h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Odd you should ask about Roman roads. I've been looking for maps of them over the last two weeks. I found this web site: Http://www.ku.edu/history/index/europe/ancient_rome/E/Gazetteer/Periods/
Roman/Topics/Engineering/roads/Britain/.Texts/CODROM/home.html
(I had to cut that web address because it made the page impossibly wide.)

Chapter II on Watling Street shows the roads through Wroxeter. I wouldn't say all roads led there exactly! The odd thing is that the road he has marked 11, which links Watling St to Chester, bypassing Wroxeter but passing through Whitchurch (Mediolanum), is less known around here. While the little offshoot he shows pointing up from Wroxeter and ending in a dotted line is definitely known here. It linked Wroxeter to Chester, also through Whitchurch. It's the one that the present day A49 follows for about five miles until a point about three miles south of Whitchurch where the route is no longer shown on the OS map. Which is also about the point at which it probably merged with the other road.


I didn't know about this other road, the number 11 one, until week before last. It ties in with something a local farmer said years and years ago, however, about there being a Roman road under the lane between the village and the A49, where it habitually floods. So I cross one Roman road and use part of another everytime I travel to work.

Offa's Dyke as an article sounds good. Don't you like the peer review system?

If you don't hear from the SCC lady I could try another phone call. Or you might get more joy via snail mail. Using the internet isn't taken that seriously yet in Shropshire. Looking at the SCC website my guess is it's there because they're supposed to have one, not because they make much use of it.

Glad you had some real summer - I had to scrape ice of the car Thursday am but we're back to mild today. Sunday? No rest at all - my niece was around .
Ta ta!
Waz

Hi Waz

I was looking in one of my books about the west midlands and there was this great diagram of the Roman roads in the area, with one that went through Mediolanum (Whitchurch), and a pile of others (the book: "The West Midlands in the Early Middle Ages" by Margaret Gelling, published 1992). There seems to have been something of a network in the region. I think that Viroconium (Wroxeter) was a civitas capital (admin region capital). So, there must have been ways of getting there, and Watling Street was one of them.

I'm quite OK about peer review ... just didn't want to bother with trying for an approved entry. Is this the same as peer review? It as been so long since I posted an article I am not up to date.

Thanks for the offer of another call. I really appreciate it. I might give the email one more go. If there is a journal article on the topic, this should be findable. I'll let you know.

Well ... Liane has returned after 3 weeks away. Yeehah! We are off the see "The Shipping News" at the flicks. I have to start teaching at Uni tomorrow ... so one day of freedom before that. (I have taken a job teaching in management as my scholarship is about to run out ... not sure if I told you ... the PhD is still being worked on, however, never fear).

And we are still having some summer weather. Life is grand.

Have a good one!
Bran

Hi Waz
The lady from Shropshire CC just sent me a very nice email that was most useful. I am now informed of all I needed! Thanks again for your integral part in the process.
Cheers
Bran
P.S. Summer is now over here, and we are back to windy and cold. There you go ... we had two weeks of summer, shouldn't be greedy.

Glad to hear 'Life is grand' , that Liane got back safe and that you got the info you needed from SCC. Life's not too bad here, despite letting work take over a bit lately. There are definite signs of spring - buds on the damson tree and the birds have got their spring outfits on.

I was surprised to see it was management you were going to teach. Do you find yourself making connections between management theories and the activities of Vikings, Celts and Romans ? My impression is that the Romans must have have pretty effective at management. So I'm still curious about those Roman roads around here. I can't think why they would go to the trouble of having two roads leaving Watling Street in about twenty miles of each other, leading in the same direction and merging twenty/thirty miles later. The more northerly one is like a Viroconium bypass. I think you're right about Viroconium, I read somewhere it was the admin/tribal capital of the Celtic Cornovii. In fact I put that in an entry I wrote on Ash and used the word 'celtic' as a link to your entry on Celtic history.

Peer Review is indeed the current process for getting entries into the edited guide. You submit the entry for review, other h2g2'ers come along, read it, say what they think, point out typos, make suggestions. You discuss their comments, revise the entry where you decide appropriate, or not. It can be fun. 'Scouts' take part in the review and, when they see fit, recommend your entry to the editors. Then a 'sub editor' gets it, makes corrections if needed, might take things said in the peer review thread that the author discounted into account. It then goes to the h2g2 editorial staff. Then it appears on the front page.

