Don't Blame It On The Weatherman!

30th August

Another overnighter tonight but not with JL so probably making appearances on News 24 and the local forecasts on Breakfast in the morning if the TBT is to be believed.
Wow, the TBT is to be believed! Saw Matt on News 24 last night and to wake up to this morning. Which was a good thing because I had to get up ultra early to catch the bus to work due to my potential/highly likely incapacity to drive later today! Hehe.

29th August

I can't believe it! Although the TBT page was not updated til half way through the day, when it was, Matt was on there for an overnight shift tonight!! He's only had two days off!! He's like a weather machine at the moment!! Haven't spotted him as yet on News 24 or BBCi. Maybe later. But unfortunately I have to go to sleep now and store up so energy for Friday!

I didn't 'see' Matt last night but he was on Janice Long's show for the first time in a long time. Matt mentioned 'ceefax'!! Ceefax?? Ceeeeeeefax???? Do people still use ceefax? Bizarre! Anyway it was quite a laugh and there was something in the forecast he said that was proper northern, can't remember what it was now. Anyway, here it is:

26th August

Ahhh, suddenly everything is clear!! It's not bank holiday in Scotland this weekend!!! Now I understand Matt's comments about it being a Bank Holiday weekend 'for some'. Derr!

Not a lot to report today, Matt still his normal lovely bubbly self and the weather all calm and sunny even well into the coming week for most of us it seems, at the moment anyway.

We did have isobars on, I think,  2 forecasts this morning, definitely the first forecast, showing that nice big high pressure.

Bank holiday, high pressure and Matt, does it get any better than this???

25th August

Matt's looking happy this morning, even though he's probably not so much with working the last Bank Holiday of the year (what happened to the campaign for another bank holiday, perhaps in October??) with a bright yellow shirt to wake us up should we have had perhaps a glass of wine too many last night!!    And for us southerners it really is looking like a fab weekend, Yay! Lots of mentions of a 'cracking' day today  and suntan lotion being needed.

And after the next forecast I think it might be time for a bacon and egg butty to start the day off right!  Mmmmm...that was good!

Our Matt has been very busy today, he's on BBCi UK and World weather and Mr George spotted him on News 24 earlier too. He's looking very happy today for someone working through all this fantastic weather. I have to admire him for that, I'd be slightly upset! Perhaps he knows something we don't, perhaps we've got a late summer coming in!! Or perhaps he's got some time off coming up because he has been on A LOT lately!

He was right about today, it's been a scorcher down here. Our own personal thermometer was registering 27.4 today in the garden, and even I was sat half in the shade in the end. All good stuff.

How lucky have I been, set the DVD to record The Weather Show, which was duly cancelled because of 'breaking news', but I got two Matt forecasts instead, so can't complain really. And hopefully we will actually get to see The Weather Show at 2.30pm tomorrow, news permitting!!

I rather like this picture behind Matt, have seen it before, it's good.

24th August

Matt was bringing most of us good news for the bank holiday weekend weather. The sun is already out here now after some very cloudy weather over the last few days after a mean front hanging out in the south east. Looking like an excellent BBQ day for Saturday.

An IQ test for Matt and the others at the end of todays show as a precurser to the 'Test the Nation' on Monday evening. Strange questions as they always are, the knotty ones were mad! The results were Kate got 8, Sue got 6, Matt got 5 and Charlie got 3. Matt's excuse was he'd been out in the cold. You don't need an excuse Matt we know you're clever because you do the weather which is a lot more involved and tricky than reading a script off of an autocue!

And a brief overview of the forecast from the sofa:

And of course, thats our fav shirt again, as referenced on facebook.

23rd August

Well, I wasn't prepared for a re-appearance this morning already. I may have been if I'd been awake yesterday but due to the previous nights excesses I was quite dozy, hence I missed the first hour and a quarter of Breakfast this morning! Doh! So I was awake rather abruptly at 7.15. There was Matt all happy and smiling out in the garden and I barely knew if it was Christmas or July!
Rather chilly this morning I thought! And I must have been right because Matt did not take his jacket off today!!

I have just heard word that Bill has called Matt a handsome man! He's not wrong of course but I'm looking forward to finding out the circumstances of this remark. It seems I was slightly misinformed he actually said he was' a very very nice man, Mr Matt Taylor', to which Matt replied 'Thank you very much Bill very kind of you to say so'.

