***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Drift No 2 *****
I know we all think the weatherman at the Met office is a waste of space, but he says
snow is on the way this week
So this is for the first snow reports.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 4 Dec 10 at 16:59
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There better not be any, I am out both Friday and Saturday.
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Really looking forward to it, but can't help but think I and the kids will be disappointed :-(
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Rattle, the Panda Active 1.1 is brilliant in snow.
Narrow tyres cut through and find traction below the surface. Light weight but not too much power makes the car lovely to control.
You'll have a great time.
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For any of you who understand what Twitter is, here's a real-time map of where the snow is, and how much is falling:
uksnow.benmarsh.co.uk/
To contribute, tweet "#uksnow" plus the first half of your postcode, then a rating out of 10 e.g. 3/10. This site automatically collates all the tweets over the previous 60 minutes and can be quite useful to track any snowfall as it progresses across the country.
Last edited by: Dave_TD {P} on Tue 23 Nov 10 at 22:01
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trafficscotland.org/lev/
website has now been changed to allow for camera views by putting mouse over the camera rather than having to click each camera individually.
Wick already is having snow....
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Wick is always having snow. its colder than Iceland there, and i don't mean the food shop.
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Welcome to the east coast of Norfolk. According to the Daily Express we are in for the worst of the "killer snow" (turn to page 5 to find out what Princess Di would have thought of it all) - it will drizzle. Maybe we'll see some sleet. Same every year. Drizzle. Cold wind. Drizzle. Snow my backside. Bah humbug etc......
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 12:37
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I'd rather something a bit more scientific than than the hysterical ramblings of teen pranksters, some of whom may not even have seen snow yet; try
www.raintoday.co.uk/
Apologies to those half-dozen of you who might use twitter and also be old enough to vote.
:-)
Last edited by: hawkeye on Tue 23 Nov 10 at 22:57
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BBC says light snow for here on Thursday.
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>> BBC says light snow for here on Thursday.
>>
Leave the bike at home then?
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Why? All you need are a pair of studded tyres.
I was on a plane returning from Sweden a couple of weeks ago and spotted a chap whose hand luggage consisted only of a pair of studded bicycle tyres (chunky mountain bike tyres by the look of them). I'd never even heard of such a thing before. the studs looked fairly meaty.
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"some of whom may not even have seen snow yet"
Whenever I meet an Australian (serving in a London pub) that's the first thing I ask them.
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You're out of touch BBD, all the bar staff in London are Polish these days! Bet they've seen snow :-)
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The Winter stupidity has started early. My outside thermometer reads -0.1C and there is a bit of frost on my car. What do we see in the tabloids and on the TV? "A1 in Tyne & Wear very treacherous with an inch of snow" - "Temperatures set to plunge" - "Britain gripped by Arctic conditions" Anybody who thinks an inch of snow and a bit of frost is Arctic obviously hasn't been to the Arctic!
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As inferred by your monniker, you know all about Arctic conditions!
:-)
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Indeed but to be pedantic, not on the pedant's thread, my knowledge is related to the Antarctic. Ask a young person "What would you call a polar bear at the South Pole"?
Answer "Lost!" Boom-boom and LOL BTW
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>> "Temperatures set to plunge" - "Britain gripped by Arctic conditions" Anybody who thinks an inch
>> of snow and a bit of frost is Arctic obviously hasn't been to the Arctic!
>>
We had better get down to Tesco quick and bulk buy Milk and Bread Just incase!
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What no Pringles, beer, pies and peanuts and other true essentials of a deprived life style?
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Yes them too and any other "essentials". that are needed for our big snow* thats going to bring the country to a standstill
No matter how much is snows, Ive always been able to walk to work, there has always been plenty of milk in the fridge, and if i get desperate im sure there are a couple of butchers select sausgaes in the freezer somwhere I can have with some mash! yum yum
* A couple of centimeters
Last edited by: Redviper on Wed 24 Nov 10 at 12:45
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>>What no Pringles, beer, pies and peanuts and other true essentials of a deprived life style?<<
Should that read depraved, effendi?
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No - depraved would be baby oil and batteries for the indoor toys!
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>>>batteries for the indoor toys!
What like one of these big boys...
www.zoomkidstoys.com/images/1537_10588_F%5B1%5Dmini.jpg
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The one I was thinking of is called a Big Boy but it doesn't have any wheels!
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There won't be any snow.
I put my winter tyres on in preparation, so it's bound not to happen.
It is ze law of ze sod, as my German mother-in-law puts it.
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it has been snowing up here in newcastle upon tyne since teatime. heavy enough to close a few rural roads in northumberland. had to venture out earlier on and the A1 was in a shocking state due to the usual absence of gritting vehicles... more snow and freezing temperatures forecast from now till saturday for north east england.
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Midnight and a light covering of snow in Sunderland but it has fallen onto ice so the ungritted back roads are very slippery.
My Panda 4x4 running on winter tyres showing a little wheelspin but the tyres are near the wear limit and need replacing very soon.
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What snow, it's 24DegC and sunny ?
Sorry, couldn't resist......
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>> What snow, it's 24DegC and sunny ?
>>
>> Sorry, couldn't resist......
>>
I'll see your 24, and raise you 7.
CAPE TOWN:
Fine. Wind: Strong south-easterly. Minimum/Maximum: 18/31 C. The Expected UVB Sunburn Index: Very Dangerous.
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>> I'll see your 24, and raise you 7.
>>
Well it is nearly winter for goodness sake! Seriously though, as a I wander around in my shirt sleeves locals are donning coats, hats and scarves.....
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Costa del lluvia here - not Costa del Sol today - horrid black clouds over the Med.
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Sorry guys, but we (sweden) sent some snow over your way. The Ruskys and the Finns sent it to us a few days back, and I'm still clearing it. So with a stiff easterly it's your turn now.
BTW. The temperature is also dropping like a stone, so I'm sending that over as well - should arrive sometime over the weekend.
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A dusting of snow in Truro and about 3° C, although colder and more snow fall in N. Cornwall,
Reports of some icy roads at higher levels - don't mention the A30 at Bolventor etc. :(
Glad we moved off the moor 7 years ago :)
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Light covering in Snowdonia - frozen in places...main road seems clear where I am.
