It’s not often we’re blessed with snowman-grade snow in the South-East. Especially snow that warrants a Met Office Severe Weather Warning. In fact, the last time it snowed like this down in the South-East was – correct me if I’m wrong – about 18 years ago.
That long ago, I remember helping my Dad dig his car out of the snow, and building snowmen in the garden. What this weather has brought many is the opportunity to stand still for a short while; a brief period in our busy lives to stroll down the road, admiring the pretty white stuff that has made everything so, well, pretty.
What’s sad about this awesome weather event though, is not that it has caused so much travel chaos, but that so many are seeking to blame someone for the fact that the roads almost ground to a halt, all London buses were canceled and the trains stopped working. Really what these people are suggesting we do, when they compare our capital city’s response to countries such as Russia, Sweden and Canada is anyone’s guess. Do they really think we should pay good tax money into a pot each year just so that we are prepared for the once-in-every-eighteen-year event, that lasts just one day? And besides, the roads really were trecherous – and where I live, we saw gritters all day long – and it didn’t really help, the snow was coming down so heavy and so fast.
And, while I’m ranting, did these people all miss the weather warnings in the days beforehand? If it caught you unprepared, I really don’t know how. It was all over BBC News, Sky News and the radio. And, the Grape Vine. Why not just enjoy it while it lasts? Whether you like going outdoors in the snow or not, time to think is a rarity for most people these days, let alone some pretty scenerey for us inner-city larks. My fiancé and I went for a nice long morning stroll through the park, before we both started work at 8am. And that gave me the perfect opportunity to snap some snow pics (I’ve not had a chance to correct the lighting in these yet, so please bear with me!).
I, for one, was glad of something different for a change – especially something so pretty!
Richard Parker 