Kate: 'And here's Matt, it's his job to tell us about the weather, no jigging though, but I don't know you, might want to do a sun dance'

Matt: 'ohh maybe later,we could do with a sun dance at the moment'.

Bill had a bowl of cereal and was offering to feed Kate! while Matt gave the weather forecast
Matt: 'Very nice, yes, I'll stay out here without any food'   aww bless.

21st August

Despite what the TBT page said Matt made an appearance again today on BBCi UK and World weather, whilst I was at work!   So, again I could see him, which is always good, but not hear him. And as I was out yesterday evening I haven't had a chance to listen to the recording that was kindly sent to me so I don't have a lot to say! Couldn't quite figure out the pattern on the tie either, my screen was too small.

Here's hoping for a weekend appearance, and some good weather news for a change!

20th August

Well, there I was, checking the TBT page and what did I find?? Matt on morning and early afternoon. So keeping an eye out, he was on News 24 in the big studio around lunchtime talking about Hurricane Dean before starting our forecast.

A little video made special detailing the track of hurricane Dean:

17th August

Matt was bringing us some not so good news about the weekend weather, and it must have been colder this morning because he kept his jacket on til nearly 9 o clock! The only hope for some weather improvement is the middle of next week, perhaps bringing us a good bank holiday weekend??? God knows.......we deserve it!

Not a lot to report today really, Matt looking lovely as usual, weather being very mean to us this weekend, especially considering the HUGE high pressure out in the atlantic but we get stuck with a horrible silly low pressure! Then Matt tells us Carol will keeping us up to date with weekend weather and wishing us a good weekend.

16th August

Matt is definitely keeping me on my toes this week!! Breakfast??? On a Thursday???  Highly irregular! No galavanting today though, just out in the Blue Peter garden, and by 7.20 wearing no jacket!! Twas freezing this morning!! Well, I exaggerate maybe a little bit, but it was cold!

See what I mean!....these hardy northerners...I don't know!

A couple of mentionings of a peppering of showers and after a dicussion on Elvis Presley, Matt commented that ' our weather remains all shuck up at the moment'!!! lol

13th August

Well, now what's going on here then! Matt usually does the overnight shift on a Monday, but no! I found him on BBCi at lunchtime today! I mean, what's going on?, I'm all confused now! And what with no TBT page again I just don't know where I am.

It seems quite strange watching yesterdays forecast retrospectively after all this weather we've had today (14th).  Matt kindly informs us this 'blue area blooms into life from the south west overnight'. (And yep, boy did it! Poor Carol looking very drowned this morning broadcasting from Plymouth!) 'In the northern part of Scotland they won't know what all the fuss is about, dry and sunny!'

On the world weather Buenos Aires got a mention as usual! I love that name! 'Moving swifly on to the eastern pacific and hurricane Flossie roaring away  pushing away westwards, category 4 storm, winds 210km/h, they'll ease as they push towards the south of Hawaii on Wednesday and Thursday but we'll still have a hurricane on our hands at that time'  Mr George's favourite hurricane name!  Manitoba gets a mention today also, another of my favourite places because they got polar bears! I'll get there one day!

So there we are, thats all I've got for today as I was 'working' when Matt was! So, roll on the weekend!

Nice new tie with a red stripe today.

Could not get a decent screenshot no matter how hard I tried, so we have an action one instead!

12th August

Isobars on three forecasts this morning. Mr George will have been delighted I'm sure. Those isobars not giving us a pretty picture of things to come on Tuesday though with the Met office severe weather warnings out for gales. Winds coming from a south westerly direction (fast and furious on Matt's chart!!), definitely not a good week for a UK holiday! Matt commented that it's an unusually deep area of low pressure for the time of year almost an autumnal low. Hey, wait! We want more summer first!! We're not done yet! We need some more deck chairing, picnicing and BBQ-ing weather!

After a mention of Enid Blyton's 110th Birthday, Bill introduces Matt saying 'And here, only a couple of years short of his 110th birthday, Matt Taylor with the weather'

Matt laughs: 'Only just though, only just'  Looking very good for 110 I have to say!

Is there hope?? What's that high pressure behind him, is it coming our way??? For next weekend perhaps??  Although I'm not entirely convinced this low will have cleared us completely by then! We'll see.

11th August

A miracle has occurred! Look what has appeared on youtube I wonder how that got there!!

