
he didn't, I'll be suspicious of it unless its an automated station
read periodically. Would love to know more about the circumstances.
The excess over the old Cheltenham record (1degC) simply amazes me.

Is the media still interested in this story though? In
our fast-moving news agenda, cold weather is topical in the next few days, not
hot (irony intended here!...). Will people still refer to newspapers of mid
August going on about Gravesend?

For a while but you can be sure that word will get out... it's quite a
coup for the owners of the home of the National Fruit Collections:
http://www.brogdale.org/html/visit_us.html

Some background for people who don't know the exact location:

Brogdale is just South of Faversham, half a mile due West of M2
junction 6, about 100 metres South of the M2 carriageway. Altitude is
41m amsl and it's 5 miles North of the North Downs summits (170m to
200m amsl). So, in the lee of the Southerlies that day, which may
explain the record.

I for one would visit the site if in the area, so it's bound to be
good for business if and when the news gets out. No mention of the
record on their website, yet. It's a MUCH nicer location than
Gravesend Broadness

BTW, if this message also gets through under my spamproof alias of
"d", apologies for the accidental duplication!

--
Dave

"Dave Ludlow" wrote in message
...

For a while but you can be sure that word will get out... it's quite a
coup for the owners of the home of the National Fruit Collections:
http://www.brogdale.org/html/visit_us.html

Some background for people who don't know the exact location:

Brogdale is just South of Faversham, half a mile due West of M2
junction 6, about 100 metres South of the M2 carriageway. Altitude is
41m amsl and it's 5 miles North of the North Downs summits (170m to
200m amsl). So, in the lee of the Southerlies that day, which may
explain the record.

Can we decide to call it 'Faversham' please, rather than Brogdale, or
Bogdale as I'm sure some will accidentally write/say? Brogdale
does not appear on my 1:50000 OS map for a start. It may well
be that it's a commercial name rather than a historic/geographic one
(can anyone who lives locally confirm?). And the station is a darn
site nearer to Faversham than Gravesend is to Gravesend, if you
see what I mean. And it was always called "Faversham" in the good
old days when all these stations appeared in the Monthly Weather
Report. And, and, and ....

Philip Eden

On Wed, 1 Oct 2003 16:18:50 +0100, "Philip Eden"
philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Can we decide to call it 'Faversham' please, rather than Brogdale, or
Bogdale as I'm sure some will accidentally write/say? Brogdale
does not appear on my 1:50000 OS map for a start. It may well
be that it's a commercial name rather than a historic/geographic one
(can anyone who lives locally confirm?).

It's a historic site, Philip, appearing on Victorian mapping.
http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ (do an address search there, for the
postcode ME13 8XZ ) or, on currrent mapping, http://tinyurl.com/pbw5

Brogdale seems to be a former privately owned estate but now it's
owned (or run) by the Brogdale Horticultural Trust. It seems to be of
National importance horticulturally, being the home of the National
Fruit Collections. Here's another link covering this aspect (I posted
the Trust's own website address in my previous message):
http://www.foodloversbritain.com/org...ation-560.html

And the station is a darn
site nearer to Faversham than Gravesend is to Gravesend,
if you see what I mean. And it was always called "Faversham" in the
good old days when all these stations appeared in the Monthly Weather
Report. And, and, and ....

Hehe, try telling that to the BBC Weather presenters, who were saying
"Brogdale in North Kent" this afternoon on News 24 (no mention of
Faversham at all). Brogdale is a mere 1.2 miles SSW of Faversham Town
Hall (albeit in open country) but in view of the site's apparent
National importance, it's possible that both names will be used in the
media. Faversham Brogdale? I'll go with the flow...

--
Dave

"Dave Ludlow" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 1 Oct 2003 16:18:50 +0100, "Philip Eden"
philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Can we decide to call it 'Faversham' please, rather than Brogdale, or
Bogdale as I'm sure some will accidentally write/say? Brogdale
does not appear on my 1:50000 OS map for a start. It may well
be that it's a commercial name rather than a historic/geographic one
(can anyone who lives locally confirm?).

