On radio4, the most brilliant piece of programming. I have no idea what any of it means but i’m absorbed, so many numbers; has anyone ever tried it for conflict resolution? I think it has the potential to solve a few wars. Soothing.

Fallen asleep to a combo of the shipping forecast and a lazy day at the cricket more than once…

There’s a great book about a guy who travels to all of the areas in the shipping forecast, I might have it somewhere if anyone wants a borrow. As a regular listener, and someone who realises the impact it has on inland weather (it’s so much more accurate in my opinion) I love this piece of radio.

It seemed pretty good at sending my little daughter off to sleep on the first week or so of her existence.
I’d also forgoten how much I enjoy the world service, though I’d rather be asleep than listenening with a screaming baby!

As a child my step dad used to listen to this daily, whenever I hear it now its strangely comforting!

bigG what’s that book called?

“Attention All Shipping” by Charlie Connelly. I remember seeing it reviewed, then picked it up in a second hand bookshop and forgot about it. Time to read!

Pik N Mix, it’s called Attention all shipping by Charlie Connelly.

There was also some lady who went to all the various locations and painted and then exhibited watercolours of the weird places involved. They interviewed her on the radio a few years ago, fascinating journey

My radio alarm goes off every morning just as it’s finishing so I always catch the tail end of it. Annoys me now 🙂

It’s a very good book.

I find the shipping forecast to be very soothing. On one of the ‘Back to Mine’ series, Groove Armada fiddled around with Tears for Fears’ ‘Pharoahs’ which features the shipping forecast being read during the song. Its one of my favorites…

From Wiki:

“Pharaohs” is an instrumental that served as the B-side to the “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” single. The only voice heard is a recording of BBC Radio announcer Brian Perkins reading the Shipping Forecast for the sea lanes around the United Kingdom (see below). The title of the song is a play on the name of the Faroe Islands (“Faroes”), one of the places referenced in the forecast. This is one of the few songs in the Tears for Fears catalogue on which founding member Curt Smith shares a writing credit. The song has since been included in the B-sides and rarities collection Saturnine Martial & Lunatic as well as the remastered and deluxe edition reissues of Songs from the Big Chair. “Pharaohs” is also included on the Groove Armada compilation album Back to Mine.
No matter how horrifying the conditions may really be, the voice reading the shipping forecast is deliberately calm and relaxed. Recorded at the Wool Hall for the b-side of ‘Everybody’ in a calm and relaxed way.
—Chris Hughes
“Pharaohs” shipping forecast read by Brian Perkins (BBC Radio 4, circa 1984):
“There are warnings of gales in Viking, Forties, Cromarty, Forth, Fisher, Dover, Wight, Portland, Plymouth, Finisterre, Sole, Lundy, Fastnet, Shannon, Rockall, Malin, Hebrides, Bailey, Fair Isle, Faroes and Southeast Iceland.
The general synopsis at one eight double-O: low just north of Viking, nine double-seven, moving steadily east-northeast.
Low 300 miles south of Iceland. Atlantic low forming, moving steadily northeast.
A ridge of high pressure has swayed between North and South Utsire. The area forecast for the next twenty-four hours. Viking, Forties, Cromarty, Forth.”

The voiceover man was on TV (the One show I think) earlier this week, he’s never been sailing and can’t swim – the irony.

There’s been a thread on Shipping Forecast before and I too have no idea what it means, although I generally assume that it’s referring to reliably crap British weather.

It definitely has a special place in my heart, and when I’m in some God-forsaken barely civilised foreign part and I hear it on the BBC, I get all choked up inside as my mind wanders off thinking of good ol’ Blightly, the White Cliffs of Dover, soggy chips, and drizzle.

And of course “Sailing by” the tune that introduces it, is as much part of the magic.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDUk11Z0bkQ[/video]

I like the not knowing what it all means.

Amazing book, some fantastic pictures along withe the story of actually getting to each area

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Whats sublime is when Neil Nunes reads it.

I don’t care what any of it means, its just a lovely poem. I tend to here it at the end of working stupid shifts in the workshop – Its like the end of the Waltons, all the different extremities of the UK checking in and saying good night before they go to bed.

“Goodnight Cromarty”
“Goodnight South Utsire”

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFdas-kMF74&feature=related[/video]
and a forecast for you all- Warning national anthem content at the end
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxGVe_mK0zM&feature=related[/video]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipping_forecast

I’m truly amazed that so many people here are that dislocated from the realities of nature that the shipping forecast is a thing of mystery and wonder.

In truth it’s a thing of function and neccesity.

‘kin city dwellers.

😉

so many people here are that dislocated from the realities of nature

I once went to the countryside for the day and had a look……… I didn’t like it.

Thankfully however I have the Shipping Forecast to let me marvel at the wonders of nature without ever having to leave the city….Gawd bless you BBC Radio 4.

I once went to the countryside for the day and had a look……… I didn’t like it.

Explains a great deal.

I’m not sure about a lady who painted all of the places mentioned, but there was certainly a man who did, and a place I used to work at reproduced a few of his paintings. Peter Collyer is his name, and he published a book entitled Rain Later, Good, with each place in the shipping forecast illustrated by a really lovely water-colour painting. It’s available on Amazon.

Some info here: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Peter_Collyer
He’s fairly local to me, and painted views of the local chalk downland as well.
http://www.petercollyer.co.uk/

It should be a model for all other weather forecasts.
Area, wind speed, rain or sunny, maybe add temperature, next area etc. That’s all we need to know, stop the inane waffle which takes up most of the forecasts these days.
Also, do the areas in the smae order every time, like shipping forecast does with start at the top then go clockwse, I know whic bit to pay attention for.

I love it and understand it. I wish TV weather was as good, it was sacrilege when then BBC removed the isobars.

fantastic names too ‘Cape Wrath’ ,’Gibralter point’ ,’German Bight’ etc

I listen weekday at 0525, get very jealous when i hear ‘GAle Force’ for Northern areas , when in the SE its a F3 .

Makes me get a move on if i know the wind is good for windsurfing in the afternoon , then the stuff hits the fan at work and im stuck there all afternoon.

it was sacrilege when then BBC removed the isobars.

Agreed , dumbing down at the beeb / met office