This is my first time posting, so please be gentle with me. I have been lurking for a couple of years though reading the many informative posts. I would like to offer an observation on the summer of 2009, based on 2 weeks I recently spent on the beach in Cornwall (Lizard & Far West). Whilst I agree that on the whole, so far, the summer has not been particularly good, the actual weather I experienced from 17 - 31 July was in fact very good. Admittedly there were 2 days that were complete washouts (Sunday 26th & Wednesday 29th), but the remaining days on the beach were on the whole sunny & acceptably warm, and I have come back with a nice tan. I have been visiting this part of Cornwall for the last 6 years now and every year the weather near the coast has been good. Interestingly, the weather there is often better when the models do not look good. For example, much of the recent 2 weeks I was there were showery - but these showers did not, and often don't, fall on the coast - they fall on the moors in land. When frontal systems pass through, they often do so within 3- 4 hours, and the clearance behind is usually dramatic with clear blue skys. Conversely, when the general weather pattern is set fine, it can be a case of dodging the fog banks that form when the weather becomes hot & see breazes set in. So, in summary, yes the general weather pattern has not been great, but in my experience local conditions in Cornwall are often at odds with the general pattern, and they were in the last 2 weeks of July. I just think this should be borne in mind before we write off the summer from a holiday makers point of view. Hope this is Ok in this topic.