The talk around here has been of weather. For several days, the arrival of two named storms, Dudley and Eunice, has been anticipated and the appropriate warnings have been broadcast.

I appreciate that many of our friends live with such severe weather warnings but for us, living in a relatively benign climate as we do, these are unusual events. The first of the two storms - Dudley - came and went with just a couple of windy days, but as Eunice approached, we found ourselves in the middle of a “Red Warning”. This was the first such alert we could remember though that was possibly because these weather alarms are a fairly recent introduction.

On Thursday evening, my Hero went off to his choir rehearsal and I noted the frequency with which these warnings were appearing on my phone. One message in particular offered specific advice about making garden items secure and I quickly went outside and brought in the plants and glass lanterns which have remained on our garden table since Christmas. I left the spruce branches there, thinking that if they blew off into the garden, they would do no harm (unlike a terracotta pot). I considered bringing the chairs in, but thought better of it and simply tucked them right underneath the table.

One warning that really did spook me was the one which advised moving the bed from beneath the chimney - good grief!!

By the time my hero had returned home, I had thought through the advice, done what I felt was sensible and was thinking that if the severe weather warning was from 7am in the morning, it made no sense for me to go off swimming at 6.15am - driving through a wooded area on top of a hill, too. My Hero was in no doubt about that - and the decision was made. We would have a lie in, we hoped.

As we went upstairs, a text arrived from a friend who lives nearer the river. Had we charged everything fully in case of a power cut? Oooo…..

8am Friday morning, after a quiet night and surprisingly calm morning. Was that it? Why, I could have gone swimming after all!

We had plans to go to the funeral of a sweet friend in Cheltenham and looking out, it was a bit windy, but nothing out of the ordinary. So, we put on our raincoats and off we went.

The ride there was strangely quiet. Clearly everyone was heeding the warnings and staying at home, even though it seemed just like a windy day. Our first encounter with any effect of Eunice was at Cheltenham Crematorium where there were a couple of trees down, though we noticed during the service, the wind was beginning to whip up and the rain fall rather heavily.

But really, that was it. We escaped lightly. Taking a look around the garden when we arrived home again, I noticed that the spruce on the table had hardly moved and that wire from our New Years Eve champagne was still exactly where it has been since then!

We are thankful and pleased that we took note of the advice and the warnings. Better safe than sorry!

Spring will soon be here!