Out of the Ordinary

Liz and myself were rudely awoken this morning by the biggest clap of thunder you have ever heard.

The rain was pouring down as it had done several times over the last few days, and we did not see the lightning flash beforehand, but the thunder was the shortest, sharpest and loudest crack I’ve ever heard; none of this long-drawn-out-echoing-rumbling-going-on-for-hours, but a real sonic boom two inches from your left ear kind of sound. This led us both to believe the lightning had struck somewhere very close, although as yet we haven’t heard any tales of burning trees or illuminated lightning rods down the sides of crumbling churches.

That wasn’t even the weirdest thing that happened today.

Imagine my surprise as I made my way to the gym at lunchtime and this is what I was presented with!

Hot Air Balloon in Exchange Square

A hot air balloon in the middle of Exchange Square, apparently giving interested parties rides, while advertising the virtues of the management company that look after the buildings around this area, Broadgate Estates.

Admittedly, it was tethered to the ground; to some fairly substantial looking blocks of concrete as it happens, the sort that would not have looked out of place in the front of the Houses of Parliament as a terrorist vehicle ram raid deterrent (how did they get them from the van into position? There was not a crane in sight!).

However, I was a little disappointed when I came out of the gym, to discover that the tethering limited the flight ‘altitude’ to no more than about 20 ft – still, to get anything that substantial in the middle of the City buildings is impressive enough!

Bankers are obviously easily impressed