The first post.

I need to get it off my chest. It's hot, and (being a Brit) one has to moan and groan about it a bit. I think I have just cause -- I have fair skin which makes me look silly and pink in this weather, my grass is a lovely golden brown and my sixteen month old daughter wakes up every night crying in response to her discomfort. The ensuing lack of sleep causes me to wake up every morning crying in response to my alarm.

What interests me, as I begin my blog, is that in a country where weather has such variety, why are we always so hobbled by its extremes? In London, it snows and you'd think the twelve horsemen of the apocalypse might suddenly loom over the horizon and chuck snowballs. A bit of rain and there's a flood somewhere (you must have noticed this). And then we get a couple of days of hot sunshine, and people wiltingly expect Sahara Dunes to blow in at any time. I am equally guilty -- I feel nervous because I've emptied my water butt watering my hydrangea. What will I give my parched sunflower to drink now? Disaster!

We need to get a grip. Have you seen what's happening in Lebanon right now? It's unjustifiable and appalling. We privileged Londoners have confused moaning with suffering while the unlucky citiziens of Beirut understand this with a distinct and clear vision. More on the Middle East in the days ahead. In the meantime, I suggest we buy ourselves a nice ice cream and be happy that we've not needed to take an extra pullover with us recently.