weather this year in the UK
Josh
weatherwise?
I have the impression that it has been a mixture of summer gales
interspersed with long periods of calm. This last week has been like it:
forecasters talked about moderate winds and we just got a next-to-calm drift
here in East Yorkshire. There was one day of strong winds last week but by
the time I went out in late afternoon it had all blown itslef away into the
nearby North Sea.
Talking of which, I went with a pal for a bit of flying at Fraisthorpe near
Bridlington on the East Yorks coast during midsummer. On arrival we found
that there was a windsurfing event in progress which was all very jolly, but
the wind coming in from the south on this lovely warm sunny day was fresh to
gale force, sandblasting us on the beach. The windsurfers revelled in it
but when I tried a flight it was quite hopeless. Earlier in the season I
had been down at Fraisthorpe on a much better day, and really enjoyed
putting some of my home-made designs into the sky in excellent conditions.
You can park your car right on the cliff top for a pound or two and scramble
easily the down the low cliffs - only a few feet high, with plenty of paths.
There is a refreshment van and toilets at the farm nearby. The beach is a
stretch of perfect sand, with views of Bridlington and Flamborough head. I
have had many happy flying days there. There used to be a naturist section
of the beach, but the miseries of this world complained about goings on and
it has all faded away now. I will just have to be careful when I am down
there with the kites and talking about getting it up!
Beverley Westwood is near to my home, and is a large area of pasture open to
the public by ancient right. Much kite flying goes on there: the area
slopes gently upwards and is mostly open with areas of trees which in no way
hinder flight. The main problem is the growth of thistles as the summer
passes, and the habit of herds of cows to cross the area you have chosen for
flying. It is no problem though, and some great flights are possible -
including breakages during the aforementioned summer gales.