Cornwall cameo

After months of absence, Tomasz finally returned to our screens on The Great British Weather, as reporter. Joy unconfined, albeit a relatively brief joy.

He appeared around 34 minutes into the programme, firstly in the form of a report. We saw a sun-dappled Tomasz strolling across the North Pennines moors, musing upon that old weather adage: "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning" {i}.

He spoke to Cumbrian shepherdess Rachel Marston, who explained the weather is important to her, so she knows when to bring the sheep in (and other such things). She also stated that the theory "is more or less true". Indeed there is a basis in this; red skies occur when the sun is at a low angle, making the light refract red light. If there is clear skies in the west (most of British weather comes from the west), then there will rich red sunsets.

However "more or less" is not good enough for The Schaf, so he enlist Rachel's two daughters to keep a check on the theory. Rachel and daughters turned up at TGBW's live location of St Ives in Cornwall, along with His Loveliness. The results pretty much backed up the theory; "we don't need Tomasz", joked Rachel. Not to worry Tomasz, because we were treated to nice close-ups of you and you looked a treat in shorts.

Despite Tomasz's brief appearance on the show, there is more online, and you don't even need to press your red button. It appears Tomasz's strand in the show, is to explain whether weather folklore is true or not:
Drink me

Also two videos from the Blue Peter garden, featuring The Schaf giving us some practical advice-- not just how to look good in jeans and a navy t-shirt:





An i-player link for tonight's programme as yet to materialise, at the time of typing... but maybe a kind soul or two will have recorded it on that there Youtube. Pretty please. Maybe there will be screen-grabs too. So I may well update this tomorrow...

Meanwhile a shot of the set at St Ives.


Tomasz with Michael Fish, the BBC's longest-serving weather forecaster. Tomasz explains: If you watched last night's show, you will have found out that Michael gets whacked on the head with an umbrella each time he gets his forecast wrong! I'm hoping his prediction for next week's show is wrong!! ;) LOL............I'd do it gently of course! ;)



Finally Tomasz's take on the forthcoming St Swithin's Day:
There is no evidence to back it up, but it's not as silly as you might think. There is scientific evidence to suggest that if the summer continues to be unsettled (frequent spells of rain and only short periods of warmth+sun) beyond "the middle of summer" (ie now-ish), our chances of getting better weather vanishes. Basically, the Jet Stream "get's stuck in a rut" and is unlikely to shift. So, perhaps the bad weather in the coming days is, in fact, an ominous sign!

{i} Red sky in the afternoon, shepherd's house on fire. Alright, I made that bit up

Tomasz's new website

As you may have gathered from the imaginative post title, Tomasz has a new website-- very informative and well-constructed it is too!

The main news is that The Schaf will be featuring in a new programme examining the British obession with the weather-- it will be called The Great British Weather. The programme is to be fronted by presenter/actor Alexander Armstrong{i}, Carol Kirkwood (BBC Weather) and Chris Hollins (of BBC Breakfast and Watchdog fame).

Veteran forecasters Bill Giles, Michael Fish and John Kettley will also be making appearance-- plus the main man himself. So what will Tomasz's contribution be? He will join the TGBW team across the country; as they visit Cornwall, the Lake District and Greenwich (London) on its tour with a live and local audience at each destination. No doubt Tomasz will swamped by his adoring fans at these live events, he'll need a bigger entourage than Lady Gaga.

I also note from Twitter, that Tomasz has done a photoshoot with Carol Kirkwood for Radio Times-- I'm sure we all look foward to reading that edition of the magazine.

There are some other gems within the website, other than heart-stopping photographs of His Loveliness? I'm heartened to see that Tomasz doing the London to Brighton bike-ride charity {ii} again this year, for The British Heart Foundation. I'm not aware of any Just Giving page (or equivalent) just yet, I shall inform you, when one is created.

Also Tomasz has officially confirmed his departure from the Met Office, as of the end of March this year. He comments:

I’ve had a fantastic time working for the BBC on behalf of the Met Office and feel that I’ve been shown amazing support during my 10 years’ service. Their continued support contributed to my being presented with the TRIC Weather Presenter Of The Year award, an award which I was very proud to receive.

At this time I have many plans in development which will see me remaining within the world of weather as well as me exploring new avenues. I’m very excited about what the future holds but remain very grateful to the Met Office for my time in an organisation which is respected throughout the world, and which I’m only too happy to remain an ambassador for.

Just to prove Tomasz can laugh at himself (contrary to what some bilious Daily Maul readers, and bitches on certain Internet forums, may think), he has featured his infamous salute to erstwhile bromance-buddy Simon McCoy. Quoth The Schaf:

Those who know me, often remember me for my colourful on-air bloopers and the subsequent Youtube profile. The ‘finger incident’ generated over 5mln hits on Youtube (see media section) but, I’d still like to think I’m generally regarded as a good forecaster!

Well I for one think you are a good forecaster, Tomasz. The fact you have a bit of personality, you are an indivudal, not a 'polictical correct' {iii} drone nor anodyne autocutie, is one of many reason why I respect you (I'm sure many would agree). As for your humourless detractors, their cavilling remarks say more about them, than they do about you. There's a lot to be jealous of!

Finally if you have any enquiries, there is the option of e-mailing Tomasz's agent, Tim Reed.
tim@timreedmanagement.com

Especially professional enquiries. I reckon it's time we revived Strange But True, with Tomasz at the helm-- c'mon telly producers-- make it happen. I'm sure if the Internet's populace can revive Wispa and get Rage Against The Machine to Christmas #1, I'm sure we can make this happen to Tomasz. Yes.

Indeed Tomasz's website is so darn good, I feel my blog and I are becoming obsolescent [self-aware chortle]



I don't even know what Tomasz is doing with his left hand here^.

{i} Pimm's o'clock chaps!
{ii} Alright then "charidee"
{iii} For want of a better term

Champers, darling?

A couple of amusing moments with His Loveliness today, both involving champagne. Before a certain daily publication starts fulminating, Tomasz was not drunk and disorderly.

It was a story involving the discovery of encased champagne, which was found in a shipwreck. This story was of particular interest to Jane Hill, as Matthew Amroliwala was keen to point out in their banter. Jane wanted to "move on swiftly", but Tomasz was all ears about Jane's champers prediliction...



That raised eyebrow was rather cute, don't you think? Lousie Minchin commented that the champagne story was "delicious"... and speaking of which, she linked to The Schaf, who is equally delicious. Tomasz commented (to Louise): "You like a glass of champagne, don't you? Don't we all sometimes"



During one his weather forecasts, he said it would be "damp on the ground" for many of us. Rings true, when one watches Tomasz do a weather forecast... err.. yess


Appears that some sleet is on the way for north-east England, possibly some snow up the Cheviots. I hope none of my readers in Cornwall, is not badly affected by the floods of the past couple of days.