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I love running in snow: makes it far more interesting...
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>> "some of whom may not even have seen snow yet"
>>
>> Whenever I meet an Australian (serving in a London pub) that's the first thing I
>> ask them.
>>
I have skied in the snowy mountains of Australia (southern New South Wales).
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Light dusting here near Richmond and showers visible on the radar heading our way. Now, as I type, the sky is grey and it looks as if it means business.
Mrs H's winter tyres due on Monday; what's the betting they're held up by the snow?
Youngster quite excited this morning until I reminded him he's got to walk (slide) a mile to the swimming pool after school.
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Just an icing sugar sprinkling in Northants. Nothing in London but it was perishing on the bike - need me wimter gloves!!
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Not a flake in Northants and the forecast suggests there wont be for the next 5 days either. Cant say Im disappointed.
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>>>Mrs H's winter tyres due on Monday; what's the betting they're held up by the snow?
H can I ask which tyres/supplier you chose? I've a few internet windows open at the moment looking at similar for Mrs F's C3.
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About half a inch, maybe less than in Darlington - but its set for -5 tonight so will be lethal tommorow
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>> >>>Mrs H's winter tyres due on Monday; what's the betting they're held up by the
>> snow?
>>
>> H can I ask which tyres/supplier you chose? I've a few internet windows open at
>> the moment looking at similar for Mrs F's C3.
>>
Mytyres.co.uk
Nankang SV-1 (now replaced by SV-2 so run-out model) £77.60 the pair delivered
Last edited by: hawkeye on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 13:01
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Very light snow started in Surrey.
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Hawkeye, you may be better off leaving the summer tyres on. In a recent winter tyre test the Ying Yan Yongs scored as follows (out of a possible 5):
Cornering on snow - 2
Cornering on ice - 1
Cornering in wet - 1
Stability - 2
But they did get a 5 for noise!
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H. Thanks for the info... sods law a quick search would throw up negative comments. Do you have a link to that test Dave?
Test results do need careful interpretation. In the Auto Express winter tyre test of 7 tyres a Vredestein came last. The scores for snow grip were between 264.6 (lowest) and 299.7. Compare that with the otherwise OK control tyre they used, A Continental Premium Contact. It's snow score was 46.6. So even a *rubbish* winter tyre is loads better than a good summer tyre in the white stuff.
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Not needed winter tyres in the UK for 37 years, not going to change now.
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>> Not needed winter tyres in the UK for 37 years, not going to change now.
>>
Likewise. Winter tyres are only any good untill someone on summer tyres blocks the road, or a foot of snow with drifts stops everything. If you doubt your ability to drive in poor conditions stay at home.
Or just stay at home. If we get a 1963 type winter no one will be going anywhere for weeks. I was in Malta and it snowed there.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 17:56
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>> Or just stay at home. If we get a 1963 type winter no one will
>> be going anywhere for weeks. I was in Malta and it snowed there.
>>
1963 was kind of exceptional, we have a picture of my wife as a small girl standing on the sea which was frozen at Herne Bay.
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My interest in winter tyres is for Mrs F. Remember I'm sort of retired and she works full time 20mls away. Perish the thought she can't get into work and stays home under my feet all day.
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Have none of you realised that even with winter tyres fitted, you're only as good as the vehicles in front of you that get stuck and block the road?
Pat
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>> Have none of you realised that even with winter tyres fitted, you're only as good
>> as the vehicles in front of you that get stuck and block the road?
>>
>> Pat
>>
Some people are a bit slow on the uptake Pat. The same applies to Chelsea tractor drivers.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 25 Nov 10 at 19:04
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"Some people are a bit slow on the uptake "
They certainly are.
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In 1963 I was living in Scotland in Banffshire. 4 metre high drifts outside the back door and local side road blocked for 3 months.
The sledging was good..altough very cold..
Lino floors and no central heating meant the only warm room was kitchen with a Rayburn solid fuel cooker..
As for going to bed... aluminium hot water bottles..
Put hair on my chest...
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you would have been warmer if you had winter tyres,
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>> you would have been warmer if you had winter tyres,
>>
:-)
I had a winter tyre round my midriff.
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>>>with winter tyres fitted, you're only as good as the vehicles in front of you that get stuck and block the road.
A comment frequently made and perhaps it applies sometimes on a few overused main commuter routes. But it's never been an issue in our daily run of A,B and city/town roads.
In the bad winter of '79 (I think?) I had a very able narrow tyred, high clearance FWD car and drove it all over the place past stuck, crashed and ditched cars in the Peterborough and Fenland area.
In some 80s snow I had my Series 2a Land Rover on T&C tyres. Stopped and checked loads of stuck folks were safe before passing them an getting on my way.
Similarly during the 2009/10 snow Mrs F was plugging across Worcester and into the Herefordshire hills in her able C3 passing the likes of BMWs crabbing into the kerbs. She just drove around them all to reach her remote destination.
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The deepest snow (and the most long-lasting) I've experienced was early 1947. The snow came over the top of my wellies!
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Not old enough for the 1947 winter but I'm sure 1963 had snow up to the top of our sprout plants in the garden!
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>> Not old enough for the 1947 winter but I'm sure 1963 had snow up to
>> the top of our sprout plants in the garden!
I don't like the idea of snow covered sprouts ...
Last year we had 12" of snow which is not bad for Hindhead.
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>> Have none of you realised that even with winter tyres fitted, you're only as good
>> as the vehicles in front of you that get stuck and block the road?
>>
>> Pat
>>
Yes I have but Mrs H starts her early shift commute well before the morning gritter drivers have had their first cuppa, and hours before the normal rush-hour. I judged it a worthwhile experiment.
The Ying Tong diddle i po tyres are now fitted and early impressions are pretty good, even inspiring some 60 mph overtaking on the slightly snowy lane 2 on the A66(M) near Darlington. The straight-line stability at speed on the Michelin Engergys has gone, having been replaced by a slight vagueness. There's some coarseness to the ride at the front and the road noise is greater. Having just changed the tyres I was able to drive over the same ground and appreciate the shorter stopping distance and greater pedal pressure before the abs cut in. Overall, a feeling of greater confidence on the raw snow/ice mixture on the road outside.
