Who chooses the name? Is there a ‘Guide to Naming Your Storm/Hurricane/Tornado/Tsunami’…. what are the criteria for giving these forces of nature a ‘handle’. Personally I would never associate the name Desmond with a storm of any kind. For me it conjures up a refined, quiet but witty individual beloved by all. Now that’s just me…… you may know different. A few ‘Desmonds’ spring to mind: Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prizewinner, Desmond David Hume from ‘Lost’ and Desmond Jones who had a  barrow in the market place according to The Beatles. 

The Desmond I knew best was a refined, quiet and witty little character who was one of my ‘innocents’ at school.  On completing a slightly challenging maths problem, Desmond laid his neatly presented jotter on my desk. The children had been instructed to,’ Draw an isosceles triangle, a scalene triangle, a right-angled triangle and an equilateral triangle and name them.’Desmond had successfully drawn his four triangles. Below each triangle he had written their names : John. Paul, George and Ringo …. Desmond didn’t understand what he had done wrong (well he had followed the instruction!)… or why the teacher could not stop smiling. We have exchanged this memory, Desmond and I, and meeting him again hasn’t changed my opinion of ‘Desmond’ the name.

Meanwhile the rain lashes, the wind howls and the sky glowers. I refuse to call this ‘Desmond’. What about ….Alaric…. or Attilla …or Murgatroyd … or Theseus..

‘obladi – oblada – life goes on’ ……..