SNOW (Merged)

I saw something that REALLY pissed me off last night. I was watching the local BBC regional news (‘Look East’ for those wanting details:p ), and they had gone all out to cover the snow ‘story’. They’d even thrown one of their anchor presenters into the field to bring us the ‘full story’.

Get this. They put one of their reporters with a breakdown service company to bring back news that a car had broken down on X motorway – ‘the first call out of the day’. OMG, this really was important news that we all needed to know about. I mean for Christs Sake, cars break down all the time, and a little snow wouldnt result in more callouts – random people would still have problems starting their cars whether there was white stuff or not (I know from experience, having worked at a breakdown service call centre).

I travelled from Leicestershire to Essex via London yesterday on the trains. The media appeared to be creating the idea that the snow was making travel awful. I didnt experience any problems – ok, a couple of trains before mine were delayed (but that happens all the time, doesnt it, people?). Trains still worked, buses got me to the station blah blah.

I was being told by the ‘train captains’ to mind the platforms becuase it was snowing outside and it *will* be slippery. I mean Jesus guys, you don’t think I know that?

You know where I saw the ‘worst’ transport problems yesterday? The bloody Underground!!!!!

The media is crap, and hasnt got anything better to report other than that the rain had frozen, and mr. smith couldnt be bothered to get out of bed to go to work cos the rain was white. I could understand it, if, as others have said, we got 6ft snow drifts. But guess what – we ain’t. SO, get on with it, shut up moaning about there being too much snow and go to work. :p :p

Yes, but at least with Look East we get to see the delectable Julie do the weather, isn’t it all worth it.

Only 15cm or so here – and its only been here for about a month. Unfortunately the average temp has been around -15 since the snow arrived. Neither the cold nor the snow show any sign of leaving any time soon.

I know, I know – its supposed to be here, but that doesn’t mean I’m supposed to like it.

That chick Mother Nature sure does have a bad sense of humour.

OK, I think I can stop complaining – Oswego County NY (just over 1 hr drive away) has had close to 3 METRES in the last week!!!

http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=94668

The media is crap

You’ve only just realised this?! 😀

I remember seeing a very comical report on the news when the A380 had its first flight. The lady reporter (from if I remember rightly the BBC), stated, in a very matter-of-fact way, that the aircraft was “powered by 900 engines”. A few minutes later her colleague in the studio corrected the mistake and said it was actually powered by FOUR Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.

Not quite the same thing but it still amused me. I did wonder, however, whether she was aware those big things mounted under the wings were the engines, and whether she thought the other 896 of them were just hiding somewhere!

Paul

I saw something that REALLY pissed me off last night. I was watching the local BBC regional news (‘Look East’ for those wanting details:p ), and they had gone all out to cover the snow ‘story’. They’d even thrown one of their anchor presenters into the field to bring us the ‘full story’.

Get this. They put one of their reporters with a breakdown service company to bring back news that a car had broken down on X motorway – ‘the first call out of the day’. OMG, this really was important news that we all needed to know about. I mean for Christs Sake, cars break down all the time, and a little snow wouldnt result in more callouts – random people would still have problems starting their cars whether there was white stuff or not (I know from experience, having worked at a breakdown service call centre).

I travelled from Leicestershire to Essex via London yesterday on the trains. The media appeared to be creating the idea that the snow was making travel awful. I didnt experience any problems – ok, a couple of trains before mine were delayed (but that happens all the time, doesnt it, people?). Trains still worked, buses got me to the station blah blah.

I was being told by the ‘train captains’ to mind the platforms becuase it was snowing outside and it *will* be slippery. I mean Jesus guys, you don’t think I know that?

You know where I saw the ‘worst’ transport problems yesterday? The bloody Underground!!!!!

The media is crap, and hasnt got anything better to report other than that the rain had frozen, and mr. smith couldnt be bothered to get out of bed to go to work cos the rain was white. I could understand it, if, as others have said, we got 6ft snow drifts. But guess what – we ain’t. SO, get on with it, shut up moaning about there being too much snow and go to work. :p :p

SNOW (Merged)

Hi
I am just wondering as to WHY when we have a bit of snow the schools close and some buisineses let their staff off. I could quite see the reason if s we had approx 8″ + of snow but when the weather was much worse in the early 60s we NEVER heard of schools closing (or perhaps we would put up with it and not CRY like today’s schoolies).:confused: :confused:

Why don’t you immigrate to the land of sunshine like any sensible soul would do??

