News – The Moreton Pinkney Picayune

20 September 2026

And, we’re back! Again. We had a lovely week in Northumberland – the weather was kind and we completed a number of tasks on our “to-do” list, thanks to Penny’s excellent supervision and direction. Progress – just a few things to finish and we’ll be ready to go!

13 September 2026

And, we’re off again! Northumberland calls with a number of important tasks and activities! Hurray! The weather is not looking great but most of what we have to do is indoors so we’ll manage somehow, I guess.

6 September 2026

That’s more like it – a bit of rain on Thursday. At last. Our waterbutts are full again and the grass is beginning to acquire a somewhat greenish tinge. The temperature has also returned to a more normal range for this time of year. Thank goodness that extended drought and heatwave after heatwave turned out to be merely a figment of our imagination. There’s clearly nothing to this climate change nonsense after all, just a beautiful hot sunny summer like they have in more southerly climes.

30 August 2026

Another great week! We’ve been in Northumbria again and enjoyed the company of our very dear friends and former neighbours Lesley and Graham. It was a lot of fun to show them around the various places we’ve discovered so far.

23 August 2026

Short and sweet this week you will be pleased to hear! We’ve been in Northumberland all week with Adam, Ava and the girls and we’ve had a lot of fun sharing this place with them. The weather wasn’t fantastic but perfectly acceptable – a tiny bit of rain from time to time – I guess that’s why Northumberland is still green while down south everything is burned to a crisp. A bit fresh but, as Alfred Wainwright famously said, “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”

16 August 2026

Oh my goodness – this is getting a bit tedious. Another heatwave, more drought and no rain on the horizon. Reservoirs running low, rivers running dry, scorching temperatures and scorched fields. And, now it turns out that the temperatures in Europe are rising the fastest of anywhere else on earth. Good to know that we’re a world-beater in some contexts.

9 August 2026

Same old, same old. The country is still in drought, it’s still hot and we’ve had no rain in months. Not true, actually. There was about a twenty-minute downpour on Thursday evening. We’re about to enter our fourth or fifth official “heatwave” of the summer so everyone’s looking forward to that.

2 August 2026

Scorcio modero!

A couple of days of less scorching weather followed by another couple of days of scorching temperatures. Same old, same old. The weather people did suggest there might be some rain on Thursday but, apart from a drop at about 9.30 on Thursday evening, we saw none. Clouds but no rain. The new normal.

26 July 2026

Oops! Sorry, I neglected to “warn” you last week that we would be away and therefore not have a chance to put together the usual copious and incoherent scribblings of the Moreton Pinkney Picayune. (I know that some of you will be delighted – I share your joy!

We’re currently in Northumberland poking around and exploring some of the beautiful beaches here and there. The weather has been grand – mainly sunny with temperatures in the high teens to low twenties. Very pleasant and non-scorcio!

A few photos – bear in mind as you flick through these – this is high summer season. As a result, there are considerably more folks (and dogs) on the beach than usual.

Daisy loves the beach! She’s always on the lookout for another dog with which to run and play and spends the rest of her time scouring the vegetation for a small rodent or two to scare. Thankfully, they always seem to escape her attentions – so far, fingers crossed.

Just a heads-up, we’re away again next weekend so you may get another vacation. You’re welcome.

Meanwhile, keep breathing, keep happy, keep smiling, keep exercising, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And, be gentle to wasps and bees – we need all the pollinators we can get. And, hold your loved ones close.

Lots of love to you all,

Greg

19 July 2026

Scorcio Medio!

It’s still been hot this week although not quite as stifling as last week. Temperatures have been in the high 20s (high 70s, low 80s) but with a bit of breeze to cool things off. And, the evening temperatures have been more accommodating, cooling down to the high teens making for somewhat more comfortable slumbers.