The art and science of drawing weather maps:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-2...sf65106128 =1

The final sentence rings a few bells:
"You can tell who has done the drawing — you can also tell whether
they're at the start of a shift or the end of a shift."

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks. [Retd meteorologist/programmer]
Web-site: http://www.scarlet-jade.com/
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear,
or an idiot from any direction! [Irish proverb]

Graham P Davis wrote:

The art and science of drawing weather maps:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-2...draw-weather-m
aps-at-bom/8373086?smid=abcnewsMelb-Twitter_Organic&WT.tsrc=Twitter_Organic&sf
65106128=1

The final sentence rings a few bells:
"You can tell who has done the drawing — you can also tell whether they're
at the start of a shift or the end of a shift."

.........and in my days down there it was sometimes very noticeable when someone
had had a good lunch :-)

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.
http://peakdistrictweather.org
Twitter: @TideswellWeathr

On 22 Mar 2017 20:19:00 GMT
"Norman Lynagh" wrote:

Graham P Davis wrote:

The art and science of drawing weather maps:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-2...draw-weather-m
aps-at-bom/8373086?smid=abcnewsMelb-Twitter_Organic&WT.tsrc=Twitter_Organic&sf
65106128=1

The final sentence rings a few bells:
"You can tell who has done the drawing — you can also tell whether they're
at the start of a shift or the end of a shift."

........and in my days down there it was sometimes very noticeable when
someone had had a good lunch :-)


LOL at Manby many decades ago as a humble assistant I pointed out to the SXO
forecaster that his 1024 meandering isobar was joined to a 1028. I got a clip
round the ear and told to go and make some tea. Chart was subsequently changed
using the pretense of new data!

On 23/03/2017 11:00, Will Hand wrote:
On 22 Mar 2017 20:19:00 GMT
"Norman Lynagh" wrote:

Graham P Davis wrote:

The art and science of drawing weather maps:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-2...draw-weather-m
aps-at-bom/8373086?smid=abcnewsMelb-Twitter_Organic&WT.tsrc=Twitter_Organic&sf
65106128=1

The final sentence rings a few bells:
"You can tell who has done the drawing — you can also tell whether they're
at the start of a shift or the end of a shift."

........and in my days down there it was sometimes very noticeable when
someone had had a good lunch :-)


LOL at Manby many decades ago as a humble assistant I pointed out to the SXO
forecaster that his 1024 meandering isobar was joined to a 1028. I got a clip
round the ear and told to go and make some tea. Chart was subsequently changed
using the pretense of new data!

As probably one of the oldest in this group ,I can recollect back in the
'50 as a young assistant at London Airport (Heathrow to you ) plotting
three hourly charts by hand using two pens tied together ,red and
black.I loved the job so usually got the task of plotting the major six
hourly charts because of being one of the fastest pens in the west !
The senior forecasters usually leaning over us to draw up as soon as the
ink dried !
Hated the shifts so reluctantly left the Met Office employ to earn some
money and rebuild my social life

RonB

On Thu, 23 Mar 2017 11:34:06 +0000
Ron Button wrote:

On 23/03/2017 11:00, Will Hand wrote:
On 22 Mar 2017 20:19:00 GMT
"Norman Lynagh" wrote:

Graham P Davis wrote:

The art and science of drawing weather maps:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-2...draw-weather-m
aps-at-bom/8373086?smid=abcnewsMelb-Twitter_Organic&WT.tsrc=Twitter_Organic&sf
65106128=1

The final sentence rings a few bells:
"You can tell who has done the drawing — you can also tell whether they're
at the start of a shift or the end of a shift."

........and in my days down there it was sometimes very noticeable when
someone had had a good lunch :-)


LOL at Manby many decades ago as a humble assistant I pointed out to the SXO
forecaster that his 1024 meandering isobar was joined to a 1028. I got a
clip round the ear and told to go and make some tea. Chart was subsequently
changed using the pretense of new data!

As probably one of the oldest in this group ,I can recollect back in the
'50 as a young assistant at London Airport (Heathrow to you ) plotting
three hourly charts by hand using two pens tied together ,red and
black.I loved the job so usually got the task of plotting the major six
hourly charts because of being one of the fastest pens in the west !
The senior forecasters usually leaning over us to draw up as soon as the
ink dried !
Hated the shifts so reluctantly left the Met Office employ to earn some
money and rebuild my social life


When the continental shelf charts were plotted at LWC for the rig forecaster we
had one senior forecaster who smoked a pipe. He had the habit of leaning behind
the assistant and dropping tobacco on said chart. As for pens, I loved mine but
sadly they have been lost :-( At HQSTC in 1977 I remember one shift after I had
plotted the North Atlantic surface I took it upon myself to start drawing it
up, I was amazed when the senior forecaster encouraged me to continue, I
expected a bollocking! But then I was at University and only there for the
summer.

On 23/03/17 11:34, Ron Button wrote:
As probably one of the oldest in this group ,I can recollect back in the
'50 as a young assistant at London Airport (Heathrow to you ) plotting
three hourly charts by hand using two pens tied together ,red and black.

When I started as an observer in '62 at Wyton, I used the the two pens
tied together but on moving to Bedford the following year we had special
plotting pens having a single (red) handle with two nibs. I think they
were of German design - or so I was told.

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks. [Retd meteorologist/programmer]
Web-site: http://www.scarlet-jade.com/
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear,
or an idiot from any direction! [Irish proverb]

On Thursday, 23 March 2017 12:28:31 UTC, Graham P Davis wrote:
we had special
plotting pens having a single (red) handle with two nibs. I think they
were of German design - or so I was told.

Oh wow, I've never heard of those before! I was one of those who used biros taped together to plot the European chart as far east as there was data available (Wyton) and used to stick the Molfax wet fax chart to a larger North Atlantic paper chart and plot the ships :-)

--
Freddie
Fishpool Farm
Hyssington
Powys
296m AMSL
http://www.fishpoolfarmweather.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/FishpoolFarmWx for hourly reports

"Graham P Davis" wrote in message
...
On 23/03/17 11:34, Ron Button wrote:
As probably one of the oldest in this group ,I can recollect back in the
'50 as a young assistant at London Airport (Heathrow to you ) plotting
three hourly charts by hand using two pens tied together ,red and black.

When I started as an observer in '62 at Wyton, I used the the two pens
tied together but on moving to Bedford the following year we had special
plotting pens having a single (red) handle with two nibs. I think they
were of German design - or so I was told.

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks. [Retd meteorologist/programmer]
Web-site: http://www.scarlet-jade.com/
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear,
or an idiot from any direction! [Irish proverb]



I didn't know that you were at Wyton, Graham (or I have forgotten)..I was
there in 1957/58. I still have my plotting pens, rusting, in the loft. I
really enjoyed the challenge of the 'single' night shifts, (while the other
shift members were taking their break), plotting a European and E.Atlamtic
chart for midnight while doing hourly obs and Ms and Bs. There was no let up
as the airfield was a master div. The office was on the 1st floor of a large
hanger, with a clear view only to the north. At night, if there were no
runway lights on, only used if there was night flying, apart from a Pundit
beacon on the airfield boundary, there were no lights at all, except when a
very infrequent car headlights on the Ramsey road could be seen, making the
observing of visibility rather a lottery. I enjoyed my time there, and was
able to get lots of 'familiarisation' flights in Canberras and Ansons, as
the boss would always sign my self-typed authorisation chitty.

--
Bernard Burton

Satellite images and weather data for Wokingham at:
www.woksat.info/wwp.html



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