There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

On 04/05/2021 11:58, R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

I love the wind. We used to play outside in the gales as kids trying to
turn into kites and take off

I do worry about trees near the house going over, though.

--
€œIt is hard to imagine a more stupid decision or more dangerous way of
making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people
who pay no price for being wrong.€�

Thomas Sowell

On Tue, 4 May 2021 11:58:31 +0100, R D S wrote:

There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

I'm very aware and respectful of the power of the wind (as a sailor
and power kite flyer) but the only real time(s) I've been anxious
about it is the potential damage it can do / is doing (fences,
motorcycle covers or as you say, slates etc) or when camping and
ending up with the tent material on top of us in the night.

We have woken up several times to that sort of damage on campsites but
luckily (so far anyway) it's not happened to us. Part of that may be
down to reasonable quality kit (even as simple as decent tent pegs)
and good 'prep' if there is a storm on it's way (additional guy lines
and even guying the motorcycles upright etc).

I used to leave our loft skylight open about 6" on it's built in prop
but it looked like it might be vulnerable in a storm (although it
survived a few) so I don't any more.

I'm not typically kept awake by the sound of high wind when at home
but I think there is a threshold above which I am (when you start to
hear slates rattling).

The current wind level has had our (empty) wheely bins over and the
seen recycling boxes going up the road but they generally stay put
once laid on their side and / or wedged up against stuff.

Cheers, T i m

On 04/05/2021 12:26, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

I love the wind. We used to play outside in the gales as kids trying to
turn into kites and take off

Same, a favourite pastime as a kid. I don't so much mind being out in
it, but indoors it gives me a stomach ache.

On 04/05/2021 12:37, T i m wrote:

We have woken up several times to that sort of damage on campsites but
luckily (so far anyway) it's not happened to us. Part of that may be
down to reasonable quality kit (even as simple as decent tent pegs)
and good 'prep' if there is a storm on it's way (additional guy lines
and even guying the motorcycles upright etc).


You've just made me recall a camping trip in Wales (Shell Island), our
tent pulling shapes with poles snapping and having to unravel the mother
in law from her completely flattened one!
Moving cars around in the dark trying to use them as windbreaks.
Maybe i've got PTSD.

Totally agree - the friction stay on the bedroom window gives up and the
window gets blown wide - so I have to get up and close it. Worry about the
fence blowing over - the bin blowing over and spilling its contents, A
ridge tile smashing into the car.......

On 04/05/2021 12:51, JohnP wrote:
Totally agree - the friction stay on the bedroom window gives up and the
window gets blown wide - so I have to get up and close it. Worry about the
fence blowing over - the bin blowing over and spilling its contents, A
ridge tile smashing into the car.......

Oh both bins are on their side this morning..if the contents have gone,
they've gone a long way...

--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.
-- Yogi Berra

On Tue, 4 May 2021 12:45:17 +0100, R D S wrote:

On 04/05/2021 12:37, T i m wrote:

We have woken up several times to that sort of damage on campsites but
luckily (so far anyway) it's not happened to us. Part of that may be
down to reasonable quality kit (even as simple as decent tent pegs)
and good 'prep' if there is a storm on it's way (additional guy lines
and even guying the motorcycles upright etc).


You've just made me recall a camping trip in Wales (Shell Island), our
tent pulling shapes with poles snapping and having to unravel the mother
in law from her completely flattened one!

Ooops! ;-) [1]

Moving cars around in the dark trying to use them as windbreaks.

Yup, been there, done that ... and erecting actual 'beach style'
windbreaks to try to take some of the load off the tent.

Maybe i've got PTSD.

;-)

Whilst it might be I think you are simply being realistic / sensible
by being conscious of the (destructive) power of the wind.

I think the issue for me (in this household) is the image of trying to
protect our house / possessions from any further damage should
something get damaged mid-storm ... trying to wrestle with a tarp or
fence panel at 5am in the wind and rain. Those who couldn't do that,
wouldn't then carry the burden of doing it (or not doing it), should
the need arise? Where the buck stops etc?

