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Wasperton > Wildlife |
ARCHIVE
January |
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, WASPERTON Updated July 2025 St Swithin's Day if it do rain St Swithin's Day, 15th July, is probably the most famous of the saint's days for weather lore as you know. Did you know who he was? He was an Anglo Saxon bishop of Winchester c852-862 and he started this weather thing by requesting that he be buried, after death I guess, in a Churchyard where rain from the Church eaves might fall upon his grave. This was done but later his body was removed to Winchester Cathedral on 15th Jul 971. From that day it rained for 40 days 'til the 23rd August. That is the legend. Now from the meteorological records from 1861 to 1971 if it rained on the 15th it rained for an average 21.1 days up to the 23rd August and never for 40 days. So maybe St Swithin only organised his 40 days before 1861. By the way the average number of days following a dry 15th was 20.8 days. So much for statistics. I like to think that St Swithin can do it again if he feels the need. Weather in July starts with the late June westerlies and storms for the first week. Then follows a warm mid July period 10th - 24th. The last week continuing into August gives a return to thundery cyclonic weather with a warmer spell too. In the Churchyard with the warm spring has really helped the wild flowers in our uncut bits around the edges of the Churchyard, quite a mass of colour. Blue tits have occupied one of our bird boxes and flown, better than last year. Good really as we had the trees pruned and thinned in March. It was a safety matter to protect folk walking through, but all is well. I feel I should mention the stinging nettles again, we leave them in places. They are loved by some of the butterflies. Gosh summer is well with us now, I find that the seasons just flash by, must be my age. I do appreciate your support, keep walking through, so good to see you. Mike Porter
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