Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?

Subject: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 06:44 AM

St. Swithun's day if thou dost rain
for forty days it will remain
St. Swithun's day if thou be fair
for forty days 'twill rain nae mair.

So far so good up here on the Fylde, but it's only 11.40 BST....

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 06:57 AM

Glorious here in Airedale. But, as you say, early days yet. Let's hope it stays that way and St Swithun does the trick for us :-)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST,Raggytash
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 06:58 AM

Tis my son and hairy's 28th birthday today.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 12:30 PM

Darn....it rained.

Peter

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 12:39 PM

Still good here. Managed to mow the lawn but the 'trigger' on the mower broke. Does that mean it will remain broke and fastened up with tape for 40 days?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 12:44 PM

we few, we proud, we band of brothers.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 12:59 PM

A little winy out, but glorious clear skies & amazing views of Snowdonia across the Irish Sea from Cleveleys. And me without a camera...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 02:07 PM

Sunny and clear in California (big surprise there!), after a refreshing (and rather unusual) precipitating mist this morning. Some rain is forecast for early next week, and I hope Swithun will be kind enough to allow it to come down on schedule -- we need it!
Now, where's my gin and tonic?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 02:43 PM

I think I got my saints mixed up.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 05:57 PM

We had one millimetre in the couple of hours after midnight. I've been trying to find out whether some obscure ancient calendar or other can be applied that puts the rain back to the day before.

Guinness Book of Records: ".....There was a brilliant 13 1/2 hr sunshine in London on 15th July 1924, but 30 of the next 40 days were wet. On 15th July 1913, there was a 15-hr downpour, yet it rained on only 9 of the subsequent 40 days in London."

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 15 Jul 15 - 08:54 PM

Raining now in Rhode Island, where it has rained on and off all day. Uh-oh!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: LadyJean
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 01:10 AM

We've had a wet summer in Western PA, but it didn't rain today. Thank you St. Swithin.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 03:43 AM

Next day - and the sun's still shining...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST,heisenberg
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 03:49 AM

its not raining here in barmer..waiting for some showers. it's a cloudy day
windows 7 product ky

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 05:23 AM

While the 15th was an almost summery day in Co Clare (probably the first we had so far), today it's 14 C with strong winds. A day much like the ones we get in February.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 05:32 AM

It was sunny in Airedale all day. Rain forecast for weekend though.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 05:55 AM

Cloudy but dry here in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire (for now anyway ).

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: banjoman
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 06:12 AM

The story of where this myth came from is interesting. Its about moving the saint's bones to Winchester Cathedral from up here in northern Hampshire. It rained all day and its believed that the saint was not amused at being disturbed . Probably some more knowledgeable catter will correct or provide more detail. It rained here so dig out the raingear.
As a former employee of the Met Office, I am certain that there is no scientific evidence to support the myth, but the met Office have been wrong before (Hurricane Mr Fish)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST,Pete from seven stars link
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 11:48 AM

It was my birthday yesterday, so of course I knew it was st swithins . I did have a little doubt when jack, I think, on another thread earlier said it was the 14 th.   anyway, I have never known the saying to be correct.....

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 11:52 AM

Just a bit of amusing superstition but you don't want to live your life counting on it.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 11:53 AM

OK, I'll get my coat now, will I?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Saint Swithun's Day - How is it for You?
From: Thompson
Date: 16 Jul 15 - 12:38 PM

It's been absolutely beautiful in the east of Ireland all summer; today it's pouring rain all day. My mother's theory on St Swithin's was that if the weather changed drastically in the few days around that date, the weather would stick to whatever it changed to. So it seems likely that our summer is over.