We've had our heating on the last 2 nights, unheard of in August. Where did all those lovely summers go? But here in the West Midlands, even though it has been a very mediocre summer, we have had no significant rain for months. It just seems to pass us by, and we are getting desperate. We have established trees in our garden that are dying from lack of water. The other day my hubby was digging out some stray raspberry canes, and a spades depth down the soil was still bone dry. So while it has been wetter than average elsewhere, it has been the dryest period on record here.