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Snowy tales and tribulations...
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 15 Dec 10 at 00:50
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Well I always clear my pavement... Not been sued yet in some 30 years but always a first time I suppose.. It does help that on our side of the road, the pavement stops at our house... so few people walk on it..
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It's strange how snow clearance of the pavement or sidewalk is considered the responsibility of the house or shop owner in the US ( the most litigious country on earth surely), Canada and most Northern European countries but the British are reluctant to lift a shovel to help their fellow man.
Mr Cameron's big society has a way to go
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According to BBC news cars near Bathgate on the M8 (main Glasgow Edinburgh Motorway) have been marooned for 7/8 hours, freezing fog adding to already desperate car drivers who have moved @ an average of 1 mph.
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What I have noticed on the TV was more and more farmers' tractors with a snow blade on the front - not daft are they !?
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I'm sitting in my office just now waiting to head north on A80 (Castlecary). It's been a carpark from around 8am. Could be a long night.
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coffee machine working is it? rig up a bed from the sofa in reception and think of the overtime.
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Well no chance of getting home from Glasgow so its a night in a Hotel for me!
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and the puppy wont keep you awake.
Awww bless - its missing you.
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I was just thinking that as well - separation anxiety !
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Can you find a hotel Bobby? They must be pretty full?
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Yeah, managed to find one overlooking the Kingston Bridge so entertainment to watch!
Humph you will get a feel of it when I tell you it is taking close to 8 hours to get from Glasgow to Airdrie and people have been stuck near Shawhead and on the Bellshill bypass for 7 hours!
On the plus side as zero says, hopefully an uninterrupted sleep though the family will cast this up to me for years!
Seriously in all my working life I have never heard of people being stranded in Glasgow like this!
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I apologise for keeping going on this! I am a great believer in "Sod's Law" If it is not a legal requirement for me to clear the council's pavement in front of my house I am not going to beacuse there is a 1 in 100,000 that someone might fall over my bad workmanship, fracture their skull and spend a life in a permanent vegetative state at my expense, or my household insurer's expense I hope. If it is not cleared they can see that it is not and take their own precautions. See my post in the previous page of this thread re neighbourly activities if you think my appraoch is too bolshie!
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There are a thousand and one ways of helping others in our communities; wielding a shovel a few times a year to clear snow from a pavement is but one. And it is one I choose not to to.
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Don't move to Canada then. Typical Canadian by-law requiring snow clearance of sidewalks. You can walk down their streets in winter.
tinyurl.com/32errek
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I enjoy shovelling snow, I do the neighbour's too if he's working away. It takes about an hour to clear the road and it's nice, peaceful exercise. If it isn't done, we don't get the bins emptied, the cesspits emptied, the postie on his bicycle gets stuck and the mums can't push their prams.
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PP,
Your choice to clear or not, but there's more chance of someone 'fracturing their skull and spend a life in a permanent vegetative state' on 'your' bit of pavement if you leave it uncleared.
Although the chances of it happening in either scenario are next-to-nil.
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No moral dilemma here. No pavements !
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None here - but I had to de-frost the road yesterday to get out in a hurry.....helped by a neighbour so we could share the liability !
Friend had a car accident - was taken home and needed to get to casualty - broken wrist !
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Frost is causing a problem now, the roads look fine but the frost is making grip a bit worse. Felt like I was driving on ice a few times tonight. Mind you the temperatures were -7.
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Extremely cold and clear here tonight.
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Same here ! Just checked my fleabay special Mini Max thermometer outside the garage (in the shade) +4 was the warmest, currently +2 - light wind. Not bad.
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I made it home!
Set off at 3pm, car was a no go - M8 full & stationary. M74 the same. Decided we'd take a bus instead of adding another car on the road for only 2 people. EDIT: *all* train services cancelled anywhere near us, and no taxis for love nor money.
