how random is this – I was looking for a place selling a decent analogue barometer in Suffolk (I already have an electronic one but its not very accurate) -and found this weather diary (which was hosted on a local councils website!)

Feb’y 20th Wind W.S.W very intense Frost without snow


March 1st 1785 Wind N.E. very sharp Frost and excessively Cold

10th Wind N.E. and very high with sharp Frost – The winter and Spring have been so severe we cannot plow our Lands
March 13th 1785 Wind W. very sharp frost – Ther’r in a Room shut close, hung on the North side, was eight Degrees below freezing at 9 this Morning –
16th 800 Gal’s of smuggled Spirits carried thro’ here

From Oct. 18th there has been 117 Days of Frost in wh. ye Thermometer was from one to 18 degrees below the freezing point wh. is a more constant succession of Cold than has been known in this Climate. There has been 12 Days more Frost this, than in the celebrated Winter of 1739

24th The Frost has been very severe for 3 days, freezing the Pumps up within Doors and prevents our plowing
March 28th 1785 Wind W. very Cold; Frost sharp within doors, Therm’tr in Parlour 3 deg. Below Freesing – The ground cover’d with Snow
April 1st Wind S. sharp Frost with sleet and Ther’r 2 Deg below Frez. In a close room
4th Wind S. sharp Frost, with Snow every Day for 10 last past – Ther’r 4 Deg. Below fresing –


The new mode of carrying the Mail according to Palmer’s plan, in a light Coach for 4 passengers, began to run last week into Suff’k – It travels 8 miles an hour including stopping to change Horses and deliver Letters

7th Began Sowing Barley – weather much milder –
Stocks 3 pr. Cents Consol 55-1-8th


A Letter from Lynn in Norfolk dated ye 2d. of April says, the Snow then laid 3 feet deep, and block’d up all the cross Roads –
April 9th 1785 Finish’d giving Cows Turnips


The winter Season to date It, from the first fall of Snow on Oct’r 7th to that wh. fell on the 4th of April has lasted 178 Days – Excepting about 12 Days in January the whole of this period has been frosty and Severe –


For the Rheumatism Take a Teaspoonfull of Aether in a glass of water 3 or 4 times a Day – sometimes add a few Drops of Laudanum – The above is thought infallible –

18th Finish’d Sowing Barley N.B. There has no Rain fallen since January –
Newspaper cutting: Epilogue to Fashionable Levities (whole page) by Thomas Morris Esq

April 1785 Mr Pitts declaration in the House of Commons of his being able to save a Million Anully if Peace continues, and of His Intention to fund the same to lessen or pay off the national Debt, has raised the Stocks and the Spirit of the Empire – This He has atcheiv’d by aeconomy and management of the Finances –

Hmm – guess you wouldn’t get too far asking for Ether and Laudanum (opium dissolved in alcohol) at the Co-Op pharmacy – but it looks like Mr Pitts is older than we think 😉

According to the Met Office and the BBC we’ve just been lucky for the last 20 years and had mild springs. I still think its way too cold for Spring; and it doesn’t seem to follow that the cold spring means a longer summer. It was fairly cool last year and we didn’t get that much of a summer…

incidentally those of us in East Anglia may be interested in the following (sites shown proceeding North from Suffolk to Norfolk/Cambs)

Ipswich area:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/garrath/weather/updates/1week/1%20Week_Monitor.htm

Stowmarket

http://www.weatherstation.org.uk/weather/year/History_Vantage_Pro.htm

Newmarket area..

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/philip.owers/index.htm

cool technology (when I were a lad a magnetic lettered board in the school courtyard opposite the georgraphy dept was high-tech) , but doesn’t make it any less rubbish weather though.

Perhaps we should suggest to the brainy people who run these sites they should set up the kit so we can send some weather over the Internet from some place like Kuala Lumpur (where it is usually 20+ celsius in Winter).

I’d even put up with the snakes, provided they stay at the Orwell flood barrier and do not alarm people by slithering up soil pipes and giving them a nasty surprise when they visit the loo!