The country has been battered by storms; if you were thinking of emigrating, this winter would be the decider.
One week it felt like we had moved to three different countries in as many days. We were in T-shirts with bright sunshine one day, then felt the extremes of gale-force winds and torrential rain the next. We even had snow. Thank goodness for indoor schools as it has been tough to get consistent work from the youngsters. However, preparation is well under way for the coming season.
{"content":"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"}