Crawled out through the city / parkhead / mount vernon / birkenshaw / bellshill in a record time of 3.5 hours. Stop start the full way. Freezing cold Coakley bus (they buy London's real end of life cast offs, 3rd or 4th owner stuff, off the weigh bridge, and run them... :-) )
Then a walk from Bellshill to Newarthill, only 3.5 miles but sub zero and couple of inch deep mushy slow progress snow the whole way.
Cat now fed and sprawled out without a care in the world. If it wasn't for him i'd be in the Radisson with Bobby...
Last edited by: Skoda on Mon 6 Dec 10 at 21:38
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Totally clear in East Midlands, not enough moisture in the air to put frost on a parked car and Temp is -7C as I post
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Just back from collecting Bromp J from Dav. His sister drove but I rode shotgu/observer in view of road conditions.
Earlier freezing fog mostly gone but still hanging in dips, particularly by the canal. Every tree, verge & telephone wire has a coating of hoar frost. Oddly, on the way back we noticed it sprinkling out of trees and forming drifts on the roadside; change in weather or just overload?
Roads themselves pretty clear & dry.
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I was in Daventry about 5.30 this afternoon Brompton, usual empty artic which felt unusually light to drive and i could feel icy patches forming on several roundabouts with the Crick side ring road as reflective as i've seen for a long time, peculiar and quickly changing conditions with that freezing mist...reminded me of those freezing fogs we used to get regularly in Northants a lifetime ago.
Stalagtites hanging from the trailer i collected which hadn't broken off during the run back.
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Skoda, impressed that you got home considering some
e of the stories I am hearing.
I believe there are a lot of abandoned cars around Shawhead etc so will be even more chaos tomorrow!
Last edited by: BobbyG on Mon 6 Dec 10 at 22:15
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>>Cat now fed and sprawled out without a care in the world. If it wasn't for him i'd be in the Radisson with Bobby...<<
Well done Skoda, that's given me a warm and fuzzy feeling....I mean the cat not the hotel with Bobby:)
Pat
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I got off lightly I think! Left Grangemouth at 17:30, home to Lanark in <1 hour. Very few cars about on the country roads - all stuck on the m-ways I guess. Couple of guys in our office not made it home yet having left at the same time. OK on the way in this morning, although car did say -15°C at one point....
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"At least nine people have so far died in the big freeze, with an elderly man found dead in snow at a caravan park, the latest victim."
Where's Iffy?
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I must admit that was my thought when I saw the report but he was grumbling about something on here soon after.
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He's usually antagonised four or five people by now hasn't he?
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Last heard of putting someone right re snow clearance (or not) from pavements.
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Gents,
Your genuine concern for my welfare is truly heartwarming.
I'm steering clear of the caravan at present, it's too cold to be in a tin box.
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>>
>> I'm steering clear of the caravan at present, it's too cold to be in a
>> tin box.
>>
So you won't be able to hear the tortured groaning of the water pipes as they struggle to contain the swelling ice inside ...
:-)
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>>So you won't be able to hear the tortured groaning of the water pipes as they struggle to contain the swelling ice inside ...
:-)
Music to the ears of caravan and second home owners, I'm sure.
Edit: :-)
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Tue 7 Dec 10 at 10:34
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Last heard of putting someone right (or not) re snow clearance from pavements!!!!!!!!!
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Perky and Clk,
Instead of idling away your time on here, shouldn't you be out clearing some snow?
That's what considerate neighbours do, you know.
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NO! I have already posted a modest list of what I do to be neighbourly in my village and snow clearing isn't amongst them. The council owns my pavement and, for reasons with which people can agree or disagree, I don't clear mine.
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When were gritting salting lorries first used in the UK? In my younger days coarse sand was applied by it being manually shovelled off the back of a lorry.
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ADVERTISEMENT
Jobsworth Wanted:
The successful applicant will be appointed to the post of Street Snow Warden.
Every street in the UK is to have a SSW who will take charge of communityl snow clearing efforts. He/she will be required to make a list of all shovels owned by the residents, and ensure that these are kept in good condition ready for use.
On receipt of a snow clearance order from the Community Snow Clearance Manager, the SSW will organise gangs of "volunteers" to ensure that the paths are kept clear.
