C L O U D A P P R E C I AT I O N how theyve been depicted in art throughout history. You can really tell when artists have actually paid attention to the sky and have taken it seriously. I first came across the CAS when I was scrolling through Instagram, when I should have been studying for my ATPL exams, and of course I felt I could justify it because it was relevant to my meteorology module. But beyond the odd cloud dodge, a lot of the knowledge I had regarding clouds has disappeared with time. Do you have many pilot members in the association? We have quite a few pilots who are members of the CAS actually, and they have sent in some amazing images. Its an entirely different perspective! You certainly have the best office window when youre in a cockpit. How did the CAS come into being? I started the CAS about 18 years ago. Ive always been fascinated by clouds, but I never studied meteorology or wanted to pursue it as a career. At university, I did philosophy at A-level, then a design MA. And that works quite well for the sky as it turns out, as there are so many ways to mix science and art, and the writing has ended up being quite helpful. Each morning sky is a new page to read, every day is different when you look out of your window In the UK, we have a love/hate relationship with clouds, its even written into the language. When someone has a cloud hanging over them it suggests theyre depressed and when theres trouble in store theres a cloud on the horizon. But its funny that people also associate clouds with being dreamy and intriguing and nostalgic. They embody a sense of escape. And this mix of love/hate towards the weather is something I find fascinating. Years ago, I took a sabbatical in Rome and noticed the lack of cloud variety there. It struck me that there was something missing. In the UK, each morning sky is a new page to read, every day is different when you look out of your window. Italy does have some amazing storm clouds sometimes, but not the daily variety that we see here in Britain. And then looking at the baroque frescoes in the Italian churches, there were all of these big puffy clouds in them, and they were symbolic things. The sofas of the saints, basically! I thought maybe I should do something with them. So I went to the Port Eliot Literary Festival and gave a talk about clouds, and I thought if I gave the talk an unusual name, people might be more likely to come along. So I called it The Inaugural Lecture of the Cloud Appreciation Society, even though I wasnt really sure what it would be. It was just an interesting idea, and it worked! The talk was full and people came up afterwards asking me how do I join? and I thought, its funny how in a light-hearted frame of mind, occasionally you come across an idea that has a serious and valuable intent. Having a society for something as frivolous as clouds is almost quite profound, and is 44 THE LOG Win 24 pp43-46 Clouds.indd 44 01/12/2023 14:56