Unfortunately, I’m concerned that the forest fires that have already destroyed the house will have driven even more Black Widows under the last remaining structure, the outside Dunny, and that I won’t be able to comfortably read Flypast on the bog without getting itchy, or fatal bits.

Why don’t you immigrate to the land of sunshine like any sensible soul would do??

Boy anyone living in Ontario Canada gets off easy 😉

About 2 feet of snow here in Winnipeg Canada, a real joy when combined with the -25 to -37 degree weather we have been having lately.

At least we don’t have to mow the lawn for another couple of months.

Only 15cm or so here – and its only been here for about a month. Unfortunately the average temp has been around -15 since the snow arrived. Neither the cold nor the snow show any sign of leaving any time soon.

I know, I know – its supposed to be here, but that doesn’t mean I’m supposed to like it.

That chick Mother Nature sure does have a bad sense of humour.

around 60 cm in here…and -20 degree celsius….but then again, its supposed to be so, not complaining….:rolleyes:

…well expect that my Saab 900 has taken a small winter holiday this week, as the ****** refuses to start in the morning:mad: 😡 But thats due more of the crabby parking arragment on my flat that doesent provide eletric spots so that I could keep it heated…

But lets enjoy this as long as it still lasts…

Not a flake to be found where I am, but there was some in Edinburgh as I left there this morning.

WV838:-
Now that was what I was expecting to hear, bloody brilliant, trouble is, our cardboard box used to go all soggy and we had to sleep in t’ canal to keep warm with the frogs.
Ivan:-
Thanks for the PM, they shut down the local school despite the fact that it’s just up the road and everything has decided to start melting, but we knew that would happen anyway.
One good thing is that Mr Bored Youth started watching Band of Brothers on DVD and loved it, refering to certain incidents as real life which involved my old man, he became aware that war films can reflect what really happened and has at least has had a history lesson today, even though it was via Tom Hanks.

The only day I can remember when my school was closed (somewhere in the 80’s) due to the snow wasn’t because we cauldn’t reach school (it was even fun to go there in 2 feet deep snow), but because the director, who was the only one with the keys, was stuck at home, all the roads in his area having been hit by ice 😀

LooseHead

Exactly!!!

Not Today……!!!

WV838, its really satisfying to be a grumpy old man sometimes!!! I love it! I am slowly turning into my Dad. I even commented yesterday how the nights are drawing out and I ned to put some teak oil onto the patio furniture!!! Thanks for the Python script BTW! one of my favourites!! 😀

:confused: What I don’t understand is that all the other kids in our little cul-de-sac (who go to schools on the main roads (primary and secondary)) have had their schools closed, but my lad who goes to one 1/4 of a mile way down a side road is open and my daughter caught her morning coach to Thomas Telford school 15 miles away in Shropshire as normal. Theres only about an inch of snow here, I can still see grass poking out over the top!!! How come we don’t close Hospitals and Police Stations when it snows? Surely its no harder for the cops and nurses/doctors to get to their place of employment as it is for parents to drop their kids off and the teachers too? Listening to the local radio this morning, they announced which schools were closed and only some were closed to both pupils and teachers. If the teachers can get there then why not the kids?? Strange how its impossible for parents to get the kids to the school but not too hard to drive into the country to the top of a hill to take them sledging?
Just a thought, are all scandinavian schools closed in the winter or do they only close when it stops snowing?? :p

This ain’t snow , its just a tribute! the worst /best snow I can remember was about 84/85, the main road off which I lived ,was boundaried by big open fields and the wind caused drifts that were so deep that cars were completely covered, at its deepest it was 6ft (measured on a telegraph pole).

In those days I was less worldly (yes it is possible), and had no comunication with the outside world for 5 days; I thought the whole of Essex was the same , but it turns out almost every road was cleared within 24 hrs, so basically it was just me! at its worst one of the central heating pipes burst, (although it didn’t leak until it thawed), and all the crockery in the washing up bowl was frozen solid….. but we were happy!

Gratuitous Canberra

Where does this fit in with historic aviation?

In this way!
(Pic by sengo)
.

Gosh and Crikey! I certainly hope that you’re not including me in that 99% Mr Truman – I actually prefer driving sideways 😀

Forgive me, but your post reminded me of this….

