Thanks for dropping in and welcome to my website. I am the face of weather on BBC television's regional news programme, Points West.

The idea behind this website is to promote and expand on issues you may have seen on the weather forecast, for which on-air time just does not allow. Is tomorrow's weather a product of global warming? What's happening in the night sky? What's the weather like in other parts of the world?

All views expressed are mine, and mine alone and are nothing to do with my employers.

There is a saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin that, "Whilst some people are weatherwise, most are otherwise." Hopefully, this site will help you become a little more weatherwise.

23rd June

I've been away for the last few days. Me and Mrs A took a long weekend in Bruges. Highly recommended. A town renowned for beer, chocolate and chips is all right by me.

        So many beers to chose from...

I'd certainly recommend Bruges for a long weekend. Travelling via EuroTunnel was so quick (just 25 minutes crossing time) and driving through Northern France and Belgium is just so easy. And the Begians are so friendly and helpful. look out for some holidays photos on the site very soon.

      Ah, the Orthel Samaranth, an excellent, if strong, choice

10th June

Blame it on the Weatherman                                                                             Barely has summer begun than the poor old Met Office has been blamed for the forthcoming poor summer! According to SouthWest Tourism the weather was the key factor affecting the industry during the summer. And guess what? They didn't like talk of showers. Apparently they feel that the very metion of a shower in the forecast will have potential tourists packing their bags and jetting off to sunnier climes.

It is a bit of a cheek, as the Met office issued a forecast for 'A barbecue Summer' just a couple of weeks ago. What more do these people want?

         Who will be to blame for low tourist numbers in 2009?

Isn't it funny how they never complain when we forecast fine weather and yet showers arrive? But it is too late then for tourists to change their plans so they have them where they want them and can make plenty of money out of them.

It can be very frustrating getting blamed for bad weather, even when you have correctly forecast it. We are not about to put a positive spin on our forecasts just to placate the tourist industry.

In my opinion, there are two main reasons why people choose to holiday abroad rather than at home. Firstly, the weather is better abroad! Fact. Secondly, holidaying in the UK is too expensive. There are far too many overpriced, down at heel B&Bs; food is expensive; car parking charges are high and travel is as dear as anywhere in Europe.

14th May

We had a long weekend in Paris last week. A beautiful city. In fact, the most beautiful city I've ever visited. (Yes, even better than Gloucester.) But, hells' teeth, how expensive. Petit coffee, monsieur? Cinq euro, s'il vous plait. Dinner pour deux? Soixante euros. Small trinket from an antique market. Mm, priced at 30 euros. Seems reasonable. oops, hold on, there's a '0' on the end. No thank you. And so it went on.

That said, the food was good, the locals were reasonably friendly - not as surly as I'd expected (well they're French, aren't they?) and the architecture was stunning. I don't think I'd go back, but I'm glad I went.

20th April

An outside broadcast at Burnham-on-Sea. Our reporter Cilnton Rodgers was there, interviewing someone from the local lifeboat crew that had to rescue a couple of Aussies in an inflatable at the weekend.

If the lifeboat crews aren't towing inflatables back to shore, they are pulling people out of the mud - despite all the warning signs. What is it with some people? You only have to look at the water - it is muddy and it races along at a frightening rate. It's an estuary too. Where I come from you only dig bait for fishing in estuaries.

                    Burnham's seafront looks great in the sunshine

17th April

Spent the weekend down in Cornwall before the county becomes jammed with tourists for the next five months. It was nice to be able to travel on quiet roads and visit little villages like Portloe, Feock and Coverack without getting stuck in traffic.

            Waiting for the Ferry

        The harbour at Portscatho

31st March

If I look excited in the photograph above, that is because I was! On Friday night we went to see my all-time music hero David Byrne in concert at the Colston Hall. And if that wasn't good enough (and believe me he was VERY good) we went to see him again on Sunday night at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.

     h The big Head in action in Birmingham (Picture: Renu Angwin)

If you are not familiar with Talking Heads and his work with Brian Eno, then you really have missed out. I even got Renu dancing to Burning Down the House!

What a contrast though, between the Colston Hall and Birmingham's Symphony Hall. I know that the extension to the Colston Hall will be a big improvement but we really need something like the Symphony Hall - where parking was easy and a pleasure! Not like dear old Bristol with the grotty renchard Street car park - queuing for 45 minutes to get out after spending 30 minutes trying to find a ticket machine that would accept my money.

I relaxing head massage - I could do with one now!

            A cold day by the Thames and the Eye

           

              Before the rain reached Warwickshire

                      Hold your nose and in you go (Picture: Michael Satherley)