Out fence has been due to be replaced for many years now but every
time another bit breaks because of a storm (and I provide a(nother)
temporary fix) the less likely I am to want to then go out and buy a
replacement because the chances are, so will many other people and so
you can end up with less choice or the 'leftover' panels. Then when
it's calm and sunny I don't think about replacing the fence. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] We like the Khyam range of 'Rapidex' (quick erect) tents and
whilst you would think the (plastic) joints might be a weak link, they
haven't been so far (in winds that have flattened lesser tents). They
are also available as spares so we ensure we have some spares (then we
will never need them). ;-)

Ironically the biggest storm (wind wise) we have camped in was in
Scotland and we were in the 'Rigidome XL', a fairly slab sided QE 4
berth frame tent and whilst it moved about quite a bit, survived the
night.

The tent I've tent the safest in in a storm was an inflatable igloo
(the main 'frame' was inflatable) so whilst the material was often
down near you, you knew nothing was going to snap. ;-)

On Tue, 4 May 2021 11:58:31 +0100, R D S wrote:

There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

Schoolteachers will tell you that a class behaves differently when a
high wind is blowing. Wind affecting behaviour is a "thing."

Nick

R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancraophobia

"With the use of hypnotherapy, the subconscious mind of a person
can be reached, potentially eliminating those fears."

(8) http://www.peterfieldhypnotherapy.co...of-drafts.html

You don't have to treat it with meds.

Paul

Well, when I had a 15foot rota fm aerial on the chimney stack, then both
wind and thunderstorms did make me worry, but as neither seemed to affect
the thing other than wind making it sing a bit, I guess I soon got over it.
I had to take it down when the rotator got dead spots and kept getting
stuck, by that time the use of a direct aerial on TV and fm was really
pointless, since there were too many strong local signals and all the TV
regions were showing the same crap. I do still have the log periodic TV
aerial in a shed, but I doubt it will get used as its insulated u bracket
seems to have been taken by the fairies.



Have you ever heard the term Wind up their tails? Many animals seem to get
very strange behaviours when its windy, but for us, there is always going to
be that niggling doubt that something may break on the house. Luckily, my
windows open up with a very very strong hinge at the top, and retaining arms
on the bottom so apart from rain blowing in, nothing much can happen to them
Likewise, the loft is kind of see through, ie you can see out between the
tiles, they are all the same round here, and it seems to not have any
detrimental effect except one year when we had the wrong kind of snow, and
myself and my father had to use buckets to remove it before it melted and
wet the lagging and ceilings under it.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"R D S" wrote in message
...
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level, i'm
not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the loft at
work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time the
only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several flattened
green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the contents
of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave them
open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be torn
off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

I think what I find most annoying is the noises in the chimney, which is
still here, even though it has a ventilated cover on it, the pressure
changes do move the plastic inside which blocks the bottom end makes
flapping noises and in the Bedrooms are two old now disconnected gas fires
in the chimney and we have stuck cardboard over them to stop drafts, but you
still get flexing as the pressure changes of course.

Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"R D S" wrote in message
...
On 04/05/2021 12:26, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

I love the wind. We used to play outside in the gales as kids trying to
turn into kites and take off

Same, a favourite pastime as a kid. I don't so much mind being out in it,
but indoors it gives me a stomach ache.

My mother lost a whole hinged window from the top of her greenhouse back in
87 in that hurricane, and we never ever found the metal frame, though there
were lots of bits of the glass inside the greenhouse.
Brian

--

This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please
Note this Signature is meaningless.!
"T i m" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 4 May 2021 11:58:31 +0100, R D S wrote:

There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

I'm very aware and respectful of the power of the wind (as a sailor
and power kite flyer) but the only real time(s) I've been anxious
about it is the potential damage it can do / is doing (fences,
motorcycle covers or as you say, slates etc) or when camping and
ending up with the tent material on top of us in the night.

We have woken up several times to that sort of damage on campsites but
luckily (so far anyway) it's not happened to us. Part of that may be
down to reasonable quality kit (even as simple as decent tent pegs)
and good 'prep' if there is a storm on it's way (additional guy lines
and even guying the motorcycles upright etc).

I used to leave our loft skylight open about 6" on it's built in prop
but it looked like it might be vulnerable in a storm (although it
survived a few) so I don't any more.

I'm not typically kept awake by the sound of high wind when at home
but I think there is a threshold above which I am (when you start to
hear slates rattling).

The current wind level has had our (empty) wheely bins over and the
seen recycling boxes going up the road but they generally stay put
once laid on their side and / or wedged up against stuff.

Cheers, T i m

On 04/05/2021 11:58, R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.

