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.

I go with the Buzzard, thankfully more widespread now. Red Kites still tend to be West Country or Wales, Buzzards and Kestrels are common, Hen Harriers up here in East Anglia. Did get to see a Golden Eagle above Coniston a few years back, and one in Scotland last year. Sea Eagle at Portree on Skye as well.

Judging by your handle, you live near Woodbridge, lucky sod, I’ve never seen Hen Harriers in East Anglia, where do they hang out then. Marsh Harriers as you probably know are always a fantastic sight at Minsmere and I’ve even seen one well inland in the Stour Valley north of Colchester.
I once saw a Red Squirel in Rendelsham Forest, but my recent attempts at seeing one have come to nought, do they still live there or did the destruction of the forest in the hurricane of 87 drive them away.
My greatest ever sighting in Minsmere was during a visit to the Eels Foot pub one evening, during one of our continously frustrating walks along the levels to spot an otter, we came apon a sluice that was literally crawling with eels, not just in the water, but all over the bank, did I have my camera with me, of course not, an incredible sight.
A bird of prey that does seem to have become fairly common in these parts is the Sparrow Hawk, on Xmas Day we were round at the in-laws when one took a blue tit off the bird table in front of us and proceeded to eat it on the branch of their Horse Chestnut tree, my youth has a great picture of this taken with his mobile phone, but how do I download it.
We are fortunate in having a wild river setting at the bottom of the garden, despite living on the edge of Braintree, the bird and wild life around here is fantastic, the other night our dogs were having a row with the local fox over the fence, it was quite something, he eventually retorted by having a dump on the front lawn, I love foxes, I’ve noticed a considerable number of them dead on the roadside recently, it upsets me a lot, how can these scumbags want to hunt them down and kill them, or am I moving into dangerous territory here, as usual.

‘The Hill’ has to be seen to be believed, superb cast, not your typical ‘war’ film but IMHO one of the best films ever made.

Another not-often-seen war film I’d recommend is John Frankenheimer’s “The Train”.

Absolutely outstanding special-effects footage of a Spitfire strafing a locomotive (shot, I’m sure, from a Spitfire with original gun-camera). Some good A-26 cockpit footage also.

As for the train crashes; no CGI here. To simulate one locomotive running into another at 60mph the filmmakers simply got a real working locomotive and ran it into another at 60mph!

(Edit – found them on ‘YouTube’ – judge for yourself.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GUzTJCumuE&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmsxtErEVrw&mode=related&search=

I totally agree with everything you say, I have to say that Burt Lancaster was an inspired choice of actor for The Train, any other Hollywood actor could have been a disaster, pity he couldn’t speak French, or maybe he could and didn’t need to. Was not the Spitfire MH434.

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.

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.

I’m not knocking the showing of this film, in fact it’s on now, but they seem to show it every other month along with a load of other continously repeated movies, Twister for a start.
There are other, great WW2 movies that are rarely shown, what about Thin Red Line for starters, The Enemy Within was on yesterday, what a cast that was, but when was it last shown, probably we’ll get The Dam Busters again tommorrow and BoB next week, lets see some imagination, programme planners. Can anyone think of a cool WW2 movie that hasn’t been on for a while.

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.