Applicants must be familiar with the snow clearance Health & Safety rules regarding ..........
...... zzzzzz
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You forgot to mention the penalties for shovelling early, piling snow in non-approved locations, shovelling in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace, sexist shovelling, shovelling with a non approved implement, singing whilst shovelling, shovelling over the boundary into another shovellers area etc
I'm starting to pick up PP's line. Just as well I don't have a pavement.
John
Last edited by: Tooslow on Tue 7 Dec 10 at 12:29
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A couple on here might be interested...
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The Census jobsworths wont have jobs till March, so i could be a fill-in role.
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PROCLAMATION
Citizens required to exercise common sense.
Jobsworths (above) to be made redundant.
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There's only a few hundred of them in the country. Common sense isn't common. Those who demonstrate it tend to get persecuted, something of the "Kingdom of the blind" effect.
John
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>> PROCLAMATION
>>
>> Citizens required to exercise common sense.
>>
>> Jobsworths (above) to be made redundant.
>>
>>
>> >>>>>HEADLINE NEWS-----------------LATEST-----------------------HEADLINE NEWS
person found in lower upminster shows intelligence and uses common sense to clear footpath
all mp's recalled to commons--stop--- public enquiry --stop--call for army to make their way from colchester to bring calm--stop--
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I'm beginning to worry about Bobby. I know roughly where he works and he told us where he was staying last night but we've not heard from him yet today have we?
To get to his hotel he'd have had to walk fairly much through Glasgow's red light district. He might have been abducted. At this very moment he may be being forced to be a sex worker. Bit chilly for all that malarky I'd have thought...At the very least keep your socks and vest on Bobby...
:-)
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sex with socks on? YUK:)
Pat
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Yeah, I know, but have you seen the weather at the moment in Glasgow? You couldn't blame him.
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Penguins have all the info on cold weather happiness. Doing the biz at -50C takes special training and practice. I hope Bobby didn't get way - laid!
Last edited by: Perky Penguin (p) on Tue 7 Dec 10 at 13:08
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Humph, I walked through the red light district and it was so cold there was not one single woman out!! I reckon that even if they were willing to work, they wouldn't have much to work on in those temps!!
I am now debating whether to try and get home, getting serious earache from the other half, roads were looking almost ok but now a jacknifed lorry on the A8 at Eurocentral.
Word I am hearing is that there is so much ice out there (can see that in the centre of Glasgow) that the driving is bad.
Will make a decision in the next half hour or so after checking the train status.
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...Will make a decision in the next half hour or so after checking the train status...
There's a tiny bit of 'give' in the weather down here, but it will freeze again later on.
Any travelling is best done now and completed before about 3pm.
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>> Humph, I walked through the red light district and it was so cold there was
>> not one single woman out!! I reckon that even if they were willing to work,
>> they wouldn't have much to work on in those temps!!
I've seen the girls you have up there, they always go back to road mending and tarmacking.
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"Humph, I walked through the red light district and it was so cold there was not one single woman out!! I reckon that even if they were willing to work, they wouldn't have much to work on in those temps!!
In Hamburg they go out in cold wearing fur coats.. and not much underneath.. or so I am told...:-)
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>> In Hamburg they go out in cold wearing fur coats.. and not much underneath.. or
>> so I am told...:-)
>>
And they can be found on the ground floor of the multi story car park on the Reeperbhan, also so I am told :-)
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You pay a lot extra for rear.
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...Front or rear entrance?...pay a lot extra for rear...
Nothing like a bit of smut and innuendo to get you lot cackling, is there?
I'm finding this section of the thread rather low-rent.
Last edited by: Iffy on Tue 7 Dec 10 at 14:31
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You need to get out more iffy. :-)
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...You need to get out more iffy. :-)...
Not to them sort of places, I don't.
Wouldn't know what to do or say if I did. :)
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Well, made it home! I phoned several businesses on the roads I planned to take and they all said traffic was moving so went that route and got home quite easily.
Scunnered that no one had bothered to dig out a path on the driveway for me to get the car in though!
