Pavements? What pavements?

Snap,Gattina..no visible pavements here either..although we can get out of the door ! stay safe and warm :o) x

Same here although it is thawing this morning !

Yes, it's thawing here, too! Hooray! The forecast isn't terribly good, though, but, after all, It's January: what should we expect?
We were chatting to a friend who lives in Hertfordshire yesterday, and he told us it was only the bus routes that were being gritted and salted, and that the side roads were completely impassable. I think maybe it's about time the UK councils invested in one or two snow ploughs, since the pattern of winters definitely seems to be changing. 7 years ago, when we first moved here, I remember telling people that England didn't get much snow in the winters, but that we remembered really cold, snowy winters when we were much younger (notably 1963), but now things seem to be doing an about-face. We also watched a programme the other night on BBC2 about the winter of 1963. Yes, it was hard, but we just got on with it as best we could. My school certainly wasn't closed at all, and I walked the six miles to and from it every day. (The buses were running, but weren't, unsurprisingly, very reliable) There didn't seem to be all the fuss that a few inches of snow causes these days.

Incidentally, on Sunday evening I ordered a couple of radiators through Amazon UK - they arrived at 10.00 a.m. today, having travelled safely across Europe from Scotland, taking in Stansted and Cologne and Bologna airports on their way. I call that pretty amazing, given the conditions. Why isn't it that easy for passengers?

Why indeed? You're so right, we just "got on with it" back in the 1960s. We're in Herts, like your friend, and yes the main roads are quite clear, but on the side roads e.g. where we live, you have to take it slowly. I went for a walk this morning (with my stick!) and it was quite pleasant and crunchy where there are grassy borders covered with 4 inches of snow.

I was supposed to give my gardening group a chat about garden design this morning, but the organiser cancelled it because of the weather! Honestly we could have just gone ahead for the intrepid ones . . . :(((

We're being turned into a nation of wusses! They said on the UK news last night that schools were being closed for "health and safety reasons!" WHAT? It just means that thousands of parents are having to take time off work and losing money, their employers are faced with difficulties, and the children are losing schooling because of 4" of snow. I call that plain ridiculous. I'm sorry to keep making comparisons, but the schools here are kept open in all but the most severe conditions. (they closed last year when there was 1.60 metres of snow and widespread powercuts) but only for 2 days.

Exactly. Mainland Europe does snow so much better than we do . . . wusses indeed!

Now that's what I call snow!! However I bet your'e not at a stand still are you? What is wrong with us over here?

No, please, please don't answer this, it could be endless!!!

I agree with you too Chris! Our councils are absolutely useless here Gattina! We don't get anywhere near the amount you get. In 2010 here, everything came to a stand still! Buses would stop running, trains too and people do not come out and clear their fronts anymore, and gritters...well, the least said about them, the better!

I'm not going to add anymore to this discussion because my fingertips would be sore from all the typing and I'm no sure how many characters are allowed in the comment boxes!!!! Instead I'll use 2 words, no 3......
TYPICAL BL**DY COUNCILS!!!

Oh dear, What have we started here? Shall I add fuel to the fire? Do you know what we have paid in council tax this year? €38.00 If you have a second home, you pay much, much more, but out here in the sticks, we pay less than you would for an apartment. Up until this year, we paid nothing. We do pay a lot of other taxes, though.

You just want some more English neighbours Gattina, obviously . . .

Oh yes! But not TOO many, thank you!

Just a dozen or so shivering GoYers then . . . as soon as Heathrow has got its act together (oh look, a flying pig . . )

I'll bet it's not flying with Ryanair...........