On October 16th 1987 we had the worst gales anyone can remember. This was the day of the famous hurricane which the weather forecasters failed to predict. By five in the morning a wind speed of 100 m.p.h. was recorded, many trees were uprooted and much damage was caused, with most of the village without power for four days due to broken cables. By 1990 our weather had become much calmer. We enjoyed some warm dry summers and almost snow- and frost-free winters, with any frosts having gone by 10 a.m. As a result of the dry summers a lot of the ponds have dried up. The one at the top of my garden became dry in May 1994, for the first time in the 44 years I have lived here, and I have had very little water in it since.

In April 1998, there was a lot of rain to the south west of Thurlow, but we have had very little in the village and have only heard the odd clap of thunder. June and July have been cool and resulted in a later harvest. At the time of writing in the third week in September, we are getting quite warm weather, with no rain since the 12th and 70 °F recorded on the 19th. Harvest is now finished and next year's crops are being sown.

After the Great Gale of October 1987