Winter as I remember it

[~threadbear~]

-19/-20 here overnight, well unofficially, but according to the local news.
Both Workington and Whitehaven harbour's have ice in them.

[Serinde]

Our local river, the Endrick is frozen, as is part of the Clyde (and that's seawater!).

However, the killjoys in Health and Safety have decided that the big bonspiel which was to be held at Lake of Menteith cannot go ahead because they cannot guarantee everyone's safety. WELL! We might all as well never do anything! No one can guarantee anybody's safety. Silly muppets.

[~threadbear~]

That's what made me about the harbours Serinde, seawater! We're on the Solway Firth keeping a good eye over on that Scottish coast!

[Angel]

hehe that phrase always makes me laugh. I totally agree with you.

[Serinde]

Well, they are muppets.

When I said the Clyde was partially frozen, I was meaning as far down as Glasgow, where the river is tidal: down by Pacific Quay. I suspect there are still too many ships going in and out of the Firth of Clyde for it to really freeze, but last I was across the Erskine Bridge, I thought it was frozen, and that's almost to Dumbarton.

[May]

We have had snow since before Christmas (Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland) and are just about fed up with it now. With temperatures of -10 and less, the roads are hazardous - nothing for it but to stay in and stitch

[Serinde]

I know, May, life can be such a trial.

Another inch fell here last night. Guess I still think its pretty, plus I'm minded of all the bugs and beasties that are NOT going to be eating my garden next summer!

[Squirrel]

Hadn't thought of that Serinde. Yes the extreme cold will kill off all the nasties in the gardens for you. Please send it over here express post. I have some awesome spider webs in the garden at present and noooo I'm not going to investigate whose home they are. Aussie has too many nasty ones for my liking.

Hope you all keep safe and warm and enjoy your stitching.

Squirrel

[Jilly]

I walked round to Katie's yesterday, I wrapped up very warm and also put a pair of socks over my boots..it really does help stop you ending up on your bum...it's less effective where the ground is clear, smooth ice..but on the majority of snowy, icy, general slippy stuff it worked a treat,
My two lads have had no water at all since Tuesday/Wednesday, it seems to be frozen under the back yard, all the pipes in the house are frost free, they are melting snow for washing etc

[SusanF]

However, the killjoys in Health and Safety have decided that the big bonspiel which was to be held at Lake of Menteith cannot go ahead because they cannot guarantee everyone's safety. WELL! We might all as well never do anything! No one can guarantee anybody's safety. Silly muppets.

That is really disappointing news. My Mum has been really looking forward to this and has been working hard to persuade my brother to drive her there to say she had seen it. Such a pity when this is something that can only take place so rarely too.

[Ceitidh]

Only got about 8 inches here now, but have had snow on the ground since at least the 17th December, and still no grit on the pavement.

Here are a few piccies I took just along from our house last Tuesday.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=5 ... 12c41cae44

[SusanF]

Ceitidh that frozen waterfall looks fantastic

[Jilly]

Ohhh WOW!!! stunning!

[~threadbear~]

Fabulous pictures. The icicles and waterfall are amazing.

[Angel]

Angel had the fright of her life today!

I was destined to meet someone today, so I put classic fm on knowing all too well that radio 2 would only have traffic forecasts of ice on the roads and the advice to stay indoors. So I put classic fm on, hoping for some calm, slip and slide up to the bos stop and get on...So what do they play? Night on Bear mountain! Seriously, that is one scary track, let alone as a sound track on a bus dodging abandoned cars, racing past icicles with ice down to the floor, snowdrifts almost dwarfing afghan hounds and a clunk clunk clunk noise everytime it tries to brake! Then...as if I wasn't alarmed enough..Alton towers music! What's it called? Hall of the goblin king? Another un nerving track! Seriously, by the time we reached the main road I was half dead. Still...I made it without incident...past cars that had decided to use a wall in place of brakes.

Still, the icicles I saw...which I thought were amazingly impressive, have nothing on Ceitidh's!!!!WOW!!!!!

[Jilly]

Well the water defrosted in Michael and Andrews house....behind a panel in the kitchen luckily Michael was in there so they were able to turn the stop-cock off quite quickly. There was still a lot of water and it threatened to go into the carpeted living room..luckily a thick rug and various small items..(a clip on work tie of Andrews ) in the non carpeted dining area saved the day.. slowing the flow up enough to give them time to throw towels down....the house is designed so that the kitchen, the dining room and lower living room are stepped down...the kitchen is at the highest point..they were very, very, lucky

[Sarah Gixxer]

We had about 5-6 inches of snow here in Lincolnshire. The snow itself wasn't a problem, but like many of you have said, it then packed down and froze solid and was a nightmare. Last Friday night everyone left work early as most people have to drive quite a long way to get home and there was a blizzard. My little car had 3 inches of snow on top of her and I was covered in it from the waist down by the time I finished getting it off.

The worst thing is the footpaths - I live right off a High Street full of shops and the pavements are sheet ice. Not a single grain of salt/grit has been put down, except outside my favourite Chinese takeaway. The Chinese lady was out there herself with a shovel, brush and a dish full of salt making the path in front of her shop safe and ice free. Iceland poured a bucket of water over their patch of snow. Can you imagine? It was an ice rink an hour later! Still, what can you expect from ICEland, hahaha!

Fortunately most of it has melted now. There are heaps of brown slush in most of the gutters, but the majority of the roads and paths are clear.

[Angel]

Apparently the government are saying that it's not their responsibility to grit the pavements, but if you do it and someone slips, they are well within their right to sue you...which is why a lot of places aren't bothering to grit the path outside.

What a lucky save Jilly.

[burgundyice]

Apparently the government are saying that it's not their responsibility to grit the pavements, but if you do it and someone slips, they are well within their right to sue you...which is why a lot of places aren't bothering to grit the path outside.

Yes this is exactly what happened with Teesside Park (open air shopping park) near us, they don't use any grit, so it gets classed as just an act of God so no one can be sued... If they make efforts to grit and people still slip, crash etc, then it counts as if they didn't grit properly and people can claim against them.
Meanwhile where I work we've used tonnes of grit on the car park, now running out and it's only to be used on essential bits!

I've given up trying to walk on the pavements... since the roads are clear now I walk on the road... luckily this is only early morning and evening so pretty quiet

Louise

[Angel]

It's stupid isn't it? I'm really lucky as our small town knows virtually everyone, so people are gritting when they can, heck, I've even seen people drive up with shovels and shovel some of it up. No one is going to sue them because "Oh you slipped? Well that's janes, dads uncles neice who cleared that bit".

Seriously though, be responsible, if you slip, you slip. Deal with it. If this whole suing culture hadn't started those streets would have been cleared by now. Stop suing over nothing and there'll be less danger to you.