Last night was very windy round here, with lots of gusts, bangs and
wuthering. It usually doesn't bother me, but last night was exceptional.

Does it help you if you retreat to the downwind side of the house, where
it's quieter, perhaps?

On 04/05/2021 11:58, R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

Phobias are very common. Sometimes they're just a mild inconvenience;
sometimes they can disrupt your life. Usually they're somewhere in
between. When it's a phobia that doesn't arise very often, like yours
about high winds, I'd be inclined to just grit your teeth and put up
with it. Obviously there could be some practical measures you could take.
But when a phobia interferes with normal life you need to do something
about it. That either means self-help (read up on it), hypnosis, or
drugs. I have known a small dose of SSRIs to have a miraculous effect on
agoraphobia.
The only real phobia I've had myself concerned my hands. I was afraid
that they might get chopped off or attacked. It was the result of an
elderly relative who was babysitting me when I was about six warning me
this if I let my arm hang down from the bed a monster might come from
under the bed and eat my hand. The result was that I couldn't do the
hand signals on my driving test.

Bill

On Tuesday, 4 May 2021 at 13:21:59 UTC+1, Paul wrote:
R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancraophobia

"With the use of hypnotherapy, the subconscious mind of a person
can be reached, potentially eliminating those fears."

Is that a good idea though, surely such a fear is a good thing.

Plenty of people have died because they didn't fear something like standing onn a the top of a tall building taking a selfie.


(8) http://www.peterfieldhypnotherapy.co...of-drafts.html

You don't have to treat it with meds.

provided it's a logical response to a possible danger then where's the problem.


Paul

On 04/05/2021 12:26, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


I do worry about trees near the house going over, though.


Had son over yesterday afternoon, so thought he could help with some
tree branch removal. It was only when I was well up the tree that it
occurred to me how much I was moving around.

Branch came down without damaging fence below. This morning I find the
fence blown over in the wind, unrelated to my activity.

"whisky-dave" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, 4 May 2021 at 13:21:59 UTC+1, Paul wrote:
R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level,
i'm not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the
loft at work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time
the only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several
flattened green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the
contents of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down
rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave
them open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be
torn off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancraophobia

The only time I've felt decidedly uneasy was the day of the 2nd Great Gale
in the late 80s (the one during the day). I was on the 10th (top) floor of
our office and the metal windows were rattling and banging in their frames.
A coat stand started swaying in the wind that the window didn't completely
keep out. Then a window pane shattered, scattering shards of glass
everywhere. People started to congregate in the labs which were in the spine
of the building, furthest from the windows in the desk areas to either side.

Suddenly there was an almighty crash from outside. There was a
single-brick-thickness of wall about 10 feet high and maybe 50 feet long
which divided the path into the building from the loading bay. A colleague
used a wheelchair, and the disabled parking was a marked bay alongside that
wall. He'd got back from going into town at lunchtime, and found that
someone else (not disabled) had parked in the bay, so Steve had to park in
the main car park. His car had a lucky escape, because the unauthorised car
got badly dented by the falling bricks. When that wall was rebuilt, I notice
they made it two bricks thick, with plenty of cross-bricks every so often
for added rigidity.


I slept through most of the 1st Great Gale, and woke when apparently it was
almost over. Amid the general buffeting of the wind, there was an occasional
loud crack. When I went to look at the damage round about before going to
work, I saw that a lot of the pine trees in the forest which began about 1/4
mile from my house had snapped off at about 10 feet but the trees were
packed so densely that they didn't fall over but remained standing alongside
their roots - a very eerie sight.

R D S used his keyboard to write :
Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

Yep, I am the same, it just 'gets to me'...

It wears me down, the constant battering and outside it makes the cold
feel much colder. Not a headache as such, but like a headache where I
find it hard to concentrate on anything.

I can cope with any weather but wind. We've been painting the outdoor
woodwork - huts, summer-house etc.. The weather hit in the middle of
that process, so put on hold for now.

Bin day today and not one blown over, just a pair of alloy steps still
out from the painting.

On 04/05/2021 13:10, T i m wrote:
I think the issue for me (in this household) is the image of trying to
protect our house / possessions from any further damage should
something get damaged mid-storm ... trying to wrestle with a tarp or
fence panel at 5am in the wind and rain. Those who couldn't do that,
wouldn't then carry the burden of doing it (or not doing it), should
the need arise? Where the buck stops etc?