I recommend it. But if you're writing entries to debunk the theory of evolution or to scientifically prove the existence of God make sure you're suitably dressed, flame proof undies, chain mail body suit, helmet, shield...

Waz

Hi Waz!!

What a couple of weeks ... this working and doing PhD at the same time and have a relationship and do recreation cuts into the H2G2 time severely.

The management job is cos my scholarship was about to run out, and I needed to earn some money as I have not yet finished the PhD. I can't even apply for History jobs until it is done ... the competition is so fierce. So, I am falling back on my old career for the moment. It is not so bad, and the money is good. Also, it is expected that I will compete the PhD so they allow this as part of my "research" component of the job.

How is life in the homeland?

Cheerio
Bran

Hope you're having a good Easter, Bran.
And taking a break. I haven't been on h2 much the past couple of weeks myself. I've been letting work take over a bit, but only temporarily. It's a busy time of year and I've chosen to go on holiday in the middle of it.

I didn't realise you couldn't get work in History before finishing your PhD. My brother was luckier with economics. Or maybe he was lucky full stop. He seems to have got to where he wanted to be. I'm very glad, it's taken long enough but he held out for want he wanted and didn't settle for just earning a living.

It's spring in the homeland. Blossom is bursting out all over the place, lambs bouncing in the field out back, yellow daffodils wherever you look, birds singing their hearts out. Jackdaws impressing their girlfriends by eating the mortar from between my chimney bricks. Another brick came down last week. It woke me up at six in the morning coming down the tiles with a noise like a passing train. Not a nice way to wake up. There were two Jackdaws watching from the neighbours' roof. Cackling.

I am flying to Spain next Wednesday. For two weeks in the sun, (it may be spring here but that doesn't mean sun), by the side of the Mediterranean at the bottom of the foothills of the Sierra Almijara Mountains . I'm planning on climbing one of them, Cielo. We got about two thirds the way up last time. It has a mirrored cross on top of it. Put there by a shipwrecked captain in gratitude at having made it to dry land. So they say.

How is winter going over there?
Waz

Hi Waz!!

I bet you were wondering "now ... why don't he write?" Well, work has been busy, and when I get home, I either want to hang about with Liane or do some PhD work. The job is OK ... I guess that I am just not used to full-time work after being a full-time student for three or so years. I have not really been Guiding much at all lately, though I occasionally check-in to see of there is anything new.

How did your trip to Spain go. I assume that is well over by now? I myself have been to Singapore since last I typed a note. The Uni I teach at offers some of their units in Singapore, and in KL in Malaysia. One of the ones that I am in charge of is taught there, so I scored an all-expenses-paid trip with a per diem food allowance that could have fed a small army. As we either have to use it or lose it, I certainly used it! And, as well as being put up in a very posh hotel, I also get paid for going. The teaching was great, and I really enjoyed the student contact. I was only there for three days, but I managed to see something of the island, including Changi, where the Japanese prisoner-of-war camp was situated. A great experience all round.

Winter is about upon us, but is a bit late in coming this year, no doubt the same weather pattern that made the summer late. The deciduous trees are turning and looking great. We have actually had a few days of warmth again, with today up to about 20 celcius. The sun is up at 7.05am and gone at about 5.10pm. Only about six weeks to go to solstice and the turn-around.

We had a great walk about four weeks ago along part of the "south coast track" here in Tassie. Only went out overnight, but we really enjoyed the stunning scenery. This is part of the world heritage wilderness area, and once you get past the first 2 hours, you really have a lot of it to yourself (along with a few other intrepid souls). You can walk for about 7 nights to a small airstrip part of the way along to get flown-out ... but for the more daring, you can do a further 7 nights and go All the Way. One hell of an experience that I will do one day. And it is all done fully kitted-up as there are no cabins, no amenites, just complete and utter wilderness only ameliorated by the presence of the track. There are even some river fords that have to be waded. You have to be prepared to carry everything that you might need, including tent. One day.

Well ... I'll leave it there. Hope that you are well.

Cheers
Bran the Less Than Diligent Explorer

No, I just thought "Bran's busy" - but it's good to hear from you. I'll post a proper reply later - it's too close to midnight now.

Cheers 'til later,
Waz the In Need of More Sleep.