Back to the studio today, and my favourite weekend Breakfast team. Bill, Suzanna and of course Matt.

Big Ben has been stopped for a few hours today for maintenaince, and they showed a picture of the clock saying 8 o clock at 7.45, and it all got very confusing for Bill and Suzanna before handing over to Matt for the weather to which he replied 'Don't leave me to get you out of this' and laughs.

Snoring was also being discussed today. Bill starts: The clean living, young, fit and thin Matt does not snore.

And Matt replies laughing: ' Yes, thank -you Bill, I've been told I sleep like a baby though and that doesn't mean I waking up every few hours crying I promise you'   LOL.

10th August

Out on another jolly to give the weather forecast for Breakfast! Excellent!

They sent Matt off out to Bristol today to the Balloon Fiesta. I don't know what was going on down there but it looked like he was trying not to laugh half the time! An abundance of screenshot possibilities! I don't know where to start!!

At the begining perhaps, at the top of the programme a quick chat with Matt, obviously on a brief interlude from doing some morning warm up exercises! He appears to have sprouted extra arms and legs!

And onto the balloons and the 6.45 forecast, Matt tells us: 'Thank you very much Bill, a very good morning to you and welcome to the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. It all began here in 1979 and it's grown into an international event. This weekend we've got 128 balloons in all taking part. Quite a few of them at the moment all fired up and ready to go. Balloonist tend to take off when conditions are ideal, first thing in the morning or in the evening this is when the winds, at the surface at least, are at their lightest. And it looks like it's good news, at least as far as the winds are concerned during this weekend in Bristol'

(Wait a minute, I digress, what's this about wine in plastic bottles!?!?!?!? Oooooh, I don't know about that!! Doesn't that reduce the poshness somewhat!!! And the word 'occasionality' was introduced, I don't think Suzanna liked it much. Bill commented he'd never heard  that word before and Suzanna said 'and we won't be using it again'! lol. Personally I like new words. Made up words are the best. One of my personal favourites is ....googleable! Fantastic! )  Anyway, back to Matt, thats what we're here for.

Very casual and very relaxed today.

Forecast from inside a balloon!!! Not everyone can say they've done that I'm sure! The 7.43 forecast Bill introduces :  'Now lets catch up with the weather and Matt is very artistic this morning' 

Matt:  'ooh, I try my best, something different for you this time, we're actually inside the balloon, it is an amazing sight. A huge structure. We're currently doing the cold inflate, this is were you get the air into the balloon itself. Now most of it is made of nylon but down towards the end where you can see the burner, well it's made from Nomex, this is the material thats completely inflammable and doesn't get effected by those flames whatsoever.

Forecast from a basket for 8.15. Matt: 'Thank you very much, yes it has been lovely. I promised you a get up at some point.....okaay not as high as they are but you get the message, it's certainly lovely up here this morning'

Matt in front of the model air balloons. From Suzanna: 'and Matt of course is in Bristol for us this morning.

Matt: 'Hello there, Suzanna, Bill, I don't know if you can quite make me out but I've got a little bit higher this time. Way, soaring above the site is phenomenal, looking down(as we're seeing shots of a balloon in the sky)..... Alright, ok, I'm down here. These are the model versions of the bigger things. There's plenty of them around here this weekend. Keen enthusiasts making them as well. And when you consider how much effort goes into getting the envelopes so well balanced that they actually fly, it is an incredible feat in itself.
Back to the studio and Bill says : 'He's a trickster isn't he, a cheeky boy.' Suzanna : 'Isn't he, he's a clever lad though isnt he'

Well, what a busy picture-crazy day, he was all over the place. Lots of hand movements to rival Dan too!

6th August

Overnight shift tonight.

Oooooo, he's on News24 now. Blue shirt and tie. First time I've seen him 'live' in ages, or it seems like it.  And as Mr George has commented with isobars. A very enthusiastic mention of the high pressure getting squeezed between the two weather fronts either side of the UK. Those Isobars also appearing on the 22.57 forecast. A very good evening for fans of the isobar.  And winds 'rattling in from a north to north westerley direction' up in Scotland.

Matt also did my local forecast on Tuesday morning. So I saw him just before going to sleep and not long after waking up the next morning, can't ask for more than that really!