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The straight-line stability at speed on the Michelin Engergys has gone, having
>> been replaced by a slight vagueness.
That could well disappear when they're bedded/scrubbed in, positive so far and that's good news.
One of my workmates just fitted a pair of Goodride's on steel wheels to the front of his C2, looking forward to hearing his views in due course but so far so good, this is his first winter tyre purchase, he usually buys Michelin's and gets around 50k trouble free miles out of them.
Interestingly i've been keeping an eye open for a pair for SWMBO's C2, 195/45 x 16's in winters are very rare and expensive...Pirelli's have just gone up about £60each on Mytyres, they maybe were a bargain at around £85 before but i wasn't prepared to pay that for them let alone £140+...if i find a pair i'll hunt a pair of matching alloys down too.
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I remember, some years ago, driving along lane 2 of the A66 approaching Darlo, passing very slow nose to tail traffic in the inside lane, including a few Scubys. My (ordinary) tyres were easily cutting through the slush that they didn't want to go in.
Sensible move h but much of winter driving is down to knowing what the car wil do. Many haven't a clue.
Oh, that skid training course may have helped :-)
John
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>> Hawkeye, you may be better off leaving the summer tyres on. In a recent winter
>> tyre test the Ying Yan Yongs scored as follows (out of a possible 5):
>>
>> Cornering on snow - 2
>> Cornering on ice - 1
>> Cornering in wet - 1
>> Stability - 2
>>
>> But they did get a 5 for noise!
>>
Plenty of positive reviews on the mytyres site and they have arrived early. I'm keen to get them on and do a comparative. They won't be the best; they didn't cost the earth but I'm hoping they're an improvement on the Michelin Energys if only because they've got more silica in the compound.
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I've just the news. A reporter in Newcastle standing by a roadside with an inch or two of snow. A 911 went by. Says it all really. :-)
John
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-4.0°C in beautifully sunny Hampshire this morning according to the Golf, but no snow yet, or any sign of it.
Bitterly, properly cold though. The kind of cold that goes right through you.
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"-4.0°C in beautifully sunny Hampshire this morning". And Cheshire too. -4 overnight, it's now warmed up to -3.
John
Last edited by: Tooslow on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 09:32
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-1.5 in leafy Surrey.
but as you say, thats a real sharp cold, toe and finger numbing cold.
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 09:33
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Just below freezing an inch or two of snow in County Durham.
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+0.5 an inch or two of snow - just been out to get a paper to get the X1's tyres wet - no sign of gritting even on the main road....oh well, kettle on, camping stove dug out in case of a power cut. Make sure the MacBook charged up.
Llanberis N Wales BTW
Last edited by: Pugugly on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 09:45
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Cold and frosty here. My wife has just called to say her journey to work, some 16 miles of normally very heavy traffic was one of the easiest she's ever known. Roads very quiet.
I'm working from home today, all warm and snug but I did get up to scrape her car (well I put the engine on and watched it defrost while I drank tea)...
It's a hard life...
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>> I'm working from home today, all warm and snug but I did get up to
>> scrape her car (well I put the engine on and watched it defrost while I
>> drank tea)...
>>
>> It's a hard life...
but no fag.
still you are good - no problem is it.
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Genuinely hadn't thought about it this morning until you mentioned it. Wouldn't say it's totally easy but I seem to be managing. Given up on the wee plastic thing too now. Too early to claim success but so far so good. We'll see...
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...but so far so good. We'll see...
If things get tough, put some Leonard Cohen on to remind yourself there's always someone more miserable than you.
Speaking of which, what's playing today?
Canned Heat, Supertramp, maybe a side of J J Cale?
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Canned Heat.... Future Blues was the first *proper* album I bought 40yrs ago. Still have it in good condition.
Perhaps not for everyone but here is a cracking youtube of them...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN1oDb14S68
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...Canned Heat.... Future Blues was the first *proper* album I bought 40yrs ago...
Isn't taste in music wonderfully varied?
I keep posting examples of what I consider to be the worst of a particular genre, and someone always pops up to say how marvellous it is.
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"I keep posting examples of what I consider to be the worst of a particular genre, and someone always pops up to say how marvellous it is."
OK, I'll bite. I have a couple of JJ Cale albums. It's not as though I have a criminal record (thought I'd get that in first!).
John
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...OK, I'll bite. I have a couple of JJ Cale albums...
J J Cale was not my best effort at naming a rubbish artist.
I bought his Troubadour album and played it quite a lot.
Cocaine, anybody?
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The track, yeah.
Who the dickens are Sclub47? Have they released any LPs recently?
:-)
John
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...Who the dickens are Sclub47? Have they released any LPs recently?...
Yeah, it was a concept album - the concept was throw a group together and make as much dough as you could.
The music was rubbish, but who could forget Rachel Stevens?
She was well fit then.
tinyurl.com/39efqez
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"but who could forget Rachel Stevens?"
She and Mylene Klass are two of the rare exceptions to my personal prime directive.
That being: girls under 30 are as interesting and as sexy as a wheel barrow
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...and as sexy as a wheel barrow...
I imagine you found the Ball Barrow, if not sexy, at least interesting from an industrial design point of view.
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Interesting in that Dyson has seen fit to shove one in his hoover and claim credit for inventing it.
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Not really a new idea.
I could watch a music video with the sound off if she's in it!
John
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Actually, in defence of S Club 7, if you've ever been in a club when they play 'Don't stop moving' it's quite spectacular in that every one, absolutely every one gets up to dance. Dancing Queen is the only other tune that has that effect.
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>>>I keep posting examples of what I consider to be the worst of a particular genre, and someone always pops up to say how marvellous it is.
Well pick better examples of bad music than the very acceptable Canned Heat. Like this perhaps...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg_CwtYNKWc&feature=related
Or weirdly might it be to your taste??
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...Or weirdly might it be to your taste??...
They're much better looking than that Canned Heat mob, and that's just the male members of the group.
