Ascension : Met Office Weather Report
Submitted by The Islander (Met Office) 01.10.2009 (Article Archived on 15.10.2009)

Statistics for the week ending Monday 4-Oct-09

Statistics for the week ending Monday 4-Oct-09

	Max (Celsius)	Min (Celsius)	Rainfall (mm)
AIRHEAD	27.4	20.4	3.1
TRAVELLERS	27.2	19.5	10.7
GEORGETOWN	29.0	20.8	1.0
ST. HELENA	20.3	14.0	1.8
FALKLANDS	10.5	-3.1	8.6
UK (Brize Norton)	19.8	4.9	TRACE

Dancing Queen

Well I have to say, last Friday was without a doubt one of the best nights I’ve had down at the VC. The place was heaving with afro wigs, flares, flowery skirts and glitter, and the Christmas decorations really added to the atmosphere. Being on the wrong side of thirty, I like to hear proper tunes, and well, with Abba, the Bee Gees, the YMCA song, what was there not to like? I suppose the insipid reggae interlude was inevitable, and I’m not sure which part of the 70’s Kylie and MC Hammer belonged to, but it was a splendid night; please let us have more old school disco nights! 

I’ll take the top

I have always thought the name Bunk Bed City to be a misnomer and a disappointment; there are no bunk beds to sleep in, or over which to fight for the top. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of residing in one of the wonderful mountain cottages. The sheer terror of rolling backwards down one of the ramps on the mountain road, was soon forgotten and the commanding views from 2000FT above sea level were enjoyed…before the fog and drizzle rolled in. I’d never thought you could feel so cold in the tropics, but a few layers and some ‘spicey’ do help. Dancing can also keep you warm, but not acrobatics; I think the fireman came off better than the met lady, or so the bruises suggest.

But I digress, bunk beds. I had forgotten what it was like to spend the night in a bunk bed, and memories of hostelling came flooding back. Following a long day out, checking into a friendly hostel for a good nights’ rest. The terrifying creak and bulging of the wood as a large German bloke climbs into the bed above you, banging your head when you sit up in the morning, the top bunk throwing up during the night, people coming and going at all hours, strange foreign dialects whispered across the room, and hiding your wallet and passport under the mattress, where, no one would think to look for them! I once stayed in a hostel in the Lake District while on a university field trip with about thirty other students. The mattresses had plastic covers on them to keep you moist through the night, and the bathrooms were communal with ‘see through’ shower doors! Who said geology was no fun? Anyway, there’s nothing like your own bed, and once you’ve made it…