Im going to mention the weather. What a glorious day yesterday was. 22. Went horseracing and saw loads with very sore looking red backs and heads!

Hi Vix - I was thinking the same as you about the 'hamseen'!! It made me remember the first time I experienced a really bad one a few weeks after we arrived in Kuwait in 1991. They call it a 'taws' (not sure how to spell it in English). We'd decided to go for a drive and find our way around a bit. The weather was the usual - hot and flippin' sunny - clear as a bell... in one direction. When we looked behind us, from horizon to sky there was a wall of dark orange. I thought we'd go inside and sit it out, expecting it to clear after a few hours! Wrong!!! Three days later, and after being surrounded by swirling dust/sand (inside and out!!!) we were able to go for our drive! We never experienced again, one as bad as that, even in Riyadh. I now make sure to keep doors and windown closed and I look on them as a nice change

Oh the joys and fickleness of British weather. All I need is a tape of waves lapping gently against the shore and I could imagine I'm back in Egypt. Sat in my comfy garden chair with just my dogs for company and the birds singing. Lovely way to top up my tan from a few weeks ago.

My first one was in the Sinai in 1979. They're never as scary after the 1st one, nor do they seem so aggresive. Oh the memories

I'm starting to feel very old