Mention SClub7 and you'd really be on the money.
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>> Canned Heat.... Future Blues was the first *proper* album I bought 40yrs ago. Still have
>> it in good condition.
>>
>> Perhaps not for everyone but here is a cracking youtube of them...
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN1oDb14S68
thats a goooooooooooooooooood clip
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>>Perhaps not for everyone but here is a cracking youtube of them<<
Wonderful stuff!
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>> Canned Heat..
>> Perhaps not for everyone but here is a cracking youtube of them...
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN1oDb14S68
Great clip Fenlander. Even the drinks on the organ are rocking!
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Are the coconuts ripening nicely this year?
John
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>>Are the coconuts ripening nicely this year?<<
Bit early really, but the breadfruit are coming along OK.
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>> Rattle, the Panda Active 1.1 is brilliant in snow.
>> Narrow tyres cut through and find traction below the surface. Light weight but not too much
>> power makes the car lovely to control.
>> You'll have a great time.
Yesterday on the lunchtime BBC news I saw a Panda "parked" on it's roof.
Wasn't you Rattle, was it?
Last edited by: AnotherJohnH on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 12:02
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>> Yesterday on the lunchtime BBC news I saw a Panda "parked" on it's roof.
>>
>> Wasn't you Rattle, was it?
Nooo that was more then 4 miles outside manchester.
he never drives that far.
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Pleased to see that nobody has mentioned Globular Warmulosity.
And this story is why.
Warning - lots of very naughty words.
tinyurl.com/33397es
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That's one of the funniest weather related stories I have come across in a while.
Nice link and some of it more true than we may realise.
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Most of the people who spouted on about Global Warning are:
1. easily duped
2. willing to belive the latest fad.
and 3. ignorant of the fact the last Ice Age ended some 30,000 years ago so Global Warming (non man made edition) has been going on far longer than man made GW.
Note how the Met Office now states "man assisted " GW rather than "man made" .
Bunch of t###ers.
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Madf, do you have *any* scientific basis for your opinions, or have you just decided that because it's incredibly complicated, inter-related and difficult, it must be nonsense?
Nobody, absolutely no one, is arguing that the climate is static, or ever has been. It changes dramatically when you make open loop changes to constituents, for example by re-releasing carbon that has been safely sequestered for millions of years. That's adding 'new' carbon to the mix, unlike cows or other oft cited sources, which are just moving the carbon around the closed loop.
So things will change. Exactly how, and how that will vary by region / location we don't know. But to dismiss it completely smacks of sticking your head in the sand.
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I'm not getting into a global warming debate, but this week has been proof that WEATHER forecasting beyond 48 hours is a complete waste of time.
Been visiting the same page on the same site every day this week to see how the weekend weather is looking. On Monday, snow was forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Tuesday, it was just Saturday and Sunday. On Wednesday, no snow forecast at all. Today, it's forecast for Sunday again. Likelihood is, we'll get no snow at all. But now they are saying it will snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, too.
Urinating and strong breezes spring to mind.
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Never into it, always with it.
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>> Nobody, absolutely no one, is arguing that the climate is static,
>>
Agreed. I am kind of with Madf on this, funny how global warming is now called climate change when we all know it has always been changing however the tax-carbon-users-to-the-hilt brigade are now using climate change, as oposed to global warming, as a rationale.
Re the closed loop, it depends on how big the loop is, in terms of the history of the earth the vegitation that is now oil was laid down relatively recently. Also one can argue that had the industrial revolution not happened or had man not come to the fore then the population of herbivorous creatures would have multiplied relative to the amount of vegitation thus creating a carbon imbalance.
Last edited by: Cheddar on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 14:32
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>> Re the closed loop, it depends on how big the loop is, in terms of
>> the history of the earth the vegitation that is now oil was laid down relatively
>> recently. Also one can argue that had the industrial revolution not happened or had man
>> not come to the fore then the population of herbivorous creatures would have multiplied relative
>> to the amount of vegitation thus creating a carbon imbalance.
I don't think any number of animals over thousands of years could have possibly pushed out as much CO2 as man has over the last 100 years if you consider the number of engines from trains, planes, cars, lorries e.t.c have been constantly running all over the world in that time.
Volcanoes, on the other hand, make our efforts look miniscule, and that has been happening over millions of years.
Last edited by: corax on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 20:09
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Some of us remember the hysteria in the 70s about Global Cooling. Best take no notice. Scientists get things wrong. There's no money in things carrying on happily as there are. Research gets given to those that kick up a fuss and invested in problems to be solved and crisis to be averted.
Climate has always changed and current measuring methods are unreliable with changes in using ships then buoys and land based temperature monitoring. Unless you compare consistent monitoring methods through centuries I don't think you can say anything meaningful.
Interestingly the russians have also found oil in places fossil fuel oil theory says you can't. Could be that oil is actually a renewable energy source. Wouldn't that be ironic?
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>> Madf, do you have *any* scientific basis for your opinions, or have you just decided
>> that because it's incredibly complicated, inter-related and difficult, it must be nonsense?
>>
>>
My opinions: as stated above - are factual.
Period.
See the ice core record for the Last Ice Age.
And the Met Office 6 monthly forecast as the example of a bunch of ######s
Nowhere do I dispute man made global warming does exist. It does. Just how big it is is a different issue.. Just don't read into my rants something which is not there! :-)
EDIT
I wrote that prior post very carefully expecting that kind of response....
Last edited by: madf on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 17:15
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BBC News website: Heavy snow & ice warnings, severe disruption, severe conditions, stay indoors, hide under the kitchen table, we're all doomed.
BBC News website weather: light rain.
What the.....?
What am I supposed to believe?
Can I go out in 'light rain'? Will I be safe?
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I hope we don't get any here. I have to drive to Stockport tomorrow :(.
Forcasted for light snow shower tonight. Still clear sky though.
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>> I hope we don't get any here. I have to drive to Stockport tomorrow :(.
>>
If you get a few feet of snow, (unlikely but possible), you wont be going anywhere Ratts.
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Panda's quite like the snow actually.
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Well it is forcasted for tomorrow, I only need to drive 7 miles away but its the start of the pennines. I am on thr flats so it rarely snows here.