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>> Scunnered that no one had bothered to dig out a path on the driveway for me to get the car in though!
Just wait till you discover there are puppy hairs on your side of the bed too... ;-)
Last edited by: Skoda on Tue 7 Dec 10 at 16:11
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I was one of the lucky one’s. I arrived at work yesterday morning at 09:15 (Charing Cross – Glasgow) and was back on the road heading home at 09:40 still took me till 12:10 to get back to Clydebank a journey of normally 20 minutes. The M8 from Charing Cross till my exit at Erskine Bridge was horrendous. I have never seen the M8 so badly affected it was single track all the way.
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>> heading home at 09:40 still took me till 12:10 to get back to Clydebank a journey of normally 20 minutes
One of our guys tried doing the rat race back that way roughly following dumbarton road avoiding the great western, still took him over 3 hours from 3pm :-(
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Well me and my neighbour have just been out to my wee "pub" in my back garden, lit the wood burning stove and had a few beers (Incidentally beer fridges seem to insulate the beer from extreme cold).
Went outside and my Aldi outside temeprature gauge thingy is saying its -13.3 degrees outside! If it drops another 5 degrees thats us into minus Fahrenheit territory!!!
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I'll beat BBD to it... don't get neighbours drunk. They might want chips or something later that involves cooking oil and heat!
Bobby, not sure how it covers Scotland, but an app called TrafficEye has been mentioned on here before... might be useful on the new phone. Seeing recent/current cameras on motorways. Putting cameras for a route into a bookmark and viewing thumbnails seems useful to me. And apps like the RAC traffic app too.
Hope it gets better soon - weather that is.
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Rob, don't worry, its not THAT neighbour! He still doesn't talk to me!
Re Traffic Eye, have you got this installed, just checked the "market" there and mixed reviews on it.
I can view the Traffic Scotland cameras from their website that pretty much cover majority of my normal route but would download traffic eye if I thought it gave more coverage.
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There's no snow in either Weatherfield or Emmerdale!
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Bob was outside in Emmerdale last night in shirt sleeves. I wonder how much snow is really there now.
Coronation Street might have a problem for continuity tomorrow for the live episode if it doesn't warm up a bit.
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Breaking news: You can clear the pavement without going to prison.
"The transport secretary said the government had recently put together a "common sense" code of practice which, if followed, should protect the public from legal action as a result of attempting to clear snow."
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11946901
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"Common Sense" - "If followed" -"Should protect" - Typical management weasel words! Three get outs in one sentence. Wouldn't get me out of my igloo without some comprehensive personal liability insurance!
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"Wouldn't get me out of my igloo without some comprehensive personal liability insurance!"
You almost certainly have such coverage under your household policy so no excuses and grab your shovel :-)
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...Three get outs in one sentence...
PP,
I take the point about the get-outs.
Judges are very good at interpreting laws, not to say making them up as they go along, and they are also good at reading a general mood.
An example of this is there were quite a few stiff drugs sentences following the outrage over the young addict Leah Betts.
It is obvious the general will of the politicians, and most of the populace, is for people to be allowed to clear snow without fear of legal action.
My court experience tells me any such action would meet with a very, er, frosty response.
Obviously, there are no cast-iron guarantees.
There may be reasons for not clearing snow, but fear of legal action need not be one of them.
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There's no snow in either Weatherfield or Emmerdale!
Hard frosts in Ambridge - mind you you don't need expensive CGI or snow machines for the radio/wireless.
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My guinea pig appears to have thawed out. Hardy little chap evidently.
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Someone posted this on Briskoda, gave me a chuckle -->
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rNvXGc79aY
Audi snow plough.
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A Ferrari stuck in about a quarter of an inch of snow:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW6dZFwegnE&feature=related
I think even an X5 would have got out of there.
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"A Ferrari stuck in about a quarter of an inch of snow:"
Snow? More like someone dropped a bag of flour.
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...Snow? More like someone dropped a bag of flour...
Startling, isn't it?
A Ferrari is presumably a nice way to get about, but you'd need to be aware of its limitations.
