On this day Mother Nature could be had-up before any court in grave danger of facing a hefty lawsuit for at the very least inconsistency and at worst making the country pay for the fact she is in a grump of a mood and using the weather as a lethal weapon.

Snow is expected during winter, in fact, snow on Christmas day is still magical regardless of your age, but this doesn’t happen very often for most of good old blighty. This year, even though there were tantalising flurries, Mother Nature was just tormenting us and as the new year progressed, far from her disposition improving, she turned into an absolute bully.

The Beast from the East, as it was affectionately referred to hit the United Kingdom hard. It was then that Mother Nature decided to grace the lands with snow, lots of it, more than was really necessary. Roads were closed, as were schools, public transport was non-existent and for those that had no choice but to brave the conditions, there was a real risk of injury or even death.

Eventually, things defrosted, but with that the floods hit. However, she-who-must-be-obeyed hadn’t finished her tantrum and hit back with a vengeance, her grievance with this land still running high. Another burst of storms, high winds and freezing temperatures saw not only more snow but also ice, black in many places, treacherous to man and beasts alike. More roadway carnage ensued and once that was over the inevitable plethora of potholes continued to trap unsuspecting motorists.

Spring finally arrives, well according to the calendar anyway. The clocks went back into official British Summertime, Easter eggs adorned shop windows and the mornings were lighter, all of which was accompanied by yet more snow, gales, and high tides. The temperature once again plummeted, and poorly prepared flowers and buds, having been tricked for a few days into thinking it was safe to come out and play perished, alongside a lot of wildlife.

The UK residents, in time-honoured fashion, love nothing more than a good old blether about the weather, and there is plenty to talk about. Although the scientific types will proclaim all this as the adverse effects of global warming, as a literary romantic I like to think of it as Mother Nature having gotten her teeth into an argument she just will not let go of and is constantly storming out, slamming the door on winter only to stomp back in again a few days later shouting, “And another thing.”

Lee Montgomery-Hughes