Well, they've cancelled everything else so they might as well just cancel the month too :(
It has probably been the most surreal two weeks I can remember for many years. 15 days ago in my part of the world, a lot of snow fell in a very short time and the country was paralysed for days. Drivers couldn't drive, non-drivers couldn't get public transport because the snow hadn't been cleared from the roads or the railways, because we are ruled by a terminally incompetent government whose only goal in life is Scottish independence! How could we be independent when we can't function in a few inches of snow????
As I made my way home from work on Monday 6th December, through a main street of early-closed shops and pollice directing traffic, it then got worse. At least I live locally and could walk home - but many were stranded overnight on motorways in cars and buses for almost 20 hours.
It didn't get any better as the week progressed - with almost eerie scenes of shops closed because people couldn't get out to work in them, there were food shortages because the delivery vans couldn't deliver, no-one's getting their online shopping and don't even start me on the mail deliveries....meanwhile in my little corner of the public sector, our office stayed open with a skeleton staff, and life went on. Until a frozen pipe and a flooded bathroom had other ideas and forced me to stay home.
Happily that situation was resolved and the 'big thaw' finally arrived, providing a couple of days' respite. But it wasn't to be long before the snow returned, bringing even colder temperatures, icy pavements and tougher walking conditions. Christmas lunches and parties were cancelled all over the place, and my big weekend of Christmas night out (Friday) and Shakira (Sunday) was also put in jeopardy....although it all went ahead - with a few anxious hitches, but nothing as bad as potentially expected.
Now the bad weather is affecting the rest of Britain, and everywhere else is getting the same story. Maybe it's time that the powers-that-be started thinking of this country as a "snow country" and get all the appropriate structures in place. But then that would probably be a bit too much to ask....
2 comments:
As always though,the snow isn't deemed newsworthy until it reaches the southeast and people can't get into London- then it's all apocalyptic news reports and train bosses basically saying "don't use the trains then" :)
The authorities don't deal any better with it down here though.The head of Kent County Council actually said on the news the other day "if you don't have snow tyres,it's your fault if you get stuck,you can't hold us responsible for not clearing roads." Hmmm...
Still hoping for one last flurry that will cancel the buses on Christmas Eve so I don't have to go to work,but other than that I just want it all to stop now!
Yes the novely of looking out the window at the white stuff on the roads and pavements has definitely worn off by now!! White Christmas? Bah humbug!!
It would be nice if you could get time off work because of the snow, but unfortunately most of the employers seem to be finding a way round this by making people use their own annual leave or flexi time, rather than give them time off :((
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