So spending some time living in the UK was supposed to give us exposure to lots of experiences that aren't really available in Australia - but it would be fair to say that I wasn't expecting an earthquake to be one of them.
It wasn't a big earthquake to be sure - quoted in the news as having a magnitdue of 5.2, felt for hundreds of miles around the epicentre the biggest immediate impact seems to be some toppled chimneys at the epicentre.
For more details:
But from my perspective the event was a particularly well staged bit of immersive television. Let me tell you a tale...
Nearing 01:00 in the morning I've just reached the end of an old episode of the X-Files (S03E11). Scully has had a crisis of faith and has decided to unload to a local priest.
The last lines of the show are (copied from the referenced episode guide):
Priest: "Sometimes we must come full circle to find the truth. Why does that surprise you?"
Scully: "Mostly it just makes me afraid."
Priest: "Afraid?"
Scully: "Afraid that god is speaking. But that no one's listening."
And perfectly on cue, just as Scully says "listening" there's a deep rumbling sound and the the house creaks and shakes.
Now thats entertainment!