Tuesday 8 December 2015

A History of British Eccentricity

My late father, no stranger himself to the odd eccentricity, used to love telling the story of the late Sir William Eden.

100 years ago, this baronet father of the future Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden, was in the habit of tapping the barometer in his hall each morning. Once, when it was pouring with rain but the barometer forecast sunshine, he hurled the instrument outside yelling: "Go on, you damned fool, go and see for yourself!".

Sadly, I found myself this morning following in this fine tradition by demonstrating the outside rain to my iPhone Rain App.


6 comments:

Tim said...

I hear the iPhone Drain App is selling well.

Nota Bene said...

The apple never falls far from the tree...whether it's wind, rain or shine

Roses said...

I could give better forecasts of the weather with the finger bones used to tap the damned Apps.

It's when the Met Office helpfully says 10% chance of precipitation and I'm huddled under a knackered brolly in the midst of a tropical-like downpour, that makes me somewhat cross.

savannah said...

LOL i know that feeling, sweetpea! xoxox

Pat said...

I've always had a soft spot for people who rage at inanimate objects.

Crowbard said...

The roof's fairly sound and I rarely adventure beyond the front door, but I still tap the barometer occasionally just to make sure we are both still alive. I find the occasional glance out of the windows fairly informative about local meteorological matters.