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Weather it's true We took two weathermen – one a housewives' favourite, the other a cheeky chappy.
We set them some brave new tasks, far removed from forecasting. Everyone's favourite weatherman, Ian McCaskill, became The Morning Show's undercover brave heart, delving into some of the greatest mysteries of our time – from the tale of a Yeti to investigating Unidentified Flying Objects. While Yorkshireman, Paul Hudson, became renowned for his cheeky banter to Nicki and Robert in the studio – but he too set about solving some baffling weather tales. Below is a flavour of their last shows, and more about those two weathermen…
McCaskill's Myths In a place called the City of the Dead, visitors collapse, people are bruised, others are cut, but no one can see the culprit. Sound like something off a horror film? Well then, this was a job for The Morning Show's fearless Ian McCaskill. In our last week, he went under the cover of darkness to investigate the "Mackenzie Poltergeist". McCaskill's last challenge - don't get spooked! Ian joined the tour of the City of the Dead at Greyfriars Churchyard, where George McKenzie, King Charles II's advocate, was buried in 1691. He was responsible for the slaughter of thousands of Scot Presbyterians, who had signed a "National Covenant with God" in 1637, and were held at the Covenanter's Prison – in a walled-off section of the cemetery. People said the cemetry was haunted. Visitors on the tour developed mysterious physical symptoms, such as cuts and bruises. In two years of tours there were more than 150 "attacks" in the graveyard. Four teams of psychic investigators concluded that there was a genuine supernatural presence in the Covenanter's Prison. Poltergeist turns ugly Ian interviewed Jan Henderson, guide, historian and author of a book on the Mackenzie Poltergeist - The Ghost that Haunted Itself. While Rana Durham, became the 100th person to pass out on the tour when she retraced her steps on The Morning Show. Claire Valentine, whose home neighbours the graveyard, said doors opened and shut alone and shoes rearranged themselves. Not for the faint-hearted! Related BBC links: Internet Links:
Weather it's true Spring was in the air, bringing with it longer days, clearer skies and warmer weather. Or did it? As The Morning Show came to the end of its run, our cheeky weatherman was at it again – checking out those famous old adages about our climate. On our last show, on Friday 28 February 2003, Paul told us whether one well-known springtime saying was claptrap or correct. Claptrap or correct? Watch the last one March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. It's one of the most famous weather tales around. It hints weather at the beginning of March is wet and windy. And that the end of the month will be fine and settled. But Paul revealed all. Here’s the science behind this piece of weather lore…
There is scientific truth. We're certainly susceptible to stong winds and heavy rain at the beginning of spring (and the forecast was indeed looking this way as we headed into March 2003), but - and it's a big BUT - it’s anyone’s guess as to whether this always leads to quieter weather at the end of the month. Paul says this forecasting tool is CLAPTRAP! Related BBC links: About McCaskill's Myths Ian McCaskill knows the UK. Or rather, as a former BBC weatherman, he knows what the map looks like and can recognise even the most obscure isobars and fronts. But he faced new challenges on The Morning Show. He was given a mission – but not just any mission. He chose to accept our challenge, and off he went searching the length and breadth of the country, exposing the nation's mystical myths and weird worlds. He took us to Wales in search of the black panther - which has been rampaging in the region (that's the panther, not McCaskill)! Then, he was off to Edinburgh to check out a haunted pub with a spooky tale of phantom flames to tell. McCaskill has been noted for his exuberance and ceaseless enthusiasm - which caused him to be endlessly imitated, particularly by Spitting Image and Rory Bremner. A housewives’ favourite, he was voted the UK's sexiest weather forecaster in 1994. He retired from in front of the BBC weather map in 1998, just before his 60th birthday. It was while he was doing National Service that he became a weatherman. In 1959 he joined the RAF's Meteorological Corps - a posting that took him from Scotland to sunny Cyprus. In 1961 he joined the Met Office and in 1978 he started presenting the weather on the BBC. The rest is either history - or myth! About Weather it's true "N'er shed a clout, 'til May is out" - or so the saying goes. But what does it mean? Is it really true? What about: "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning"? BBC Look North's weather presenter, Paul Hudson, breezed onto The Morning Show to take a look at the truth behind some of those old wives' weather tales. And, on a couple of occasions, he also found himself focusing rather more on facts on the ground, as deep snow caused chaos in his native Yorkshire. Paul's arrival in a regular slot, came hot on the heels of his debut appearance on The Morning Show.
Click here to watch Paul's debut.
Five years ago, Paul left his job as an international forecaster at the Met Office in Bracknell, to keep a weather eye on BBC North's patch. His territory stretched from the Pennines to the North Sea. But Paul is no stranger to hurricanes either. During his time at the Met Office, Paul was on hurricane and cyclone watch for places as far flung as Miami, South Australia, the Pacific Islands and Singapore. Paul was born and brought up in Keighley, near Bradford. After reading geophysics and planetary physics at Newcastle University, he joined the Met Office and did two years at Leeds Weather Centre. Paul told us about whether those weather tales were true. |
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