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ITs SNOWING in London

Two days off work for me. Not as much fun as it looks as it's cos my daughter's school is closed too, so means I have to stay home and look after her.

Office was closed yesterday (monday) as all buses cancelled and all london tube closed outside zone 2 (where they run overground) meant building staff couldn't get to work. We had one reception guy (a building keyholder) who walked 3 hours to get to work, only to find it was closed for the day. Poor guy.

Office is open today, partner gone off to work, but I gotta stay home today to look after my daughter. Lots of schools still closed today, means lots of UK staff still off work. Streets are very icy today. We have one staffer with a weak ankle, we advised her not to come to work today cos of the risk of slipping on the ice.

I built a small snowman at 2am on Sunday night (monday morning) then built a bigger one with my daughter at 9am on Monday morning :)

Might post pics later. I don't usually post pics on MR.

It's amusing that 5mm of snow is usually enough to bring the UK to a halt, compared to NY, Canada, Germany, and other countries. Problem is it only happens one or 2 days a year, so not worth spending billions on equipment, and stockpiling it for 363 days a year (there isn't much spare space for vast amounts of unused equipment here).

To the Cornwall guy - I grew up near Penzance, right at the tip. I remember it snowed most winters when I was a kid, but not for the last 25 years it hasn't.

Winters really have changed. There's a few reports in the papers saying that snow like this in London used to be NORMAL every winter in the fairly recent past (30-40 years ago) - but not any more apparently.

I've just come back from my second mid-winter visit to Stockhom, Sweden, and they are saying there is really much less snow than there used to be. Used to be meters of snow, but last two years, none at all in midwinter. The lakes and streams aren't freezing, and you used to be able to walk over them.

I don't like the phrase 'global warming' - I prefer 'climate change' and while this particular winter could just be natural variability, all the different reports of altered climate do start adding up.

x RT x
 
I thought this was a splendid article about the snow in London, and the wonderful feeling you get anywhere in the UK when it snows.
 
RedTomato said:
To the Cornwall guy - I grew up near Penzance, right at the tip. I remember it snowed most winters when I was a kid, but not for the last 25 years it hasn't.
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It is covered there apparently :D

And it started again here :D just come back in as I am freezing.
 
iBlue said:
How do you even pronounce that? Bloody Welsh. :p
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"Coombe" sounds close enough.

Snow update: It's stopped! (I just witnessed some snow fall from a tree branch and land on the neighbours cat! Happily the cat is unhurt, but I've never seen him bolt so fast! :D)
 
iBlue said:
How do you even pronounce that? Bloody Welsh. :p
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lmao that is so true!

I visited Cardiff back in 98'ish for work and I couldn't understand most of the conversations. I thought about getting really drunk so maybe it would slow down my hearing and be able to understand (not saying that all Welsh folks are drunks btw). I'll never forget that dumbfounded feeling that I should be understanding them b/c they're English speaking yet I couldn't.

As for the rest of the folks in the UK, enjoy the time off and the snow. Snap lots of pics and take lots of video. I think sometimes Mamma Nature just sends this weather to do 2 things:

1. remind us of who is really in charge on this planet and

2. gives us a reason to slow down the 'busy' life and enjoy.

cheers,
keebler
 
joepunk said:
At least i hardly ever see this from those of you across the pond

Two buses full of students tried to go down icy Thomas Street on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and almost ended up on the freeway. News reports said there were only a few minor injuries. It could have been a lot worse.
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I hope someone said 'Hold on lads, I've got a great idea!'
 
This is the first time it has snowed this much since 1991. It's awesome. Even better - it delayed Stephen Fry's talk, so now I can make it :D
 
steviem said:
I hope someone said 'Hold on lads, I've got a great idea!'
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:D nice one.

italianjob-375_tcm18-136393.JPG
 
Is that uncommon or something?

Being in Chicago now, it snows all the damn time and if it isn't snowing, snow is still everywhere from past days of snowfall
 
iBlue said:
LOL all you like but this area is not equipped for this. This is not "a little bit of snow", it is the most that has been seen in 18 years. It's AT LEAST 6 inches here and still falling. Driving is completely unreasonable and the public transport is almost completely crippled from this. Tell me, how would you get to work, and more importantly, back home? :rolleyes:
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Nah, not so long ago, the UK was once a snowy country. Every winter there used to be many inches of snow drifting in, occasional covering the landmark redpilla boxes. I remember as a child, the snow used to come up to my thighs and people in my city still went to work like it's business as usual, kids still went to school. The only things that seems to of changed today, despite having better cars and more advance technology, are the people's mindset. It seems we're living in a country filled with cotten-wool kids, babied by the lame British government and silly European laws.

For those who think the British technology isn't up to it.. well.. our technology is just as advance as yours; it comes from the same place.. And I'd imagine people in Scotland would cope just fine, think of Wick, bet they get snow all the time! But those southern fairies all stopped in shock of the white fluffy stuff. What gives?

As for me, well I'm as British as you are, I'm born in the UK right in the hear of the Midlands. It's only been two years since I left. Mostly so I can work more hours, get paid more and pay less income tax... Those EU directives about how many hours I'm allowed to work, bugs me. So much so, I left!
 
Eh, I was watching some news show thingy about the snow, and they were saying the reason why England grinds to a halt is because we don't put the resources into getting rid of, or just through the stuff during snow days because they happen 2-5/365 days a year.

But still. The buggers back with a vengeance this morning! Pops car left the drive about 15 minutes ago and the snow has already covered up the tracks. And apparently we've got heavy stuff on Sunday.
 
UltraNEO* said:
Nah, not so long ago, the UK was once a snowy country. Every winter there used to be many inches of snow drifting in, occasional covering the landmark redpilla boxes. I remember as a child, etc etc etc
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Grandad is that you? :p
 
I'm from 'darn sarth' but working up in the lochs west of Glasgow. Snow won't settle here, just slush everywhere, no fun :mad:
 
UltraNEO* said:
Nah, not so long ago, the UK was once a snowy country. Every winter there used to be many inches of snow drifting in, occasional covering the landmark redpilla boxes. I remember as a child, the snow used to come up to my thighs and people in my city still went to work like it's business as usual, kids still went to school.
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I agree. When the UK got regular snow and large amounts of it we coped much better. For the last 15 years or so we get it every couple of years and no-one can remember what to do.

Not that I'm complaining, I get a nice day off work.
 
I think a lot of people are starting to take the michael with all this snow now though, it's not impossible to get to work it's people being lazy. Why are all these kids off causing havock? get them back in school NOW!.
 
Tom B. said:
;) Television wasn't lying:

"Dickens' era was at the end of an extremely cold period meteorologists have dubbed ''the little ice age'' which lasted from 1400 until the 1850s. In the early part of the century, the River Thames froze over 20 times. In the 180 years since it has not frozen over once. Dickens, as much as anyone, has helped to freeze an image of Christmas that is more 1812 than 1984. Clement Moore picked up on the frosty atmosphere in his poem ''The Night Before Christmas'' but these days, it's still that 1942 Irving Berlin tune ''White Christmas'' which captures - and spreads - the feeling of nostalgia and peace that has made snow such a sought-after commodity around the end of December"

http://www.enter.net/~wxdata/1984-7.htm
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Ah, that explains it. I've been doing some reading on the life of King Henry VIII. Supposedly when he was king the Thames would freeze over every year and they would have a winter market on top of the ice. It's hard to imagine that now!
 
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