Yeah, that will have a lot to do with it.


[1] We like the Khyam range of 'Rapidex' (quick erect) tents and
whilst you would think the (plastic) joints might be a weak link, they
haven't been so far (in winds that have flattened lesser tents). They
are also available as spares so we ensure we have some spares (then we
will never need them). ;-)


I forget the brand, it's not been out of the loft for a good few years
but it was a fairly decent 8 man tunnel job and it stood up fairly well
to be fair, the devastation on the site the morning after was something
to behold.

I went back to the camping shop to replace the splintered pole sections
and asked about thicker ones. As you said yourself the guy there said
it's the pegs that matter, I was skeptical but got better pegs and
indeed, it fared much better in future bad weather. Pretty obvious
really I suppose.

On 04/05/2021 13:42, GB wrote:

Does it help you if you retreat to the downwind side of the house, where
it's quieter, perhaps?


We're in a small terrace of 6 houses half way up a hill on one side of a
valley and it seems to engulf us.

Trees bending, slates sound like a xylophone, bins going over*, windows
whistling and an occasional thwack like someone has hit the house with a
gigantic wet trout. We've conceded that we can't have a greenhouse.

I think my problem is being exacerbated by the fact I have just built a
cat enclosure to the rear made largely of glass. I'm now wondering why I
would do that to myself.

The cat is happy though, that's the main job isn't it? I feel like he
could do a better job of displaying his gratitude.

*The bins are in the front yard behind a stone wall around 18 inches
high, I was getting in the car the other morning and a gust lifted a
(albeit largely empty) wheely bin over the wall and into the car.

I type this realising that there are people around the world infinitely
worse off, I am a privileged snowflake.

On Tue, 4 May 2021 15:45:11 +0100, R D S wrote:

snip

I forget the brand, it's not been out of the loft for a good few years
but it was a fairly decent 8 man tunnel job and it stood up fairly well
to be fair,

'Tunnels', if properly pegged and guyed can be pretty resilient,
especially compared with frame tents and caravan awnings. ;-(

the devastation on the site the morning after was something
to behold.

Oh indeed. I have often spent time helping others make temporary
repairs if they were game enough to carry on.

I went back to the camping shop to replace the splintered pole sections
and asked about thicker ones. As you said yourself the guy there said
it's the pegs that matter, I was skeptical but got better pegs and
indeed, it fared much better in future bad weather. Pretty obvious
really I suppose.

Only once you have had a peg break or pull out of the ground maybe?

As a sailor and power kite flyer I know what sort of forces even a
couple of sq/m can apply and so consider that when pegging a tent
down. Keeping guy-line-angles reasonably shallow whilst staying on
your pitch and at angles to the tent that might help to stop it
twisting. Eg, on your tunnel the front and rear outers might be at 45
Deg to the tent and the ones in between at 90 deg. I think there is
quite a bit of engineering / science in all that and can make a big
difference.

We got the pitching of the Rigidome down to a fine art when motorcycle
camping (the Mrs, our daughter and I). We would turn up at a site and
the tent would be in the top of the trailer I towed behind my BMW.
That would be stood up in probably 60 seconds and if it was breezy,
the 4 main guys put out, followed by the rear bedroom poles and lower
pegs. The trailer could then be rolled into the front of the tend and
unloaded in the dry, groundsheet fitted to the rear half, inner tent
fitted and then daughter thrown in the bedroom area to pump up the
airbeds and set out the sleeping bags. I finish off al the outside
stuff whilst the Mrs sets up the living / kitchen area and remove the
trailer and secure / cover the bikes, before going in the tent and
starting dinner. ;-)

When breaking camp one we noticed a guy sitting on a camping stool a
few meters away, obviously watching us. I offered him a cuppa (we
often got a flask of tea ready for the trip to the next site) but he
kindly refused and explained that he hoped we didn't mind but he was
intrigued how we were going to get that fairly large tent and all the
gear (inc 3 full sized camping chairs) away on two motorbikes and one
trailer. ;-)

Most of the kit had been bought with the trailer and bike in mind, so
whilst we had the weight capacity, I still went for light / multi
purpose kit to keep is as 'trim' as possible.

