Winter Wonderland

[caddyman]

Well it seems that I was wrong. That snow turned up and being London - well, being the UK, actually - everything has ground to a halt. By that I mean EVERYTHING. The Northern Line is suspended between High Barnet and Finchley Central and ALL London buses have been suspended for at least the morning due to adverse weather.

That means that we have been stopped dead by an amount of snow that wouldn't warrant comment in most parts of the world.

Of course, it happens so rarely in the UK and England especially, that apart from gritters, the equipment isn't there. I remember seeing a snow plough when I still lived in Shropshire, but not down here in London. The reality is, of course, that snow-clearing equipment is expensive and it's actually more cost effective to have the place to close down for a day or two every thirty years than it is to buy the sort of equipment that the Swedes and Germans take for granted. They get this every year; we don't. Since there is no public transport today and we don't have a car, Furtle and I will be nipping out for a wander later, I think. I shall take my camera.

In the meantime, here is the view from the living room window and door of the Carpathia:

Comments

[mathcathy]

Is that all? Really?!?!?

I've been driving for the last three hours, listening to the London Radio DJs declare that London is appalling that the snow is feet deep .....

It's shameful that this country stops so completely when it snows.

(Fingers crossed I can get back to Stoke tonight)

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

The problem is less that there's only 2 or 3 inches of snow and more the case that it's not melting. Looking down at the High Road from the window, the snow is churning into black mush, but not melting and that's unusual since traffic normally gets rid of it even if it would otherwise sit.

I guess this is because the gritters haven't been out as much as anything, so you don't need much to make driving hazardous.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

More like 8" down this end of town.

[mathcathy]

Gritting makes a huge difference, doesn't it?

Where the A34 passes under the M4, the gritters forgot a bit. It was the one bit of my journey down which actually felt treacherous.

[ellefurtle.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's shameful - as Bry suggested, why spend a vast amount of cash to ensure it doesn't that could go elsewhere? It's only a day or so.

[oldnick.livejournal.com]

Comfortably at work here in the Midlands. Mind you - we probably have half an inch of snow at most, enough to close down South London perhaps.

It is falling again now though.

[pipsytip.livejournal.com]

When the snow comes it comes and so far its avoided its usual hang outs of north wales.

Wrexham has about an inch but there were gritters with snow ploughs attached doing things.

But then again we are supposed to deal with this those north of Birmingham.

[keith-london.livejournal.com]

Top marks to the shop that looks like it opened (in your first photo). Is that a bakery? Or estate agent?

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

It's a small family run Italian café!

[fractalgeek.livejournal.com]

Only just got home last night, and didn't dare drive onto my road.

Snow-ploughs were out in central croydon, and the south circular was melted. Many stopped/abandoned vehicles on hills. I risked one, but managed to get my route to avoid anything else too scary.

[ladkyis.livejournal.com]

There were gritters out on the A49 at Leominster yesterday - there was no snow just gritters.
We have had a sprinkling of very fine snow this morning and that was enough to make the cat decide to saty in and use the litter tray.
He was getting to be so brave, going out and weeing in the leaves under the wisteria but that white dust floating in the air and that cold, cold wind under the tail was just too much for a sensitive moggy. He gave me a hurt look and retired to his chair.