Hi Bran, didn't mean to leave it this much later. Spring is bursting out all over, here. Everyone seems to be wanting to get out and about which, unfortunately, coincides with the busiest time of year at work. This year, through trying to bring one area of work up to scratch, (long overdue), I've got behind on all the rest.

Enjoy your autumn, I'm enjoying the long, light evenings here. Although sometimes the sun pouring in through the bedroom windows at some unearthly hour of the morning I could do without.

Spain was great. We climbed Cielo! Which, we were told, was the equivalent of climbing Ben Nevis. Which very nearly put us off the attempt! It took 10 hours with plenty stops: Elevenses at the Cortijo de la Civila, (a few uninhabited buildings by a grove of almond trees). Lunch on the top of the ridge (a very sharp limestone ridge). Pit stop by an outcrop of rocks three quarters the way along the ridge. Then a break on the summit, to recover from the scramble up the scree and rocks where the path disappeared for the last hundred yards and to admire the view. The views were spectacular, the sierra behind and the Med in front. The sun shone the whole day and I aquired a 'sock line' which I still have.

I think you could walk in the Spanish sierras for a few days without coming across much civilisation, but I doubt you could do it in the UK, certainly not for 14 days. The closest I've got to that sort of wilderness would have been on safari in Tanzania. There are almost 'no amenities' on the camp sites there. Just miles without a building or a tarmac road in sight, and an unbelievable number of stars at night. I wasn't on foot there however.
I liked having everything I needed packed in a backpack. It's very liberating. Knowing you could go into the wilderness and provide all you needed for 14 days and cover that sort of distance would be a great feeling. Just climbing Cielo was fantastic. Looking back at it I couldn't believe we'd actually stood on top of it.

That wasn't a bad work trip you had. Is Changi being preserved as it was as a camp? Did it have any atmosphere from its past?

With an abrupt change of subject; there was a story on the radio this morning that you might appreciate, given your sense of history. Rochester was given city status back in 1211. In 1998, due a clerical error, (someone forgot to fill in a form), it lost it and was demoted to a mere town. They have only just found out. The Mayor of Rochester is horrified. (Rightly so.) They are appealing to the Queen.

Shrewsbury has been applying for city status for decades - Rochester throws it away with one lack of a stroke of a pen.

Hoping life is treating you and Liane well and that work and PhD are being kept in their place, I'm away to get more sleep,
'til next time,
Waz

Hi Waz!!!

Well ... what a long time between posts, for which I am most apologetic. I have not done any h2g2-ing between now and the last time we conversed ... sort of got distracted by work, including The Great Work, and other things.

Life is fine over here ... the Tome is not quite done but I am writing the conclusion as we speak so it is not far off. I have included the article you found for me as well as many items that various email friends have uncovered or recommended.

We have had a very warm and even hot summer ... though very dry and prone to bush-fires. You might have seen on the news about a month ago that Canberra was badly hit with about 500 homes lost. We have been a bit better off here ... some fires and sadly some loss of life and property but relatively protected compared to other places on the mainland.

How are things over there? We have seen occasional reports about very cold weather, not to mention Heathrow being barricaded like an army encampment. We went to a peace rally here last weekend, along with about 15,000-20,000 people which is pretty good for a town of only 180,000.

I'm still working in Management (even got a promotion!). It is going OK and I quite like the people I am working with.

Anyway, thought I'd try and catch up with you. Hope you are well, safe and happy.

Cheerio

Bran.

*falls off chair*

Great to hear from you! I'll get back later - I can't put off going to the supermarket any longer,
Waz

Back again.
Hi Bran, that was a nice surprise!
I'm glad to hear things are good with you. You've not moved to Seattle then? I did see the pictures of Canberra. It looked pretty bad. I thought of you and Walter but I didn't realise Tasmania had been affected as well.I'd rather have our floods and cold weather. This has been the coldest winter for years - but for all that it's nothing to the winters I remember when we first came here in the late '70s. People forget. We get a couple of inches of snow and everything comes to a halt! It's ridiculous. I remember one spell back then when the lane was so full of snow the only way through was the track the tractors made to get the milk lorries to the farms. Going down it was like being on a bobsleigh run - hard packed snow underneath and walls of snow on either side up to the top of the car windows. It lasted for a couple of weeks.