Slightly more reassuring in a gale is the folding caravan (although it
might sound like it shouldn't be) as it's all plywood so you don't get
the noise / movement / flapping of canvas. Again, I would fit a fairly
substantial ratchet strap over the awning if there was any suspicion
of it getting windy but even then you just hoped the wind would be in
the kindest direction. ;-)

A real 'high' for me when in the tent or folding caravan is the rain
and how good it is for masking my tinnitus (and other noises of the
campsite). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

On 04/05/2021 12:51, JohnP wrote:
Totally agree - the friction stay on the bedroom window gives up and the
window gets blown wide - so I have to get up and close it. Worry about the
fence blowing over - the bin blowing over and spilling its contents, A
ridge tile smashing into the car.......


Get some ear defenders and wear them, provided you can sleep on your
back and don't mind getting sweaty ears.

On 04/05/2021 16:13, R D S wrote:

and an occasional thwack like someone has hit the house with a
gigantic wet trout.

Worth repeating.



The only practical thing I can suggest is to insure with a good company,
not the cheapest premium. Then stop worrying about the roof coming off,
as it's just money, and even better it's just other people's money.


*The bins are in the front yard behind a stone wall around 18 inches
high, I was getting in the car the other morning and a gust lifted a
(albeit largely empty) wheely bin over the wall and into the car.

It's clearly exposed where you are, and it's absolutely sensible to be
cautious. I tend to avoid going under trees when the wind is up, as
occasionally big bits fall off. Is that phobia? No, I think it's just
wanting to die in my bed, rather than being hit on the head by a big
chunk of tree. Other people might think I worry too much.

You need to distinguish between perfectly reasonable caution about being
hit by things blowing in the wind, and unreasonable anxiety that makes
your life a misery. You sound to me like you're on the reasonable side,
still, but maybe you need to keep the anxiety under control.




I type this realising that there are people around the world infinitely
worse off, I am a privileged snowflake.

I think worrying about your cat's house is definitely a first world
problem.

On Tue, 4 May 2021 16:13:36 +0100, R D S wrote:

snip

We're in a small terrace of 6 houses half way up a hill on one side of a
valley and it seems to engulf us.

We are EOT so our flank wall forms a nice wind tunnel with the house
the end of the next terrace.

Trees bending, slates sound like a xylophone, bins going over*, windows
whistling and an occasional thwack like someone has hit the house with a
gigantic wet trout.

LOL, yup, and I don't know if you like me try to work out what all the
noises are. Is that the bin 'just' falling over harmlessly or falling
over down the side of our car ... ?

We've conceded that we can't have a greenhouse.

You could probably get one with a brick frame and polycarbonate
panels. I'm not sure how easy it is to grow stuff in a 'Pill box'. ;-)

I think my problem is being exacerbated by the fact I have just built a
cat enclosure to the rear made largely of glass. I'm now wondering why I
would do that to myself.

The cat is happy though, that's the main job isn't it? I feel like he
could do a better job of displaying his gratitude.

https://ibb.co/0K2NX2Q

*The bins are in the front yard behind a stone wall around 18 inches
high, I was getting in the car the other morning and a gust lifted a
(albeit largely empty) wheely bin over the wall and into the car.

Feck. And that's the thing ... depending on the wind direction
something that appears to be very exposed / vulnerable can often be
found in the same place in the morning (because it was in the lee of
the wind) whereas something heavier is in nextdoors garden? [1] ;-(

I type this realising that there are people around the world infinitely
worse off, I am a privileged snowflake.

I you were born in 'hurricane alley' do you think you would stay there
or move elsewhere as soon as you were able? ;-)

When you see the aftermath of hurricanes in places like the USA, all
that is generally left standing is the brick built chimney. Why don't
they get together and just build one house out of the bricks and
share. ;-)

We took the dog out for a couple of hours earlier and I made a
conscious point of avoiding anywhere lined with older trees. We did
come across a few tree limbs that had been brought down and they could
have come down at any time before, after or during us passing.

Cheers, T i m

[1] Both our multipoint water heater and mums balanced flu gas boiler
can have their pilot lights blow out but only under 'certain'
circumstances. Like with all this wind recently, it's still on and
fine. Another day with a much much lighter wind in the 'wrong'
direction and it can get blown out?

On Tue, 4 May 2021 14:01:09 +0100, Pancho
wrote:

On 04/05/2021 12:26, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


I do worry about trees near the house going over, though.


Had son over yesterday afternoon, so thought he could help with some
tree branch removal. It was only when I was well up the tree that it
occurred to me how much I was moving around.

