Given that we were at the outer reaches of Doris's mad dance today I feel for those nearer the middle. The roads were scattered with twigs and small branches and twice I had to get off my bike and walk because I couldn't cycle in the wind. The sudden changes between cloud and sun were dramatic but I spent all my time outside listening for the crack of trees.

This evening I walked - enough of cycling - to a meeting entitled Building a better society: changing a broken political system about forging progressive alliances across 'tribal' (party) divides. Speakers included Helena Kennedy and one of the leaders of the Green party. The room was packed and there were people from various different strands of my life, some of whom turned out to know each other. Despite everyone seeming to agree that it's time to form alliances over shared values, some found it very hard to stop bashing those in other parties. Our political antagonisms are deeply entrenched.