I also saw the Heathrow pictures on tv - surreal. A fine thing for this our 21st century isn't it. We had peace marches here in London and Glasgow. It didn't actually occur to me to go - if there had been something local I might have done but then again some of what is happening seems like a game of bluff. I wonder if Saddam was convinced the whole of the West would unite against him would he back down? Would his people do something? That's not a criticism of peace rallies though. I respect the conviction of people with the get up go to go on them. Our leaders need the decision to go to war made hard but here the marches had a tone of anti government protest rather than a postive call for peace. A couple of people here on h2 have written some good articles on them.

Congratulations on the promotion . You sound as if you're happy with work but not wildly enthusiastic about it? When the Tome is quite finished (what will you do without it?) will you stay where you are or be looking for something else?

I'm well, as safe as anyone is, and happy. I'm enjoying work - I can't believe I've been where I am so long, over eight years. I only meant to stay for four. Change is on the way though. They're bringing in a Chief Executive when my boss retires and reviewing the whole management structure. I can't see it being sorted out within the next 9 months so we're in for a lot of uncertainty.

I've been back to the Scottish Islands. I had a week on Tiree last summer. All the islands are beautiful, Barra is still a favourite but Tiree is close. I tried wind ing for the first time. or what? Last time I posted I was recently back from Spain. Now I'm planning the next trip there. Just a week in the middle of March.

Time to get some sleep, I'm off to help a friend put up fenceposts tomorrow so I'll need a good night,
good to hear from you,
Waz

Hi Waz

No move to Seattle ... as yet. We have had a bit of a think about life and work and settling in a location and all of those things and have decided that here in Tassie is actually a pretty good place to be at the moment. Not having been in the position to buy a place (again) until recently, we have thought that this better become a priority as the market is really on the move here and the longer we wait, the harder it is going to be for us to eventually buy something. It is wierd in some respects being an income-earner again as it really changes the way that you think and also your priorities. That is probably the reason that you noticed I seem happy enough in the job, if not wildly ecstatic. This was a very astute overservation of yours!

I remain ever envious of your travelling to the Scottish islands and to Spain for that matter (wind-surfing yet!!). The trouble with living over this side of the world is that it is so far to most things ... the nearest place we have, apart from NZ, is Indonesia, and Aussies aren't that opoular there at the moment due to the activities of our PM. I might be off the NZ for work next semester, as we are offering our graduate program there. My parent live there, so this might be a nice opportunity to see them.

We have just installed two bird-baths at home, one on our verandah railing and one out the front in the courtyard. After a couple of days of nothing, we have now gathered a very large group of sparrows that regularly drop in, a large group of New Holland whistlers, two wattle-birds and one or two finches (I think that is what they are). All very exciting and great fun to watch the excitement with which they have their baths!

Eight years at your place of work! Ir is amazing how time can fly. We have just had out 7 year anniversary of coming to Tassie. We thought that we might stay for 2 or 3 years, but now can't really imagine living back in Brisbane where we came from. Hmmm.

Well, I must get back to work.

Cheers for now

Bran.

P.S. What I will do after the Tome: sleep more easily, have a holiday, read all of those books I have been putting off, reduce my generalized anxiety levels, explore new horizons, climb every mountain ... and more!

Good Monday,
There's a lot to be said for being settled. And for being secure and content with where you are and where you're at. My father has chased a dream all his life without, I think, ever reaching it - maybe he did for a year or two back in Kenya. He's still chasing and misses so much that's under his nose. My brother on the other hand had a goal in mind and kept at it regardless until he got there and now seems to be very happy with where he is (he even has an allotment! An allotment!). I wish my father could have settled for the reachable. I'm glad my brother didn't settle for less than he wanted. And the difference between them is that one of them has his feet on the ground. You've always sounded to me as if you have your feet on the ground.

I'm all too aware of the property market problem. A friend of mine has recently bought for the first time after renting for years and years. She couldn't bear the idea of moving into town so she's had to settle for something much smaller than she has now. And although its setting is very nice, the place she is leaving is idyllic. This is not a good time for her. It's a bit unfortunate that within weeks of her buying it looks as if the property market here is slowing down. We have, however, been having great fun sanding, preserving and varnishing the beautiful beech wood parquet floor she found under the old carpets in the new place and knocking in fence posts - none of which I've ever done before.

Having seen bits of NZ in the Rings films it looks a pretty good place to visit. There's some wonderful birdlife there too. We have a gang of sparrows back in the village. I see them quite often squabbling in some bush or other and a few of them are showing a disturbing amount of interest in my house martin nests. Did you know sparrows were having a very hard time over here? Almost to the point of becoming a rarity? For some years I noticed there were never more than four or five to be seen together. Now as I said we have a gang of them again. There's about twenty, it's nice to have them back.