Branch came down without damaging fence below. This morning I find the
fence blown over in the wind, unrelated to my activity.

Daughter got called out to check a limb that had fallen off an old and
large oak as it had dropped overnight, crushing the steel fence and
gate on the childerens play area. ;-(

The one limb filled two transit tipper trucks.

I'm always concerned when you see the scaffolding, sheeting and
corrugated steel roof they often use these days when fitting a dormer
/ loft extension on peoples houses.

Nice for the workers when it's not particularly windy but raining but
when it's blowing a gale ... ;-(

Cheers, T i m

"R D S" wrote in message
...
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level, i'm
not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the loft at
work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time the
only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several flattened
green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the contents
of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave them
open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be torn
off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

I'm not. And I have a line of immense trees only 10' away from the long
side of the house and gales normally do come that direction, thru the
trees to the house and I do get small stuff coming off the trees onto
the flat metal decking roof in a big storm. And we have seen the one
mega storm in this town which brought down very large numbers of big
trees bring down one in the park only another 20' from my line of trees.

I only have sliding windows and patio doors, so the only downside with
them open is that papers etc do get blown around a bit in a big storm.

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 4 May 2021 12:45:17 +0100, R D S wrote:

On 04/05/2021 12:37, T i m wrote:

We have woken up several times to that sort of damage on campsites but
luckily (so far anyway) it's not happened to us. Part of that may be
down to reasonable quality kit (even as simple as decent tent pegs)
and good 'prep' if there is a storm on it's way (additional guy lines
and even guying the motorcycles upright etc).


You've just made me recall a camping trip in Wales (Shell Island), our
tent pulling shapes with poles snapping and having to unravel the mother
in law from her completely flattened one!

Ooops! ;-) [1]

Moving cars around in the dark trying to use them as windbreaks.

Yup, been there, done that ... and erecting actual 'beach style'
windbreaks to try to take some of the load off the tent.

Maybe i've got PTSD.

;-)

Whilst it might be I think you are simply being realistic / sensible
by being conscious of the (destructive) power of the wind.

I think the issue for me (in this household) is the image of trying to
protect our house / possessions from any further damage should
something get damaged mid-storm ... trying to wrestle with a tarp or
fence panel at 5am in the wind and rain. Those who couldn't do that,
wouldn't then carry the burden of doing it (or not doing it), should
the need arise? Where the buck stops etc?

Out fence has been due to be replaced for many years now but every
time another bit breaks because of a storm (and I provide a(nother)
temporary fix) the less likely I am to want to then go out and buy a
replacement because the chances are, so will many other people and so
you can end up with less choice or the 'leftover' panels. Then when
it's calm and sunny I don't think about replacing the fence. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] We like the Khyam range of 'Rapidex' (quick erect) tents

I love my unbranded tent. Its square, you just lay it on the ground,
stake the 4 corners, go inside and raise it with the single pole in
the center. Easy to put up in a gale, just stake the upwind side
corners first. No guys at all.

and whilst you would think the (plastic) joints might be a weak link,
they haven't been so far (in winds that have flattened lesser tents).
They are also available as spares so we ensure we have some
spares (then we will never need them). ;-)

Ironically the biggest storm (wind wise) we have camped in was in
Scotland and we were in the 'Rigidome XL', a fairly slab sided QE 4
berth frame tent and whilst it moved about quite a bit, survived the
night.

The tent I've tent the safest in in a storm was an inflatable igloo
(the main 'frame' was inflatable) so whilst the material was often
down near you, you knew nothing was going to snap. ;-)

"williamwright" wrote in message
...
On 04/05/2021 11:58, R D S wrote:
There's a recognised phobia of wind, I don't think i'm at that level, i'm
not curled up in the foetal position but I am in my office in the loft at
work and the gusts are making me tense up.

Didn't sleep very well last night with gusts hammering the house.
I've lived there 20+ years and it's a windy spot but in all that time the
only issues we've had are a couple of lost slates (and several flattened
green cheap greenhouses).
It doesn't help that I was out at 5.30am recently collecting the contents
of our recycling bin from the street in a gale/****ing down rain.

I get particularly stressed with open windows and have to have them all
shut, especially so if we are away from home. I dare myself to leave them
open to (hopefully) demonstrate that they aren't going going to be torn
off but I panic and buckle.

