Storm Henk – the eighth storm of the season– threatens to smash Britain this weekend as New Year is threatened by nationwide gales, rain and up to eight inches of snow.

The entire country is on alert for three days of weather hell as the gates to the Atlantic swing open to a barrage of cyclonic low-pressure systems.

A large storm system due to smash into Britain tomorrow is likely to be named ‘Storm Henk’ by Met Eireann, according to the UK Met Office.

Volatile weather will maul the UK through the end of the year and into the start of 2024.

The powers that be cannot resist trying to frighten us. Notice the key words, threatens, smash, up to 8 inches of snow, 3 days of weather hell, mauling the UK. Heaven help us if there is a real storm. If I look at my local weather guides, I have winds of just 35 miles an hour, and temperatures of about 8 degrees centigrade.

I have had very little coherent time today. We went to our allotment to find that some of the woodwork had simply broken, and was lying in pieces strewn over the area. We rescued some leeks to have no doubt a wonderful leak soup.

I treated myself in Wetherspoons to a large house whiskey (Bells), together with a coffee and a ‘manager’s special’ of pigs in blankets. Those of you who are not aware of the term, these are small piping hot sausages wrapped in bacon.

I find the time between Christmas and New Year a low point. I remember one Christmas when I was at the house of a friend with many guests. I felt so low that I could not join them for any meals and stayed in my room for most of the time. It is nothing to what it used to be but it still comes on regularly and I could almost not in my diary as a definite event I do not know what it is but I seem to catch the opposite of the Christmas spirit.

Maybe I am rebelling against something but I don’t know what it is.

Thank goodness that next week from Wednesday onwards we will be back to normal but meanwhile my productivity is not very high. I have made some half-hearted attempt to clean out my working room.

Although it is not cold we decided to have a fire in the living room just to relax.