Seems to be more the east that has got it, and Edinburgh is not that far east really (even though its on the east coast).
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I just hope so. Just got so much to do tomorrow don't want the weather to get in the way. I didn't get go out tonight because I needed to be sober for tomorrow.
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Just be very, very careful & remember what happened last year in the ice and snow!
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I know the following doesn't really scan in the north of England but it is actually possible to go out at night without getting bladdered or even having to drink alcohol at all. It can even be enjoyable to do so. Really.
:-)
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He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
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No snow for you tomorrow Rats but it looks parky with a bitter north wind
www.xcweather.co.uk/forecast/manchester
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>> Seems to be more the east that has got it, and Edinburgh is not that
>> far east really (even though its on the east coast).
>>
Edinburgh is almost due north of Cardiff, and about 50 miles inland from the east coast, (depending on which bit you measure from). Not a flake of snow in Edinburgh today.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 26 Nov 10 at 22:40
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Indeed, I draw a line up a few years back and was quite surprised to discover it is no further east than Manchester.
It is entirely logical though when you think of the shape of the UK.
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Definite flakes falling in deepest Lanarkshire now.....
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Lightest of coverings here, not even enough to cover the lawn properly. Wife still panicked.
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Light covering here as well - over frozen snow - not good !
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Just walked the canal tow path with the dog.
No snow here, and while not exactly HMS Endurance breaking 6 foot thick Antarctic pack ice,
a narrow boat went through gently crunching the surface ice of the canal.
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5mm of snow: pavements nice to run on.. Ran over Congleton Edge and met another runner and a photographer (sunrise is brilliant) before 8am..
Last edited by: madf on Sat 27 Nov 10 at 10:39
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Just to set this ball rolling again.....The Quickclear windscreen on the Mondeo is such a good thing in this weather as opposed to the normal one on the Qashqai. One car ready to go in a couple of minutes, the other taking ten...
...oh and another thing, the Ford heater warms up much quicker too.
Bum warmers in both cars though. Toasty !
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Its this time of year that I miss the Forester. It wasnt until there was snow and it was cold, that you realised how well thought out it was.
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>> Just to set this ball rolling again.....The Quickclear windscreen on the Mondeo is such a
>> good thing in this weather as opposed to the normal one on the Qashqai. One
>> car ready to go in a couple of minutes, the other taking ten...
>>
>> ...oh and another thing, the Ford heater warms up much quicker too.
Thats seems to be an advantage the Fords have over the VAG cars. The TDi engines can take an age to warm up. I wonder if they have auxilary heaters now.
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...One car ready to go in a couple of minutes, the other taking ten...
I remember those posts of yours about having a swift fag while the car warmed up.
You'd better stick to the Mondy, looks like the Qashqai represents too much of a tab risk.
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>> too much of a tab risk.
Yeah, that was a bit of a moment. Didn't feel right scraping the car with both eyes open..
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>> Just to set this ball rolling again.....!
>>
When it gets seriously cold put a mains powered fan heater in the car ten minutes before you need to use it.
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>> 5mm of snow: pavements nice to run on.. Ran over Congleton Edge and met another
>> runner and a photographer (sunrise is brilliant) before 8am..
I don't know how you can run at that time in the morning madf. I need a few meals inside me before I can muster enough energy to pound the lanes.
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>>
>> I don't know how you can run at that time in the morning madf. I
>> need a few meals inside me before I can muster enough energy to pound the
>> lanes.
>>
I used to run half marathons and the only time to train was mornings as I worked all hours.. Now habit after 32 years...
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>>Not a flake of snow in Edinburgh
>> today.
>>
I knew I was tempting fate, a couple of inches of snow arrived overnight.
Now clear blue skies, crisp, cold, just been for a walk, lovely day!
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4-5in overnight down here. This is our ninth winter here and each has been harder than the one before. The summer was nothing special either.
I'm not sure I'll live long enough to understand this 'global warming'.
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A couple more inches fell overnight on Iffy Towers.
I'm not quite snowed in, but it would be stupid to undertake anything other than an essential journey.
Much as I like the CC3, traction on snow is not its strong point.
Could always walk, but the pavements are slippy with snow on packed snow.
Best stay indoors and play with my various toys.
Plenty of comestibles in stock, so I'll not starve.
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Im just off to work, sun is out, snow has all melted save for a couple of shady bits in garden.
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Hope it clears for Monday - Squeeze in the Phil in Liverpool - freebie night in a nice hotel...:-)
Last edited by: Pugugly on Sat 27 Nov 10 at 12:54
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...Squeeze in the Phil in Liverpool...
If you can't get, you can listen to last Thursday's gig in Newcastle:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00vyz2j/Radio_2_In_Concert_Squeeze/
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Frozen snow on the windscreen when I went to set off at 6:45 this morning. I appreciated having a petrol engine now after twenty years of diesels, so much quicker to warm up.
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Nothing here in Arcadia. Hope Rattle wasn't too disappointed for his trip to Stockport.
Just sunshine and very cold.
Armed police all over the place last night as they arrested a local lad suspected of multiple rapes in the Fallowfield area.......good for them.
Got the Jowett out this arvo and let her tick over in the path and warm up a bit whilst I repaired a bit of damage on the bike where I came off in September.
Too cold now the old Sun's gone down so got the fan heater on the computer desk about a foot from the keyboard ! Steak dinner later and telly in front of fire.......can't wait !
Ted
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Saw some youths practising doughnuts in the local lidl car park.
Shocking :-)
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Yes Aldi doughnuts are much nicer.
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It's minus 8 degrees in the Fen this morning, but only a tiny sprinkling of snow.
Pat
Last edited by: pda on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 07:58
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mine ass 4 ere in the duchy.
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-*C here too. 2 mm snow. Lovely day..
Got a new toy to keep my hands warm..
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390262764296&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
Luvrrly.. I overfilled it.. only supposed to burn for 12 hours.. 25 hours and counting...
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No snow - yet, in darkest Surrey, saw -1 C (how do you do the degrees sign?) on the car outside temp gauge this morning.
