Rereading 12: Monica Edwards part four: Storm Ahead

1953 was the year of a terrible storm which caused extensive flooding and loss of life on the east coast of England and in the Netherlands, which I’ve written about elsewhere. Although published in 1953, Storm Ahead is not about that storm but one in 1928, which Monica Edwards remembered from her youth, the cause of the tragic Mary Stanford disaster.

The book opens peacefully enough with the arrival of Lindsey Thornton to stay with Tamzin. They met in a crossover book between the Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series, Punchbowl Midnight. Tamzin and Rissa are taking Lindsey by boat, thinking it will be more fun for her. All three remark how hot it is for November and how surprising the lack of a puff of wind in that notoriously windy place. The weather-wise fisherman don’t like it, there’s a sudden squall, the black storm cone goes up and by the time they reach home it’s obvious that a big storm is brewing. Lindsey meets everyone, smiles and talks while all the time, she’s absolutely terrified of thunder (Tamzin later notices this). Poor girl, she’s convalescing from ‘measles with complications’ and is in for the most exciting and dangerous event of her life.
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What next?

Today.
My Tesco delivery driver noticed that the petrol cap on my car wasn’t quite shut. How? Why? Someone could have siphoned off my petrol. But they didn’t.
Had an invasion of ants in the kitchen, had to spray and leave the door open. Yuk, vile things.
Found that the SIM from my old phone won’t fit the iPhone my daughter has passed on to me.
Found just now that I couldn’t lock the upper part of my kitchen door; the key just wouldn’t go in the lock. Much WD40 was applied, to no effect. Eventually I poked inside the lock with the flat end of a screwdriver, something gave and it worked again.
Good grief. And I want to watch a programme about Piet Oudolf which is on at seven and I’ll miss the beginning.