Paul’s blog

Winchester Cathedral,
originally uploaded by Skinnyde.

An altar in one of the many chapels in Winchester, which I believe is dedicated to Anglers - so this picture is dedicated to my Dad - a dedicated carp fisherman.

In Russia there is talk that the weather forecasters who wrongly predicted the recent bad weather will be fined. I first thought this was a bit harsh, after all to err is human as they say, but on reflection I am thinking that many people are fined for not doing their job properly.

Mayor Yury Luzhkov promised to punish the Moscow weather service for what he said were unreliable forecasts that frustrated the work of various municipal services and disrupted people’s plans. Speaking at the weekly meeting of the city government on Tuesday, the mayor said the Moscow Weather Bureau would receive no more funding until it signed an agreement with the city that introduced “financial responsibility,” allowing the city to impose penalties for inaccurate forecasts.

Talking about the weather, it always amazes me how the whole of the UK grinds to a halt when we have a little snow. Why are schools closed? In Hungary the only time they close is when the pupils and teachers cannot physically get to the school, i.e. 10 foot snow drifts!