I shall be standing for about 5 hours at Harlequins today. Should be good and cold!
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Our guinea pig's water bottle has frozen and cracked, -5C here. Any suggestions for preventing the same demise for its replacement other than looking up guinea pig recipes on the web?
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Metal water bottle?
Keep the guinea pig somewhere warmer?
Alternatively, as the freezing point of ethanol is about -120C, 10% concentration should freeze at about -12C. Whisky is usually 40%ABV, so 3 parts water to 1 part whisky should do it.
Of course he might prefer gin, rum,brandy, tequila. If it's one of those Siberian ones, try vodka
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Heh heh - I think he might go for the whisky thing. I did think about moving him into the garage for the winter, danger being that we'd forget to feed him and the faff of moving everything around to accomodate him.
Ten quid he cost two years ago. Little begger.
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>> Ten quid he cost two years ago. Little begger.
Leave it outside and it will freeze and crack.
I was in the vet waiting room once, and a little girl comes out with he guinea pig. "That will be 25 pounds please" said the vet.
You could buy two and half new ones for that when they break!
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"Our guinea pig's water bottle has frozen and cracked, -5C here. Any suggestions for preventing the same demise for its replacement other than looking up guinea pig recipes on the web?"
Wrap it in bubble wrap to insulate it - the bottle i mean, not the guinea pig !
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-8C through the night, briefly touching -9C in the top end of Cheshire. Humph lives in the metrolops which stays warmer. All of those hamsters y'know. They're the cause of global warming.
John
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Hamster!!!???
Frank is a guinea pig. Now I've got to go to the blinking rip off flipping garden centre to buy a ruddy water bottle because the local pet shop is shut....
Back soon.
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no buying crafty fags on the way.
you know what guinea pig stress can do.
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>> Back soon.
>>
Stop..gaffer tape till you can get one without rewarding dick turpins brother.
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Hamster / guinea pig....
Why not get one of each, breed the little devils and Get Rich Quick?
John
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Hate to tell you this Humph, but guinea-pigs are social animals and do better when they're in pairs; ideally same-sex as fast breeding's one attrribute they share with other rodents.
Alternatively, if you feel a bit of the "Good Life" coming on...... ;-)
tinyurl.com/38dn785
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Oh well not too bad. £3.29. At least we'll still have chicken tonight.
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>> .......... (how do you do the
>> degrees sign?) ............
Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>Character Map. Click on the degree symbol, then on Select, then on Copy. In your text, position the cursor immediately after the number and then Edit>Paste ~ and get °.
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>(how do you do the degrees sign?)<<
Alt 0176 on the keys at the far right of the keyboard (they must have a name?)
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>> >(how do you do the degrees sign?)<<
>>
>> Alt 0176 on the keys at the far right of the keyboard ............
I tried that method and it just replaced Car4play with my home page.
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>> >(how do you do the degrees sign?)<<
>>
>> Alt 0176 on the keys at the far right of the keyboard (they must have
>> a name?)
The numeric keypad? Yes its called the numeric keypad.
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>>The numeric keypad? Yes its called the numeric keypad. <<
Yea! numeric - I was thinking numerical.
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Dog, I can make it work in Microsoft Works Word, but (as I said earlier) not in Car4play.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 12:30
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>>I can make it work in Microsoft Works Word, but (as I said earlier) not in Car4play.<<
If you hold down the Alt key, then key in 0176 using the numeric keys on the far left,
you should get a ° symbol, L'es.
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>> >>I can make it work in Microsoft Works Word, but (as I said earlier) not
>> in Car4play.<<
>>
>> If you hold down the Alt key, then key in 0176 using the numeric keys
>> on the far left,
>> you should get a ° symbol, L'es.
>>
OK, I'll try it again with the keys on the far left. I'd been using the keys on the far right.
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>> OK, I'll try it again with the keys on the far left. I'd been using
>> the keys on the far right.
>>
Nope, it doesn't work whichever keys I use. The keys at the top give me nothing, and the keys on the right give me my home page in place of Car4play. I'll stick to my method. It might be more long-winded but at least it works.
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and then there's the easy way.... cut 'n paste from someone else's post e.g. 3°C
John
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....Nope, it doesn't work whichever keys I use....
Les,
Do you have Firefox?
Under the Edit tab at the top of the screen, there is 'special characters.'
Clicking on this produces a box with various categories, such as math, arrows, currency symbols, etc.
Click the punctuation category, and you will find the following:
º °
I think either would work as a degrees symbol.
Last edited by: Iffy on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 13:02
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>> Do you have Firefox?
XP Home and IE8.
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...XP Home and IE8...
Les,
I've just had a quick look at IE8 on the netbook, can't see a 'special characters' feature - far too simple and useful for anything produced by Microsoft.
It might be on there somewhere.
The easier answer is to download a decent browser. :)
Hint: www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/upgrade.html
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>> Do you have Firefox?
>>
>> Under the Edit tab at the top of the screen, there is 'special characters.'
>>
Sound a bit iffy to me. Certainly not found on my firefox v3.6.12.
clue for iffy - Not everyone can afford to pay for Steve Job's elitist fancy hardware and software. Poor people like me and L'escargot are running the mass market poor man's MS OS.
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...Sound a bit iffy to me. Certainly not found on my firefox v3.6.12...clue for iffy - Not everyone can afford to pay for Steve Job's elitist fancy hardware and software. Poor people like me...
Well there's a thing, just checked Firefox on my Windows 7 netbook and the 'special characters' feature is absent.
Another victory for Apple.
Suppose,
You do have a choice.
Either carry on writing out 'degrees' longhand - or start saving.
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>> You do have a choice.
>>
>> Either carry on writing out 'degrees' longhand - or start saving.
>>
Quite happy with my choice. Keeps me and brain active, and stops me becoming another lardy lazy apple twit ....ter. ;-)
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you could of course save your money and download safari for windows.
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>>If you hold down the Alt key, then key in 0176 using the numeric keys on the (((far left))),
Sorry, I meant far right, I had been thinking of Ed miliband :}
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>> >>If you hold down the Alt key, then key in 0176 using the numeric keys
>> on the (((far left))),
>>
>> Sorry, I meant far right,
I guessed you did, but I just couldn't resist acting dumb!