Eric Idle: Who would have thought, thirty years ago, we’d all be sitting here drinking Chateau de Chaselet, eh?
All: Aye, aye.
Michael Palin: Them days we were glad to have the price of a cup of tea.
Graham Chapman: Right! A cup of cold tea!
Michael Palin: Right!
Eric Idle: Without milk or sugar!
Terry Jones: Or tea!
Michael Palin: In a cracked cup and all.
Eric Idle: Oh, we never used to have a cup! We used to have to drink out of a rolled-up newspaper!
Graham Chapman: The best we could manage was to suck on a piece of damp cloth.
Terry Jones: But you know, we were happy in those days, although we were poor.
Michael Palin: Because we were poor!
Terry Jones: Right!
Michael Palin: My old dad used to say to me: “Money doesn’t bring you happiness, son!”
Eric Idle: He was right!
Michael Palin: Right!
Eric Idle: I was happier then and I had nothing! We used to live in this tiny old tumbled-down house with great big holes in
the roof.
Graham Chapman: House! You were lucky to live in a house! We used to live in one room, all twentysix of us, no furniture,
half the floor was missing, we were all huddled together in one corner for fear of falling.
Terry Jones: You were lucky to have a room! We used to have to live in the corridor!
Michael Palin: Oh, we used to dream of living in a corridor! Would have been a palace to us! We used to live in an old
watertank on a rubbish tip. We’d all woke up every morning by having a load of rotten fish dumped all over us! House, huh!
Eric Idle: Well, when I say a house, it was just a hole in the ground, covered by a sheet of tarpaulin, but it was a house to us!
Graham Chapman: We were evicted from our hole in the ground. We had to go and live in a lake!
Terry Jones: You were lucky to have a lake! There were 150 of us living in a shoebox in the middle of the road!
Michael Palin: A cardboard box?
Terry Jones: Aye!
Michael Palin: You were lucky! We lived for three months in a rolled-up newspaper in a septic tank! We used to have to go
up every morning, at six o’clock and clean the newspaper, go to work down the mill, fourteen hours a day, week in, week out,
for six pence a week, and when we got home, our dad would slash us to sleep with his belt!
Graham Chapman: Luxury! We used to have to get up out of the lake at three o’clock in the morning, clean the lake, eat a
handful of hot grubble, work twenty hours a day at mill, for two pence a month, come home, and dad would beat us around
the head and neck with a broken bottle, if we were lucky!
Terry Jones: Well, of course, we had it tough! We used to have to get up out of the shoebox in the middle of the night, and
lick the road clean with our tongues! We had to eat half a handful of freezing cold grubble, work twenty-four hours a day at
mill for four pence every six years, and when we got home, our dad would slice us in two with a breadknife!
Eric Idle: Right! I had to get up in the morning, at ten o’clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, eat a lump of cold
poison, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill and pay millowner for permission to come to work, and when we got home,
our dad would kill us and dance about on our graves, singing Hallelujah!
Michael Palin: Aah. Are you trying to tell the young people of today that, and they won’t believe you!
All: No, no they won’t!

It’s pathetic, the whole world shuts down because of a couple of inches of snow.
I remember Xmas 1957, we stayed at my uncles house in Edwinstowe, Sherwood Forest, it was amazingly deep and my cousin had to get back to Nottingham on Boxing Day, but the bus turned up on time, despite the conditions. That winter we had snow drifts half way up the back door, but were the schools closed, of course not.
63 was even more fun, apart from the freezing conditions and snow for 4 months we had SMOG, remember that, the foul smelling smoke from the local steelworks and the infinite number of coal fires made the air brown, really healthy, but were the schools closed, noooooo, we used to cycle through the filthy air and ice and had no problems getting about.
The only problem was that the coal stocks were frozen at the distribution points and my old man went up to the local woods and got a few tree trunks as a precaution, no chain saws in those days either.
The difference is, everyone relies on their own cars rather than public transport and, watching the sad efforts that my neighbours are going about preparing their cars for travel, it’s no wonder that we can’t cope.
Madam has had to drive 10 miles to her stables to sort out her horses, all on dodgy, rural roads,I warned her to sort out some contingency plans but it fell on deaf ears, hopefully, she has survived the experience, I’m expecting a phone call at any time, and yes, I did fill the car up with survival items.
Nice to have the choice to work at home today, but if I had to go out, my only problem would be with the dickheads who can’t cope with this, and that seems to be 99% of the population.