Just wondering how common this is, is anyone else bothered in this way?

Phobias are very common. Sometimes they're just a mild inconvenience;
sometimes they can disrupt your life. Usually they're somewhere in
between. When it's a phobia that doesn't arise very often, like yours
about high winds, I'd be inclined to just grit your teeth and put up with
it. Obviously there could be some practical measures you could take.
But when a phobia interferes with normal life you need to do something
about it. That either means self-help (read up on it), hypnosis, or drugs.
I have known a small dose of SSRIs to have a miraculous effect on
agoraphobia.

The only real phobia I've had myself concerned my hands. I was afraid that
they might get chopped off or attacked. It was the result of an elderly
relative who was babysitting me when I was about six warning me this if I
let my arm hang down from the bed a monster might come from under the bed
and eat my hand. The result was that I couldn't do the hand signals on my
driving test.

Fark, weird how little kids can be like that.

"Andrew" wrote in message
...
On 04/05/2021 12:51, JohnP wrote:
Totally agree - the friction stay on the bedroom window gives up and the
window gets blown wide - so I have to get up and close it. Worry about
the
fence blowing over - the bin blowing over and spilling its contents, A
ridge tile smashing into the car.......


Get some ear defenders and wear them, provided you can sleep on your
back and don't mind getting sweaty ears.

I dont find they work in that situation. They are designed to
keep ear damaging noise out but allow you to hear others
talking to you and so they dont help with lower level noise.

On 04/05/2021 17:43, T i m wrote:
On Tue, 4 May 2021 14:01:09 +0100, Pancho
wrote:

On 04/05/2021 12:26, The Natural Philosopher wrote:


I do worry about trees near the house going over, though.


Had son over yesterday afternoon, so thought he could help with some
tree branch removal. It was only when I was well up the tree that it
occurred to me how much I was moving around.

Branch came down without damaging fence below. This morning I find the
fence blown over in the wind, unrelated to my activity.

Daughter got called out to check a limb that had fallen off an old and
large oak as it had dropped overnight, crushing the steel fence and
gate on the childerens play area. ;-(

The one limb filled two transit tipper trucks.

I'm always concerned when you see the scaffolding, sheeting and
corrugated steel roof they often use these days when fitting a dormer
/ loft extension on peoples houses.

Nice for the workers when it's not particularly windy but raining but
when it's blowing a gale ... ;-(

Cheers, T i m


I'm probably daft, but I cross the road to avoid such scaffolding.

I had a colleague who was injured when some builders hoardings fell on
her as she was walking along the road. So, it does happen to people you
know, or at least that I know!

I'd be happy camping if only the showering and toileting arrangements
were more civilised. I'll happily sleep in a tent, and cook on a butane
stove, but I need a full size camper van for the toilet and shower.

On 04/05/2021 12:45, R D S wrote:
On 04/05/2021 12:37, T i m wrote:

We have woken up several times to that sort of damage on campsites but
luckily (so far anyway) it's not happened to us. Part of that may be
down to reasonable quality kit (even as simple as decent tent pegs)
and good 'prep' if there is a storm on it's way (additional guy lines
and even guying the motorcycles upright etc).


You've just made me recall a camping trip in Wales (Shell Island), our
tent pulling shapes with poles snapping and having to unravel the mother
in law from her completely flattened one!
Moving cars around in the dark trying to use them as windbreaks.
Maybe i've got PTSD.

In 1999, not far from Salzburg, two evenings before the total eclipse of
the sun, we were camping and in the midst of barbecuing our evening
meal. The end of the valley darkened, it suddenly got cold and gusty.
Clouds formed a horseshoe around the end of the valley and lightning
swept almost continuously across them. Our food was just ready as the
storm reached us and we retreated into the tent.

All four of us had to hold the tent down to stop it being blown away -
suffering painful bruising as golfball sized hailstones were hitting our
hands through the canvas. Water was being driven straight through,
despite the tent having just been re-proofed.

At one point I shouted that if the tent really started to go, we'd all
have to let go or be taken with it!

After a few minutes, calm descended and we could look around.

We and everything in our tent were soaked through. A number of tents
were flattened and the one next to ours was ripped open. The tree in the
next field was down and the roof of the house over the river was ripped
part off. Caravans and motorhomes were badly dented and some had broken
windows.

