Pompeii

Pompeii

So, here we are, all complaining about the freezing weather. "I need some sun and some hot weather", I said, in a whingeing sort of voice. Then, up pops Margaret Mountford (her from the Apprentice and Lord Sugar fame), who has now reinvented herself as an historian of the ancient Roman Epoch. Well, she did leave to continue her PhD in Egyptian cryptography or something. There were scenes of dead petrified bodies everywhere. Apparently, many were killed by incredibly hot incandescent gas and pyroclastic ash explosions. It was 79 AD.

I hope they were not sitting in their villas, experiencing a cold snap dressed in summer Togas. It might have gone something like this: "Maximus Pontificatus, the weather is extremely cold for this time of year", "Yes, Mimimus Cerebralis, it is because the Jet Stream has shifted from Ancient Britannicus over towards Gaul". Then Maximus barks out an order, "Idle Slave Lurkio, run down to the shed, gather wood, and light the underfloor heating, we need to be 'Scorchio' fast!!".

Then, Bang, Whoosh - and a blinding flash of incandescent heat. Stone me !

So much for complaining about the weather. There are much worse things in life...