Weather recorder hangs up his barometer after fifty years

For 50 years Basil Lowe has walked into his back garden in Halesworth, Suffolk at 8am and looked at the weather. He makes notes of the wind direction, ground and air temperature and rainfall, as well as any snow or fog.

And for 50 years his recordings have helped forecasters predict weather patterns. But now, at the age of 75, he's giving up his hobby and hopes someone locally will take over from him.

Mr Lowe, from Holton Road, uses equipment made by the boys of Halesworth Modern School in the 1950s and would like to see it stay in the town.

The school's deputy headteacher Robbie Page took it home when he retired, and sent his daily findings to the Halesworth and District Museum.

When he died the equipment was given to Mr Lowe, who used to take over from Mr Page when he was on holiday.