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Horrible driving conditions here today. The thaw has finally begun but there is still hard packed ice on the side roads. It's raining gently which is leaving a thin layer of water on top of the ice. You can barely stand on the stuff and there is more or less no grip at all on the roads. Even at crawling pace cars seem unable to stop or turn without slithering all over the place.
I'm going to have another cup of tea and work here today. Even if I could cope with it all ( which I haven't tested yet ) I would fear someone running into me until it thaws a bit more.
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Iffy's top winter tip: In freezing temperatures, don't spread rock salt with your bare hands.
It didn't half hurt for a minute or two.
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>> Iffy's top winter tip: In freezing temperatures, don't spread rock salt with your bare hands.
>>
>> It didn't half hurt for a minute or two.
>>
You needed a shovel (or a spade) you poor thing.
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>> It didn't half hurt for a minute or two.
Only half?
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>>I'm going to have another cup of tea and work here today. Even if I could cope with it all ( which I haven't tested yet ) I would fear someone running into me until it thaws a bit more<<
2) It's a free country, and nobody should be forced to stay at home. But, with self-preservation in mind, should we be on the roads and pavements when there is heavy snow and thick ice? Such conditions last days rather than weeks. Can't employees with desk-based jobs and students with home computers agree - in advance - with their bosses, teachers and lecturers that they will work from home for, say, up to five days of the working year when adverse weather conditions make commuting difficult if not impossible?
Mike Ruvverford.
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Very good...
Anyone still think winter tyres are snake oil????
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I had a new experience today. Driving along a single track road, which was clear of snow but wet, I encountered a stag in the middle of the road. Instead of getting off the road, he fled along the road. I suppose that he didn't like the look of the conditions beside the road, where there was about six inches of snow. He ran along the road for over half a mile at a rate of about 17 or 18 mph (while I followed) before finally deciding that there was some terrain to the side that was suitable for an exit.
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...I encountered a stag in the middle of the road...
Beware horned beasts.
I'd stop indoors now for a week or two, just to be on the safe side.
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>> ...I encountered a stag in the middle of the road...
>>
>> Beware horned beasts.
>>
Good advice, The only thing that stopped me getting one through the windscreen at 4am in Glen Coe was the two red dots of his eyes reflecting in my headlights. Good job he was looking my way.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 9 Dec 10 at 14:13
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Thawing quite quickly here all day.
At this rate most of the snow will be gone by the end of tomorrow.
It will be a nice change to able to get about as normal again.
Having to concentrate when driving these past few days has been very wearing. :)
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According to the forecast, a general thaw during the weekend, then winter coming back with a vengeance next week.
Bad luck :)
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...According to the forecast, a general thaw during the weekend, then winter coming back with a vengeance next week...Bad luck :)...
We've had our dose in the North East (and Scotland) for now.
Time for somebody else's turn.
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-5C at 06:30 this morning. +3C at 08:30! A little rain falling on the tiny amount of snow which fell and then compressed to ice and the lane is a total skating rink. Now melted.
John
Last edited by: Tooslow on Thu 9 Dec 10 at 18:53
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11954988
Now you know what bobby sounds like at least.
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That's what we cool own there people call a "Fail" :-)
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We had minus 15 two days ago, today up to plus 5.
So carrying on that "swing" of 20 degrees, I am looking forward to plus 25 degrees at the weekend, shorts and t shirt are looked out, at the ready!
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A shower on the East Lancs road earlier today ended up freezing quickly and caused a 50 car pile up.
I'm all for the plus 25 deg C! Or even 20.
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I really can't wait for the heatwave tomorrow. I might go down to Southport beach and wind a few scousers up.
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>> How some Scots deal with snow.
>>
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11954988
Look at Zero's post 18:56
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And how some Scots use their enterprise skills.....
glasgow.gumtree.com/glasgow/53/69949653.html
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Several minor accidents in my area this morning. Thawing snow turned to black ice overnight, and the roads have not been gritted.
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SNOW ! (Drift No 4) - madf
