The Metropolis

Weather, portents and milestones for the week ahead. The moon waxes, blackberries are ripe

Mike Pollitt | Monday 27 August, 2012 12:24

Weather

In the week of 27-31 Aug 2012, the mornings will be nondescript, and best avoided entirely. After lunch, we should expect regular variations on the theme of sun and rain, which will grant the week a pleasing meteorological unity even while the days appear fickle and inconstant. Viz:

• Monday – Rain in the afternoon.
• Tuesday – Sun in the afternoon.
• Wednesday – Rain and sun in the afternoon.
• Thursday – Sun and rain in the afternoon.
• Friday – Nondescript.

The full BBC weather forecast is here.

Portents

On Friday a full moon will rise. Folk tradition once held that to stare too long at the full moon caused lunacy. This belief was eroded by centuries of scientific progress which perhaps reached its symbolic apex when Neil Armstrong became the first earthling to set foot on the moon in 1969. Despite prolonged exposure to the lunar surface, he displayed no signs of erraticism in later life. He died this past weekend. As you catch sight of Friday’s rising moon, do raise a glass to the memory of this fine man.

Milestones

Monday is the August Bank Holiday. This innovation in worker’s welfare was initiated in the 1870s by John Lubbock, who was also one of the great figures of Victorian archaeology, a champion of evolution who carried Darwin’s coffin, and the inventor of the words Neolithic and Palaeolithic. The story goes that he desired bank holidays so that workers would have the opportunity to play and watch a bit of cricket. So as you enjoy this bank holiday free from the toils of accustomed labour, do raise a glass to the memory of this fine man.

Seasonal notes

Late August is a good time of year to pick and eat London’s wild blackberries, their drupelets now empurpled by the still-strong summer sun. Here are some ideas about how to do that.

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