Greetings from Croydon

[hector]

From a small country on the continental part of Europe ....very welcome too!

[JonathanB]

From a small country on the continental part of Europe ....very welcome too!

That's lovely. I have visited Belgium (both Flanders and Wallonia) more often than Scotland, mainly en route to somewhere else, but I still like it. Bruges is lovely.

[aonghas]

Greetings from northern Ontario. Have worn my kilt in -37C, no ill affects

[JonathanB]

Temperature tomorrow not due to rise above freezing here. This could be fun.

[Auld Creakie]

With regard to cold weather - bending at the waist to unplug the block heater with even a mild breaze blowing in 40 below temperatures imprints a permanent reference on one's mind, even when the kilt is a regulation weight, Argyll & Sutherland military box pleat eight yarder.

[Derek]

Welcome to x marks Jonathan.
We just spent the weekend in London just 'mewching' around. If I had seen this I could have suggested meeting up. Spent yesterday at Camden Markets and its was certainly below freezing with the wind chill. My cilt has never failed to keep me as warm as toast. The rest of me was wrapped up well too mind and some good wool cilt hose.
We are coming back to London again in the near future ... perhaps you might like to meet up somewhere.
Iechyd Da
Derek

[JonathanB]

And big thanks to Steve for changing my username so promptly. I was "ruggerlad" upthread.

Before moving to the bonny, bonny banks of the Wandle here in Croydon, I lived in Stoke Newington, only two bus rides away from Camden Market. To be honest it's not quite me (I don't need to visit twenty tattoo shops) but years ago we bought a second hand Victorian fireplace there to decorate the house.

Derek - what do you think of these Welsh tartans?

[JonathanB]

Strewth, I feel good.

It has been below freezing all day. OK, a mild spring day in Toronto, but exceptional for March South of the Thames. I woke to dusting of snow in the garden. I wore my kilt all day and went out three times.

In the morning, I went shopping and then into the gritty urban jungle that is central Croydon. There was snow swirling around most of the time, although not settling, thank goodness.

In the afternoon, the snow kept off and I went for a walk in the other direction, to a wooded hill with the site of a Bronze Age barrow on top. Surrounded by golf courses, detached houses with gardens and private schools, nonetheless it looks amazingly wild for somewhere ten minutes from my home.

The scenery looks like this:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/23994101@N06/8548542621/

I spent about an hour walking through the woods in snow and back home.

I can't exactly say my knees were warm as toast, only the sort of unsatisfactory toast where the butter doesn't melt, but no more than an exciting and bracing tingle.

(This is my first post of photos. I must go back and check the FAQ.)

[JonathanB]

I tried again without success. When I post the Flickr url I get the message "Error: Invalid file". What's going on?

[McFarkus]

from Chicago