The site was without electricity for the next 8 hours - but we could at
least gather the hailstones ... we'd been wondering where to buy ice for
our coolbox to cool our beers.

We slept in the car and the next morning drove to pick up another friend
from the airport - drying what we could in the footwells, with the
heater on full and the windows open on both legs of the journey.

The next night, the same clouds and lightning formed as we were
barbecuing again, so we stuck everything and ourselves in the car, after
tying the tent to the towball and just sat it out!

On Wed, 5 May 2021 03:01:35 +1000, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

snip

[1] We like the Khyam range of 'Rapidex' (quick erect) tents

I love my unbranded tent. Its square, you just lay it on the ground,
stake the 4 corners, go inside and raise it with the single pole in
the center.

Is this a pole that goes to the ground as I think I have seen some
that open up like an umbrella with a pull-cord in the middle but here
is no pole that reaches the ground?

Easy to put up in a gale, just stake the upwind side
corners first.

Std practice for most tents if it's windy.

No guys at all.

Most 'guyless' tents come with the option for guys for when they are
being used in a storm etc (and the instructions recommend you use
them).

Even my inflatable 'igloo' that could just be pegged out on the two
upwind corners' and inflated became much more pleasant inside without
it blowing all over the place. It looked like this:

https://ibb.co/9TBfH0s

Cheers, T i m

"T i m" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 5 May 2021 03:01:35 +1000, "Rod Speed"
wrote:

snip

[1] We like the Khyam range of 'Rapidex' (quick erect) tents

I love my unbranded tent. Its square, you just lay it on the ground,
stake the 4 corners, go inside and raise it with the single pole in
the center.

Is this a pole that goes to the ground

Yep, completely separate from the tent when in the car.

as I think I have seen some that open up like
an umbrella with a pull-cord in the middle
but here is no pole that reaches the ground?

No, nothing like that.

Easy to put up in a gale, just stake
the upwind side corners first.

Std practice for most tents if it's windy.

No guys at all.

Most 'guyless' tents come with the option for guys
for when they are being used in a storm etc (and
the instructions recommend you use them).

Nothing for guys to attach to.

Even my inflatable 'igloo' that could just be pegged out on the
two upwind corners' and inflated became much more pleasant
inside without it blowing all over the place. It looked like this:

https://ibb.co/9TBfH0s

On Wed, 5 May 2021 03:28:17 +1000, %%, better known as cantankerous trolling
senile geezer Rodent Speed, wrote:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread

03:28??? LOL And you've been up and trolling for OVER AN HOUR, already, YET
AGAIN! Just HOW retarded and sick are you, senile troll?

--
"Who or What is Rod Speed?

Rod Speed is an entirely modern phenomenon. Essentially, Rod Speed
is an insecure and worthless individual who has discovered he can
enhance his own self-esteem in his own eyes by playing "the big, hard
man" on the InterNet."
https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/r...d-faq.2973853/

On Wed, 5 May 2021 03:01:35 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread

03:01, you sick cretin? So you will be up and trolling ALL NIGHT, ALL
MORNING, ALL DAY and the following EVENING, yet AGAIN, you despicable
sociopathic troll!

--
John addressing the senile Australian pest:
"You are a complete idiot. But you make me larf. LOL"
MID:

On Wed, 5 May 2021 03:07:26 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

Fark, weird how little kids can be like that.

Fark, weird how senile losers like you can be like that, you subnormal
trolling senile sociopath!

--
"Who or What is Rod Speed?

Rod Speed is an entirely modern phenomenon. Essentially, Rod Speed
is an insecure and worthless individual who has discovered he can
enhance his own self-esteem in his own eyes by playing "the big, hard
man" on the InterNet."
https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/r...d-faq.2973853/

On Wed, 5 May 2021 02:51:42 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread


--
Marland answering senile Rodent's statement, "I don't leak":
"That¢s because so much **** and ****e emanates from your gob that there is
nothing left to exit normally, your arsehole has clammed shut through disuse
and the end of prick is only clear because you are such a ******."
Message-ID:

On Wed, 5 May 2021 04:51:25 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread

04:51 already? So you WILL be up and trolling ALL NIGHT LONG, yet again, you
clinically insane sociopath!

--
Website (from 2007) dedicated to the 86-year-old senile Australian
cretin's pathological trolling:
https://www.pcreview.co.uk/threads/r...d-faq.2973853/