Mon solen også skinner over Sydlige Utsira?

Det fyger med vejrudsigter omkring mig - indtil flere søde kolleger har nærmest varslet sommerens komme, og selv om jeg frøs helt vildt på stationen i morges og i øvrigt gerne bare vil have lidt vår, så er det da svært ikke at blive aldeles kulret når man kigger ud og ser

SOLSKIN!

Og det er fredag! Og vi har weekend! Og jeg skal lege flyttemand! Det lille hus på landet er indflytningsklart, minus skønhedsfejl og detaljer, og dem går vi ikke op i, og da slet ikke i dag.

Kan I huske i "gamle dage", da kom der sådan en farvandsudsigt efter den almindelige vejrudsigt i radioen. Hvem ved, måske sender de den endnu? Jeg har ikke hørt den i mange år, men jeg kan stadig huske de gådefulde stednavne - Dogger Banke, Fisker, Sydlige Utsira, og Farvandet vest for Hebriderne. Inde i mit hoved var de sære, eksotiske steder - og jeg lyttede fascineret til den (som jeg husker det) let messende oplæsning.

Se, her ligger de :-)

Lidt svært at læse min håndskrift måske, men ude

fra venstre er det FARVANDET VEST FOR

HEBRIDERNE og DOGGER BANKE,

den oppe ved Norge er SYDLIGE UTSIRA, de to

ved Danmarks vestkyst er FISKER og TYSKEBUGT,

og endelig har vi SKAGERRAK og KATTEGAT

(ikke så mystiske, men jeg har altid elsket

rytmen i deres navne) og til sidst, markeret med pil,

BÆLTHAVET OG SUNDET.

Jeg ved, jeg ikke er den eneste. I 2002 omdøbte briterne et af deres farvands-territorier (eller hvad det nu hedder) fra Finisterre til FitzRoy, for at undgå forveksling med et spansk hav-område som også hed Finisterre.  De traditionsglade briter var ganske oprørte!  BBC skrev følgende nekrolog:

extract from article on bbc.co.uk on 04 February 2002

it reads:

FINISTERRE shipping forecast sea area, a familiar friend taken away from us after a lifetime of service.

A renowned friend of sailors, Finisterre was one of a new breed of post-war sea areas to figure in every one of the Met Office's four daily weather forecasts.
Born in 1949 of Latin extraction (finis terre translates as "end of earth") and one of the biggest of the sea area family, she immediately took up station off the northwest shoulder of Galicia.
In finer times, colleagues remember her fondly as being both "moderate" (visibility of two to five nautical miles) and "good" (five nautical miles).
However, in sadder times Finisterre was "occasionally poor" (with visibility down to 1,000m). Friends have also remarked on her unsettling episodes of "veering" (changing of the wind in a clockwise direction).


A reader wrote:
I am really sad that Finisterre is disappearing. It's the end of an era. Why do
we have to lose Finisterre though? Couldn't the Spanish have renamed their sea area?



Carolyn R., England

Ak ja. Godt at vide, at man ikke er alene om sine sære forkærligheder!

@ N ~have you ever heard the shipping forecast on the radio? I don't even know if you guys have it on any of your public radio stations. We did in Denmark when I was little (I haven't heard them for years but they may still be transmitted, I don't know) and they still do in Britain. Basically it's just a forecast for the seas around Denmark (or, in the case of the BBC, around the British isles), but my memories of it are very fond.  They were mystical, magical places, and when the forecast was read out it was almost hypnotic, like a magic incantation.

Dogger, Fisher, German Bight, South Utsire...  (these are a few of my favourite thiiiiings...)

The BBC transmission is 4 times a day and I read somewhere that the last one of the day is almost like a lullaby to some people. And there was almost a national outcry in 2002 when one of the sea areas had its name changed from Finisterre to FitzRoy (see quote from BBC above).

Now if you'll excuse me I have some WEEKEND to celebrate. It's sunny and I have two free days stretching ahead of me (by Sunday evening it will feel as if they've shrunk). I'll be moving most of my stuff into the little house, perhaps also checking out one or two charity shops to see if they have any furniture I like (I'm in dire need of bookshelves and a wardrobe).  Happy Friday!