;-)
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>> Nope, it doesn't work whichever keys I use. The keys at the top give me
>> nothing, and the keys on the right give me my home page
I take it the NUM LOCK was switched on when you tried? If not, as soon as you hit the number 7, this will take you to your home page with the Alt key pressed down as well. Keys 0, 1, 3, 7, & 9 have other uses when the NUM LOCK is turned off.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 13:12
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>>Got a new toy to keep my hands warm..<<
Jauyus! ... I had one of those, oh - must be nineteen 60 three.
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Oi Dog
Get it right.
It;s "B'jaysus".
Regards
Ronald
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>>t;s "B'jaysus".<<
B'gorrah - you're not wrong, Seamus :)
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>> >>Got a new toy to keep my hands warm..<<
>>
>> Jauyus! ... I had one of those, oh - must be nineteen 60 three.
>>
Winter in 63 was very cold.. 4 metres of snow outside our house.
I believe this is the coldest November since then.. Must be Climate Change I suppose :-)
Last edited by: madf on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 12:29
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>> Winter in 63 was very cold .....
Winter in 1946/1947 was cold. Stockpiles of coal at the pits and depots froze solid and could not be moved. When we woke up in the morning it was common to find our windows were completely covered with ice on the inside It was also one of the snowiest in the last 150 yeats. www.dandantheweatherman.com/Bereklauw/Weather1947.htm
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 12:42
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I say bring it on and have some proper weather.
Lets sort out the men form the boys.
(now I will run away and hide) :-)
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>> I say bring it on and have some proper weather.
>> Lets sort out the men form the boys.
>>
>> (now I will run away and hide) :-)
>>
Nope. The snail beats me.. I cannot remember that far back...
It should have read.."sort out the very elderly from the men and the boys"
EDIT
Where does the 1947 winter fit into Global Warming?
Last edited by: madf on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 14:27
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>> Hope it clears for Monday - Squeeze in the Phil in Liverpool ...:-)
>>
Hope you get there. If you don't you will be really Up The Junction, but you might be Tempted to just stay in and have Black Coffee in Bed.
I saw them last year at the Hammy Odeon (or whatever it's called these days). Great night.
Last edited by: Boxsterboy on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 15:01
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>> Hope you get there. If you don't you will be really Up The Junction, but
>> you might be Tempted to just stay in and have Black Coffee in Bed.
Or maybe supper Pulling Mussels from the Shell then some Slap & Tickle????
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...then some Slap & Tickle?...
Only if she says Take Me I'm Yours, but does he want the wife Up the Junction at his age?
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I'd not heard Up the Junction in years until something made me seek it out on You Tube for Bromp Junior.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmIpk5fRUYk
Good melody and observant lyrics.
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Weather looks good this end - X1 copes with the trip to the main road well ! Webcam shows a nice shiny Liverpool - Mrs working lates so let her sleep for a few hours then off we go !
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We had about an inch this morning. By early afternoon it was starting to melt.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Sun 28 Nov 10 at 15:37
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>> Madf, do you have *any* scientific basis for your opinions, or have you just decided
>> So things will change. Exactly how, and how that will vary by region / location
>> we don't know. But to dismiss it completely smacks of sticking your head in the
>> sand.
>>
S.O. - you are wasting your time trying to educate people, via a forum, on matters where statistics and science are involved.
People think global-warming means the temperature everywhere on earth has to rise every day beyond what it has ever been.
Some people have no understanding of short term "noise" versus long-term trends.
Some people who don't believe in the global-warming/climate-change statistics use "chartist" methods for stock market investments.
Some people are anti-science or anti-climate-change in the same way that people follow a Religion.
There is no way anyone can convince these people even to contemplate the possibility that their perception is flawed.
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Blimey
how cold is it out there!
Never know such a cold cold in November.
Still ducks on ice, is there any funnier show anywhere.
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>> Blimey
>> how cold is it out there!
>> Never know such a cold cold in November.
>> Still ducks on ice, is there any funnier show anywhere.
>>
Where we park the cars at the back of our house, its like a ice rink - glad its not a main road or cars pass through it
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...Where we park the cars at the back of our house, its like a ice rink...
RV,
I was hoping to swing by the caravan later this week.
What are the roads like Leeming/Bedale-ish?
And is there much snow lying generally?
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>> RV,
>>
>> I was hoping to swing by the caravan later this week.
>>
>> What are the roads like Leeming/Bedale-ish?
>>
>> And is there much snow lying generally?
>>
Yes my Parents in Richmond are "Snowed in" and even the main roads in Darlington have been completely covered with about half a inch - to a inch of snow thats now compacted.
Its quite bad, there was a easily a foot of snow on my car this morning completly covered.
I would be prepared if you are going to risk it..... i think its going to snow right up until thursday.
Edit: the main road in Darlington (Yarm Road) is now cleared I would say the others might be the same but heavy snow is forcast for later on this afternoon.
Last edited by: Redviper on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 12:57
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...I would be prepared if you are going to risk it...
Thanks for that.
I was thinking about winterising the caravan.
Frozen pipes are the big enemy and I see the forecast is for even lower temperatures later in the week.
The water's off, and last time I was there I put windscreen washer anti-freeze in the toilets and drains, so it's half-winterised.
I think it might have to stay that way for the time being.
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>> Frozen pipes are the big enemy and I see the forecast is for even lower
>> temperatures later in the week.
>>
>> The water's off, and last time I was there I put windscreen washer anti-freeze in
>> the toilets and drains, so it's half-winterised.
>>
I would agree, but I think you have taken adequate steps
Sunday morning I was up about 7am (ish) and then it was a reported -10! in Darlington (which being a large town is a degree or two warmer than say Richmond)
Last edited by: Redviper on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 13:20
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...it was a reported -10! in Darlington...
Sounds like it's been canny cold already.
The steps I've taken will give some frost protection, but the water needs to be pumped out of the pipes to do the job properly.
Sounds a big job, but it only takes about 20 minutes.