It's been a weird day today. I had some work I really ought to have done but instead got caught up in the chaos that always surrounds my parents' travel arrangements. This time they went by train to Crewe, then Birmingham to catch their plane. My mother's handbag accompanied them as far as Crewe but then left for Liverpool. My sister and I have spent hours cancelling credit cards and contacting lost property offices and trying to keep in touch with each other. All's well that end's well - the bag has been pinned down and penned up at Liverpool from where I'll have to go and retrieve it. But now I'm not in any mood for the work and have no idea when it will get done.

The post Tome plan sounds good. Re "...and more!" Some h2g2ing?

Ah well, maybe if I get the papers out for that work it'll be a start . I'll do a little at a time and keep thinking of those Andalucian hills,
Waz

Hi Waz!!!

Well ... IT HAS HAPPENNED!!! The Tome is in!!! I have had a few months of very dedicated work and as of this time last week, it was submitted. What a relief. Thanks so much for your help on the Wat's Dyke thing. It ended up being 140,000 words (about 500 pages). A but longer than it really should have been but I have a tendency to get carried away.

We are in midwinter at the moment. There has been a little snow on the Mountain ... but it has been mostly clear. But seems to be colder this year. Our birdbath is still well used, however, with the ubiquitous sparrows as well as New Holland honey-eaters, finches, sliver-eyes, and so on. It is such fun watching them. Our cats are now beyond the age where they are a serious concern to the wild-life and seem happy just to watch them and dream oh their halcyon days.

Well ... best get back to work. We are now in the second week of semester 2 for the year. There really is no rest ...

Thanks again for your help, and I am sure that I will now become a better correspondent.

Cheers

Bran.

*falls off chair again*
*thinks about getting some cushions*

Hey Bran!!
Great to hear from you, and fantastic to hear the Tome is finished! 500 pages all your own work - must be a good feeling. (Most I've done was, under complusion, a 40 page cost reduction on waste collection project.) Did your research come to any conclusions that a layman might understand, and does this mean it's Dr Bran the Explorer now? Doesn't quite have a viking ring to it, that !

A few weeks back we hired a metal detector to go over my mother's garden. She has always wanted to do this after finding her Charles I shilling on the mole hill.The oldest thing we found was a Victoria bun penny, 1860something. But there were several George V's and pre decimalisation Elizabeth IIs, all quite deep. (Due to the sandy soil, apparently, as left behind by the last glacier to pass this way.) So we need to hire a more complicated detector that will go deeper, to find the cavalier's hoard! We also found three buttons, lead piping, cable, curtain rails, locks...oh, and a gun. The gun find was good but we've decided that it's one of those realistic toy ones. When we took the detector back, the man we'd hired it from had just had a call from a friend to say he'd found a Richard II coin. Imagine! I know it sounds daft but it was quite a thrill to dig up the Victorian penny. So to unearth a Richard second coin must be quite something.

We are now in midsummer. Really! We've had several days of sun and it's even been hot! The birds here have been enjoying the running water I provide them with (aka leaking overflow pipe). That includes not-so-ubiquitous-here-these-days sparrows, s, goldfinches, wrens, blackbirds and a surprising number of thrushes.

Anyway, as I said it's good to hear from you, and I hope you and Liane and work and life in general are all good.
I was glad to be able to help with the Tome.
'Til next time, hopefully soon,
Waz

Hey Waz

Life is now returning to a more normal pace after the frenetic activity of the last few months. Not working on the weekend, except for seven Saturdays this semester as I am teaching in the MBA program that we have here. I find myself actually enjoying the content of what I am teaching (!) Just gave a lecture on demographics and consumer behaviour ... and quite enjoyed it. All about the differences between how people purchase on the basis of age, gender, income/occupation etc. Fancy that.

Dr Bran the Explorer (!) ... has a nice ring to it. Will have to wait though, as it can take some time before the markers get back. The lady in the office next to me had to wait 18 months!! That is a bit unusual, but it is not unexpected to have to wait 6 months before finding out. If I then do the changes required (which there usually are) and this is signed off by the head of school, I can be called Dr-Elect Bran the Explorer. But only the full Dr once the graduatation ceremony has been held. So, it is quite a process. Still, I have done all that I can at this stage, and it is no longer in my hands. A good feeling.

