Forum Topic

What was....

... that red object that overflew central Ealing in a north-easterly direction about 20:45 this evening, 25th?

Alan Brainsby ● 6121d12 Comments

If it was Santa, he was running late, perhaps the reindeer stopped too long for a carrot break.

J Smith ● 6121d

check out http://www.noradsanta.org/ just in case he russians were organising a nuclear strrike the other night.

Peter Chadburn ● 6117d

I must protest at this out-dated slur upon our Russian friends. Everyone knows the real threat to civilisation is the global warming which is our present sad lot.  ;-)

Graham Weeks ● 6117d

Ah! but the corollary of a threat is an opportunity. With the melting of the polar icecaps and the subsequent rise in sea levels, Ealing, being on higher ground, will be transformed from a declining West London Suburb into a charming holiday resort on the Thames Delta. Probably famous for it's oysters harvested from the Chiswick mud flats ;)

Gavin Gilbert ● 6117d

This morning, 01 Jan 10 between 00:15 - 00:30, there were about a dozen of the reddish/orange lights coming in from the east and circulating over southwest London.

Alan Brainsby ● 6115d

Yes, we saw several over Chiswick too.  They are Chinese lanterns.See (for example): http://www.paramountzone.com/flying-lanterns.htm

Richard Jennings ● 6115d

Thanks Richard.My son came to the same conclusion.The lanterns certainly demonstrate wind speed and direction.From my viewpoint this morning's batch seemed to go no further than the edge of London then circle and disappear, our micro-climate perhaps?

Alan Brainsby ● 6114d

They're selling these in the pound shops now.. recipe for disaster.They'll be banned soon.

Tony Luckhurst ● 6113d

Banning flying lanterns would be a very Socialist thing to do. I am assuming the sale and use would be banned.A more cunning scheme would be to license their use thereby creating a new revenue stream but that requires politicians of greater intellect...

Alan Brainsby ● 6112d

Somehow i think Heathrow or other airports might stop those things. Hell we might all think it is the new secret tests for the 9th new heathrow runway.

Dennis Bailey ● 6106d

A new(ish?) HSBC advert on  television shows several tens of flying lanterns being launched.

Alan Brainsby ● 6105d

I think it was Labour's hopes of re-election flying away.

Graham Weeks ● 6105d