Dear Weather Dogs
Thank you very much for the extremely interesting winter weather you have seen fit to bestow upon us this year. A considerable improvement on the mild, damp and dreary winters we have had over much of the past decade.
This year you have surpassed yourselves. They are talking of this being the “worst” winter for thirty years. And I must say, the Christmas snow was a delight. I really enjoyed the frosty, frosty weather in the New Forest. I even rather enjoyed the excitements of last week, trying to get home on Tuesday, struggling into work for most of the week, admiring the beautiful, beautiful scenery, when I was about in daylight. It was kind of fun, watching the trains on Saturday morning, blowing up snowstorms as they made their way under the railway bridge up the valley. It made us feel very much as though we were Keeping Calm and Carrying On with True British Grit as we ducked out, between snow flurries, to Sainsbury’s for a few supplies, even though we are pretty much stocked up for a general siege most of the time.
But I am inclined to think that this might almost be enough. The weather conditions this morning were DREADFUL! OK – I’ll grant you they aren’t as dreadful as they are in Devon, or even in parts of Dorset and Hampshire. But the pavement this morning was like iced glass. Getting to the car was not comfortable. It took me over 15 minutes to de-ice the windscreen. I appreciate that a millimetre or so of ice is not a considerable depth. But it was sheet ice. On the windscreen. Frozen solid. And impossible either to see through or to get the scraper under in order to remove it. I don’t think that I have EVER seen ice quite like it on the pavements, roads, or cars. Pedestrians are being forced to walk on the roads, and are complaining that motorists are completely ignoring them and taking no account of the fact that they are there. Speaking as a motorist this morning, I can tell you that mostly we are aware of pedestrians being about on the road, but that they are almost impossible to see, in the dark, in the gloom, when they are wearing dark coats and dark hats and are scrunched up against falling over. Viz vests are what are needed. Viz vests! Pedestrians who are walking on the pavements are almost all skidding over; some are simply unable to move at all. Fortunately, the pedestrian area around St Paul’s Place and the Peace Garden, which I walk through to get from the car park, was relatively ice free. The University walkways likewise. Alas, not the pavements maintained entirely by the council.
Dear Weather Dogs, I appreciate that ill-equipped, invisible pedestrians are not strictly speaking your fault. But enough, already. I don’t know whether to risk going to Japanese this evening, or whether to go home while it is still almost light. It is hard to know, when the severe weather warnings are pronounced with gloom, doom and apocalyptic pessimism in the mornings, whether essential travel includes making an attempt to get to work. I would call upon the services of Aslan to induce a thaw. Except that I rather think that the need of the good people of Devon may be greater than ours. But if you could see your way clear, a slight thaw would be much appreciated.
And in the meantime – we’re getting to eat loads of simply wonderful, deep winter food. Rich soups, deep casseroles, dumplings, slow roasted things. Things that come into their own when it is cold and freezing outside. Might have to make a goulash for tomorrow. I lerv goulash and that’s really only freezing winter weather food. Maybe just the slightest of slight thaws?
Love, kisses, and many thanks in advance.
Frannie
PS I've just spoken to the language college. Tonight's classes have all been cancelled. So one less thing to worry about!
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