It must be very exciting to be able to find old stuff on your property. The oldest we can get to (in European items) is late 18th century ... lots older for Aboriginal items, but not metal. But there is not the history of deposition over such a long period here, as we have gradually beat back the wilderness to create new housing enclaves and so are not re-using to the level of density that you are in the UK. Kind of depressing really. It is something that we have to face here, that is, the problem of being a new country and having to guard against wanton (sp?) destruction of virgin wilderness to cope with an increasing population that might be better dealt with through more effective urban planning. It makes developers lazy (and greedy) here, in that they think that there is all this land to spare undeveloped. We are lucky in Tasmania that we have about 33% of the state protected under world heritage legislation, the largest proportion of any of the states in Australia. Lots of wilderness at our doorstep that can't be touched by development.

Well, must back to work. There is meant to be snow tonight on The Mountain (it is 1270 metres high by the way - taller than Scaffel Pike and Snowdonia I think, but just shy of Ben Nevis). I can see it from my office window, and it is wreathed in dark cloud. It is a bit windy, so there might be a cold change on the way. Meant to be a top of 9 celcius today.

Hope you are well and that the sparrows keep coming.

Cheers
Bran.

Morning Bran,
The sparrows are doing well - they are taking all the flowers off my runner beans. Which I'm *not* pleased about. Well I think it's the sparrows, I haven't actually caught them at it. I'd hang a few CDs among the beans except it might keep the birds away!

Did the snow arrive? Britain is having a heatwave. Would you believe they've been giving advice out on the radio this morning on how to cope? It might get to all of 34c. We're getting soft overhere. Half an inch of snow, or a couple of hot days, and it's big news.

Ben Nevis is around 1500m. I know this because last year I climbed a large 'hill', in Spain, to be told afterwards it was the equivalent of Ben Nevis. I'd never of dreamt of trying if I'd known beforehand. I'm glad I didn't - it was a great day. I even wrote a guide entry to commemorate the event . It's not finished because my brother, who climbed Cielo as well, thinks I should add a serious description of the route. I need to get around to that.

I am off to Scotland for the best part of two weeks today (I should be packing). I hope the heat wave extends up to Aberdeen. I don't know if there's any virgin wilderness, of any significant size, at all in England. There may be some in Scotland but it's hard to tell. What I used to take for granted as untouched landscape I now know was shaped by the likes of peat cutting, timer felling, and sheep farming. Even those deserted Scottish islands you find were once inhabited and those inhabitants left their mark.

In Aberdeen I'll be visiting Forvie Sands. Now that I think is unmanmade. The sand dunes there drove out the settlers who tried to tame them!

Hang on to enjoying work, however unfashionable that is!
Take care,
Waz

Hiya Waz

I hope you are having, or have had, a great time at Forvie. I remember that you mentioned the Sands some years ago as a great place of comparative wilderness. I reckon that you have also chosen the right time to go, from what we hear of the weather in Britain of late. Heat-waves and all sound like nice "dunes" weather.

We went up to a place called Lake St. Claire last weekend (which is fairly much in the centre of Tassie). It is the deepest freshwater lake in Australia, about 170 metres or something like that. The Lake is at the end of a walk called the Overland Track, which runs 70kms or so from Cradle Mountain to the north. I walked the track in summer 2000 ... outstanding experience. The mountains around the lake were covered in snow this visit, and looked stunning. As we were leaving to come home (about a 2 and a half hour drive) we were asked for a lift by a couple who just finished the track. They had walked through snow and sleet. The guy was from Edinburgh, but currently lives in the Lake District. We had a great chat about Britain and so on. It turns out that his work field was very similar to mine. Small world.

I am off to a conference in Melbourne in a couple of weeks on early medieval Britain and Ireland. Can't wait. Wall to wall history!!

Glad the sparrows are well.

Cheerio
Bran

P.S. The snow did arrive ... I am looking at the Mountain now in fact from my office window, and there is yet more snow. We have had quite a bit of it of late. So no heat waves here. I remember when we were in Ireland in 1995, people were saying there was a drought. It transpired that it had not rained for three weeks!! (chuckle) They should spend some time in Australia ... if it hadn't rained for three years, then we would have called it a drought!
Cheers
B.