As a child I used to love the snow. I didn't care that it was cold, wet & it gave hypothermic fingers & toes. The first time I really remember snow I was about 9. It looked so magical glistening under the evening street light and I seem to remember that my school had to shut for a week as the heating oil ran out. After that it didn't really snow in any great quantity for a further 10 years.
Then in the early 1990's we suddenly had lots of the stuff and I was a pain the drive in. Back then I had a Ford Cortina that was of course rear wheel drive. Completely useless in snow and I twice remember having to abandon her and walk.
The crowning glory though was the legendary "Wrong Type of Snow" in 1991. I had just joined the railway and spent 5 hours getting to work after the first snow. It's only a journey of 21 miles and normally took 20 minutes. When i finally got to work few of my colleagues had bothered. The big boss personally thanked me for my effort and suggested I head back home again. The trains continued to be a mess for a good week after that and I spent more than one journey crushed tightly into the Guards Van.
Last December it snowed about a week or so before Christmas and my Sons school was closed, but I didn't care as I was between jobs and didn't have to venture out if I didn't feel like it. The snow came again in January this year and once again I stayed at home, but made up the work time later.
In all of those incidents I seem to remember that the snow never stayed for more than a few days and then was gone. It provided a nice break from the norm and looked rather beautiful at the same time.
This winter has bought something very different indeed. It hasn't properly snowed since last Saturday, but the blasted stuff is still with us. No longer is it beautiful and soft. It's now just solid ice stuck the every road and pavement and this morning it was lethally slippery. The journey to the station today took quite a lot of nerve, concentration and most of my amazing balancing skills.
Thank goodness I no longer have to do that walk for a couple of weeks. Perhaps by then it will have gone. Fingers crossed.
Regards
Chris
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