10
disposal scandal of the early 1970's,
roadside verges will prove to be inadequate
for disposal of decayed road-metal, and a
sensible policy will evolve. Will we have
any flower rich verges left by then? - I
wonder.
KEN ADAMS
NOTES ON AN ESSEX HAILSTORM, 26TH MAY, 1985
Just before 4 p.m. on the afternoon of Sunday,
26th May, thick, dark-grey clouds rolled over
the Essex countryside accompanied by thunder
and lightning. Even so, I was surprised to
find the approach roads to Pleshey strewn
with twigs and bunches of leaves torn from
the roadside trees. When we arrived at the
churchyard around 4.15 p.m. the grass was
still covered with large hailstones, about
45 mm in diameter, so I gathered up a number
in an empty 2 litre plastic ice cream contain-
er which I happened to have with me in the
car .
When I arrived home about an hour later I
measured nineteen specimens with calipers.
There was a small amount of meltwater in the
container so the specimens had lost an un-
known amount of their original diameters.
The longest axis was measured first, then two
other axes at right angles to the first and
to each other. The measurements are set
out below in order of size.