It's a historic site, Philip, appearing on Victorian mapping.
http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ (do an address search there, for the
postcode ME13 8XZ ) or, on currrent mapping, http://tinyurl.com/pbw5

Thanks, Dave, for filling that small gap in my knowledge ... :-)

Brogdale seems to be a former privately owned estate but now it's
owned (or run) by the Brogdale Horticultural Trust. It seems to be of
National importance horticulturally, being the home of the National
Fruit Collections. Here's another link covering this aspect (I posted
the Trust's own website address in my previous message):
http://www.foodloversbritain.com/org...ation-560.html

And the station is a darn
site nearer to Faversham than Gravesend is to Gravesend,
if you see what I mean. And it was always called "Faversham" in the
good old days when all these stations appeared in the Monthly Weather
Report. And, and, and ....

Hehe, try telling that to the BBC Weather presenters, who were saying
"Brogdale in North Kent" this afternoon on News 24 (no mention of
Faversham at all).

All the more reason not to call it Brogdale, then :-)

Brogdale is a mere 1.2 miles SSW of Faversham Town
Hall (albeit in open country) but in view of the site's apparent
National importance, it's possible that both names will be used in the
media. Faversham Brogdale? I'll go with the flow...

Well, in my corner, it will be "Faversham" when used as a passing
reference, and "the station run by the Brogdale Horticultural Trust
at (or, perhaps, adjacent to) Faversham" in any detailed discussion.

The Met Office's use of geographical names over the years has not
exactly been a model of consistency, although it is likely that they have
had to submit to external directives in respect of naming sites at, for
example, international airports and RAF stations. One small example ...
the site we all know and love called Barbourne was practically in the
middle of Worcester, whereas the one called "Bedford" is six miles
north of the town in the parish of Thurleigh. Other (one-time)
sites closer to Bedford, but still not in Bedford itself, were called by
the name of the nearest village (e.g. Cardington, Goldington), while
other sites in Worcester were called Worcester (Perdiswell) and
Worcester (Cornmeadow).

Philip Eden

"Dave Ludlow" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 1 Oct 2003 16:18:50 +0100, "Philip Eden"
philipATweatherHYPHENukDOTcom wrote:

Can we decide to call it 'Faversham' please, rather than Brogdale, or
Bogdale as I'm sure some will accidentally write/say? Brogdale
does not appear on my 1:50000 OS map for a start. It may well
be that it's a commercial name rather than a historic/geographic one
(can anyone who lives locally confirm?).

It's a historic site, Philip, appearing on Victorian mapping.
http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ (do an address search there, for the
postcode ME13 8XZ ) or, on currrent mapping, http://tinyurl.com/pbw5

Brogdale seems to be a former privately owned estate but now it's
owned (or run) by the Brogdale Horticultural Trust. It seems to be of
National importance horticulturally, being the home of the National
Fruit Collections. Here's another link covering this aspect (I posted
the Trust's own website address in my previous message):
http://www.foodloversbritain.com/org...ation-560.html

Hehe, try telling that to the BBC Weather presenters, who were saying
"Brogdale in North Kent" this afternoon on News 24 (no mention of
Faversham at all). Brogdale is a mere 1.2 miles SSW of Faversham Town
Hall (albeit in open country) but in view of the site's apparent
National importance, it's possible that both names will be used in the
media. Faversham Brogdale? I'll go with the flow...

Just to tidy up ... I note that it appears on current OS mapping, but
it is un-named on my 1:50000 OS map which was published in
the 1980s. Presumably the OS map changed after the farm changed
hands (it was a MAFF research station from the early-1950s
until 1991 when it was sold to the present owners). It would be
interesting to know how this happens ... I should imagine that a certain
amount of lobbying goes on. Before the government bought it, it was
simply Brogdale Farm. A google search suggests that it was such
as early as the 1840s.

I'm told that the official name of the climatological station there
is simply "Faversham".

Philip Eden

"martin rowley" wrote in message
...
See:..........

http://www.metoffice.com/corporate/p...r20030930.html

38.5C??

You just wonder with a touch of global warming whether even 40C would
be attainable in the UK in a couple of decades........

Col
--
Bolton, Lancashire.
160m asl.
http://www.reddwarfer.btinternet.co.uk

Of course, if they increased the number of stations....It was 40C somewhere
around South London\Kent that day, that's for sure.