In the news

[wellinghall]

Appeal to keep Anglo-Saxon gold hoard in West Midlands
"Historian Dr David Starkey has launched a cash campaign to keep the largest-ever hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold in the region in which it was unearthed. The appeal, launched at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, aims to raise £3.3m to buy the Staffordshire Hoard which was discovered last July."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8455189.stm

Snow tips North East Air Museum Vulcan bomber skyward
"The weight of snow on a museum's prized Cold War bomber has left it seemingly frozen at take-off. The Avro Vulcan B2 was found tipped backwards at the North East Air Museum in Sunderland."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/8455110.stm

Melbourne suffers hottest night as Australia swelters
"Melbourne has suffered its hottest night since 1902 as a heat wave grips southern Australia. While much of the northern hemisphere is suffering from unusually cold conditions, night-time temperatures in Melbourne have reached 34C (93F)."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8453744.stm

ETA: Puffins' winter odyssey revealed
"Puffins from the North Sea's largest breeding colony venture much further afield during the winter than previously thought, a study has shown. More than 75% of the seabirds fitted with "geolocator" tags headed for the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean, rather than staying in the North Sea."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8452423.stm

Comments

[foradan.livejournal.com]

Oslo is having an unusually long very cold spell (usually we only get temperatures of -10 or lower for a few days per year, not a few weeks). In Tromsø it is raining! Being on the coast there they don't usually have very cold temperatures in the winter, but it should be below 0.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

I shall book my flight to Tromsø directly! ;-)

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

1. It'll probably end up in London.

2. I bet the designers never thought of this when they opted for a delta wing configuration.

3. My secretary is on holiday over there right now (for something like seven weeks). While everyone else on facebook is sending in photos of the snow, she's sending us photos of sipping cocktails on the beach and her learning to surf.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

1. I am reminded of the Sutton Hoo treasure. It only went to London on a temporary basis in 1936. Yeah, right.

2. This was a known problem from the 50s to the 80s, and all Vulcan bases sent erks out every snowy day to sweep the snow from the wings. The lesson appears to have been forgotten!

3. I think I'd rather be in -5 (with working central heating and a warm greatcoat!) than in +34 by night!

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

1. Or the Isle of Lewis chess set? At least Sutton Hoo has a cultural connection to London and that region.

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

My pleasure. I have had vague thoughts about volunteering at a place like that, only to be put off by my complete mechanical ineptitude (and my lack of time).