5th August

Lots of references today to the scorching day we had yesterday and Suzanna and Charlie asking Matt if we can expect more of the same. Moving over to the weather at 7.45 Suzanna says: 'Lets find out if it's going to get even hotter with Matt, morning Matt' ( This could so be open to misinterpretation! But would I?! .....Hot weather, hot weatherman, nuff said!)

There's a 'ripple' on the weather front (which later became a 'wave') coming into Northern Ireland from the west and ripple= heavy rain! Poor Ireland and Scotland! The rest of us are baking and they have severe weather warnings! Bless. Abundance of blue skies for us southerners! yay.

Matt was wearing a black shirt today to match the black sky in Belfast! While we're basking in the sun check this out:

8.15 am on a lovely summer's day in Belfast!

4th August

Big technical hitch today! Human error on the DVD recording (and not mine! If you want a job done properly eh!) So I can't comment on anything at all because I had a late night the night before as well so I didn't even get up to watch it.  You can imagine my dismay but ....spilt milk and all that.

3rd August

Ooooh! Matt is in Cowes on the Isle of Wight on Breakfast this morning!! Just down the road!   And me off to Oxford for the weekend....like right now!  So more blogging will have to be done later, may not be able to do more updates til Sunday.

Well, Sunday is here and now I have some technical hitches!! I'm going to have to come back to this, cos I've been a little busy today! Bad fan again!

I'm glad to see Mr George has been keeping up to date with things on the comments while I've been galavanting.

Ok, so it appears the technical hitch was operator error!  Sometimes you should just read the manual! Saves several minutes/hours of frustration.

Charlie introduces Matt's first forecast at 6.15 ish :

'Matt...., what a perfect backdrop for you there Matt, now I believe the sun is shining down in Cowes'

Matt: 'It certainly is Charlie, a very good morning to you, a lovely start to the day, ahead of the start of the worlds largest sailing regatta, the link between sailing and weather is a fairly obvious one, but believe it or not the Met Office was founded on the back of sailors around the UK back in 1854, Vice Admiral Robert Fitzroy set it up to help safety at sea for most of the British sailors, now the link continues today, and of course probably  the most important variable as far as sailing is concerned is the wind. Only a light wind here at the moment but over the next couple of days at Cowes we will see it pick up I think to a south westerly force 4 particularly on Friday and Saturday, but by sunday it looks like it's going to drop out, not brilliant here for competitors.

Onto the 6.45 forecast where Matt furnishes us with a little information about the event:

'Welcome once again to Cowes ahead of the worlds largest sailing regatta. Now Sue was talking earlier about the whole range of scales involved, whether you're an amateur all the way up to an olympic champion all racing against each other, but its not just about  your ability its about age as well. Our youngest competitor is just 15 years old and our oldest is 89 but whatever your ability and whatever  your age the one thing you need this weekend out there on the sea is of course some wind.'

Lots of info from Matt today, the 7.15 forcast:

Good morning to you, I certainly do like the sun down here it's an absolutely glorious start to the day down here in Cowes. Now if like me you're a bit of a novice as far as sailing is concerned why don't you come down to the parade here in Cowes and you can try for free your hand at sailing, with qualified instructors,a ll the gear thrown in, all you've got to do is show up at the parade, book yourself a spot and you can have your go at sailing.

I wish I enjoyed my job this much:

7.45 forecast:

'Very good morning to you. It's a lovely start to the day here in Cowes. A huge variety of yachts of course taking part during Cowes week. The oldest one though, believe it or not is 103 years old. Now weather forecasting has changed I suppose during that time but there's one variable that hasn't , thats crucial to any sailor, even now as it was then, and that ,of course ,is the wind.

And moving swiftly on to the 8.15 forecast where Matt got a very grand introduction from Suzanna:

'Lets go to our own superstar, Matt is at Cowes for us'

Matt laughs : 'Thank you very much, very good morning to you, yes, we are in the sunshine here ahead of the worlds largest sailing regatta at Cowes.'   Followed by another quick recap on the founding of the Met Office. Then at the end of the forecast and back to the studio and Charlie remarks: ' Matt, thank you very much for that, it's very quiet there behind you isn't it? Where is everyone in Cowes? Haven't they got up yet?
Matt: 'Very peaceful, yes, I think we've disturbed them all, they've all headed off to get their shower'

And at the end of the programme Matt gets about 20 seconds, ending with 'Have a good one'

A really good programme today, Matt-wise! Couldn't believe he was just down the road, or perhaps just across the water!

BTW  a big hello to Dave!