CHERYL GIBBS: Good old Blighty can only handle spring or autumn

This time last week we were all hauled up at home, being warned not go out unless absolutely necessary because a blizzard was coming in and it was all very serious and dramatic.

Don’t get me wrong, it was actually quite serious for lots of parts of the UK, but I just find it somewhat amusing that as a nation we can’t cope with any extremities.

Take summer for example and on those rare days when the sun comes out and we all flock to the coast, we go a bit silly don’t we?

We stay out in it for hours, we don’t put enough sun cream on, and we don’t drink enough water.

What happens? The emergency services are inundated with people fainting and passing out from heat and sunstroke – it’s all too much.

Then there’s the opposite that experienced last week. It was a downpour of snow, a blizzard if you will, and we all stayed inside and battened down the hatches.

There was a real fear of running out of fuel and people started panic-buying. Then we all stayed glued to the TV for updates and news on whether we could venture out.

It really makes me chuckle, that’s all. I wonder how other countries look at us.

Take Canada for example, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, Australia and Asia. They handle the weather pretty well, but in good old Blighty we’re happy in our comfort zone, which is pretty much spring and autumn.

Don’t give us anything too much either side because we simply cant handle it.

It’s another reason why I love this great rock. I quite enjoyed being told not to go outside – it gave me a reason to stay indoors, put the fire on and enjoy the cold weather from the comfort of my little bungalow (which is in an elevated position and therefore gets the wind whipping around it like nobody’s business).

And I blooming well enjoyed it. There were no snow angels, trips to Butser Hill with our sleighs or snowball fights for us, but I still loved every second of it. How different it all is now?

I WAS A REAL FRIGHT FOR THE POSTIE

Goodness knows what the postman thinks of me.

I told you all last week how I’ve enrolled on the Southsea Mindfulness course to help me combat stress, be more mindful and present in the moment, and improve my general well-being.

It requires some home practice and one of the things you start off with is a body scan which requires you to lay down on the floor and, through a guided audio track, learn to focus on the body.

This week I’ve been really good at the home practice, ensuring I do it regularly. But on Monday I forgot to shut the curtains which means when the postie knocked on the door he must have been rather startled by me laying down on the floor, dead as a doornail, with a blanket over me practicing my body scan.

Needless to say, he didn’t knock twice.

KARDASHIAN BABY GIRL BABY BOOM

Khloe Kardashian revealed this week that she is expecting a baby girl with her boyfriend, American NBA star Tristan Thompson.

It seems that everyone is having girls at the moment and I think that’s wonderful news – it’s a shame that Khloe herself didn’t think so.

I watched the latest episode of Keeping up with the Kardashians this week. It was the episode where her sister Kylie announced that she was expecting a girl and Khloe’s reaction was, to put it mildly, downright shocking.

She was so disappointed that her sister wasn’t having a baby boy and it was actually rather awkward to watch.

Personally I’d be delighted if I was blessed with a girl. What is it they say, a daughter is a daughter all her life and a son is a son till he takes a wife.

So true!