The most important thing is the water is turned off, so if a pipe does burst, there's a limited amount that can spill into the caravan.
I've heard of caravans being written off by a burst pipe which has been left flowing for several days.
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Yes I would think thats the best thing to do.
Good luck!
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>> >>
>> >> What are the roads like Leeming/Bedale-ish?
>> >>
>> >> And is there much snow lying generally?
>> >>
>>
>>
>> Yes my Parents in Richmond are "Snowed in" and even the main roads in Darlington
>> have been completely covered with about half a inch - to a inch of snow
>> thats now compacted.
Main roads in Richmond clear; easy trip in to the Swimming Pool at 11:00 am and back at 12:30. The school bus managed to deliver the youngster but as only about 30 pupils made it in the school was declared closed and the bus brought them back again.
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Roads around Bedale/Leeming have been OK all day. The Bedale/Northallerton road is fine, if not a bit slow. Bedale is OK. Don't know about the roads off into the sticks (ie up towards Leyburn etc).
Currently snowing quite heavily
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"is there any funnier show anywhere."
Yeah, Brits stuck in their cars is always funny.
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The snow may be about to clear as if by a miracle.... I'm hovering over a checkout button with 4 winter tyres in the basket....
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No snow in Reading yet, but it looked white-ish out of the train window this morning from about Didcot all the way to Bath. Running from the station to the office (4 mile scenic route), the Kennet and Avon canal towpath was roughly 50% covered in ice/compacted snow, and the canal itself was almost completely iced over; didn't try standing on it to find out how thick though!
On our States holiday earlier this year we had to buy a set of snow chains due to weather conditions and laws about carrying them in the boot of the car, although we never had to use them. I brought them back, but unfortunately they're the wrong size for the Focus. I might be able to get my money back if I time it right... :)
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>> The snow may be about to clear as if by a miracle.... I'm hovering over
>> a checkout button with 4 winter tyres in the basket....
>>
Get on with it and let us know what you bought.
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>> >> Madf, do you have *any* scientific basis for your opinions,
SQ
Some people have degrees in physics, believe the earth has been warming for the past 11,000 years and know that in reality nothing we can say or do will make not the slightest difference until we exhaust all fossil fuels...
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 13:45
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Had an interesting weekend, Saturday we drove up from Rugeley (1" fell Friday Night) to Yarm, roads fine until Derby and the A38 looked as if it had not been salted, dark tyre tracks in rearside lane, mostly compact snow in outside lane.
Lorry jackknifed on roundabout at A38 M1 Junction caused queue back to Alftreton so we joined the A61 and headed for Chesterfield - A61 better than A38 but up to 8" in places along centre of road. Clay Cross area the worst.
M1, M18, A1M and A19 fine.
Left Yarm for Barnsley around 2pm but had to pick up flowers in Middlesbrough for my mother whose birthday is next week - Middlesbrough was a skating rink, thought I had left enough gap (just - about 40 yards at 15mph) as I had to test it when the driver in front stopped to let someone turn right across the front of him! ! ! Wife said STOP!!!, I said "I'm trying" as the pedal vibrated. 400 yards later saw a look of panic as I turned right, the guy coming down the road I was turning into had braked late for the stop line and was sliding towards it, and me, with all wheels locked, full left lock and going straight ahead! - We past him just before he crossed the stop line - to close for comfort.
Middlesbrougn had hardly any snow, just what they had had been turned into a thin layer of ice on the road.
It was nice to get back onto the A19 snow falling til just after Craythorne and then clear all the way to Barnsley. 6.5 below in Barnsley at 0930 yesterday and an uneventful drive home.
Deepest snow by far was in Derbyshire but north east probably has more now.
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Why do people, especially elderly ones, have to clear their paths and driveways as soon as it snows?
In my street every house has a driveway, maybe 3 car lengths long. I have several neighbours this weekend who have been out shovelling and brushing the snow off the path and driveway. And I am talking until there is not a flake left on the driveway.
I watched one neighbour do it and then he proceeded to go back inside and stayed in for the day!!
There must be more to life!
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I cleared a foot of snow off my drive this morning, another foot of snow forecast for later today. thats my exercise for the day as I couldn't get to the swimming pool, and less snow to clear tomorrow. Oh, and I can get my car out of the garage if I need it. It's hard work this retirement game!
PS I also walked to the doctors for my flu jab appointment, only half an hour each way.
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>> thats my exercise for the day
Exactly, and if you're outside you don't need the heating on. The exercise keeps you warm too.
Cleared mine this morning, expecting another couple of inches overnight.
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Look at it another way Bobby. If he was loafing in the house all day when his path needed clearing he'd be a lazy so and so.
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>> Why do people, especially elderly ones, have to clear their paths and driveways as soon as it snows?
To avoid falling over when it freezes and breaking a hip or something fragile?
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Went harris over apex yesterday getting the bikes off the Qashqai. It's do-able but quite a reach. Have to stand on the sill. Slipped, fell over backwards, bike bounced off the glass roof, didn't break it thank the Lord, and landed on me. Not elegant.
Bike racks back on the Mondeo today.
Roofbars for QQ consigned to the "corner of things which will come in handy one day" in the garage...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 18:54
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>>Slipped, fell over backwards, bike bounced off the glass roof, didn't break it thank the Lord, and landed on me. Not elegant<<
Any foto's ;-)
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I hope you didn't damage any street furniture when the bike fell...
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...I hope you didn't damage any street furniture when the bike fell...
Don't suppose he'd care much if he did.
Some of these cycling types can be a bit reckless when it comes to that sort of thing.
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Spoke to my brother on the phone today. He's an accomplished driver (does local rallies). He and two mates went from the SW to the NE and Scotland to watch a classic rally, this weekend just gone.
They took his SWB Shogun (with all terrain tyres), instead of an Audi A3, purely because of the weather forecasts and the fact they'd be going to remote venues.
He said the most frightening bit of the whole journey, (bearing in mind he'd been on all sorts, inc very minor 'B' roads in deep snow at times)...was coming back South on the M6 with the o/s lane showing about an inch of snow...and muppets overtaking him at 70 -80 mph snaking in the virgin snow.
He said when some clown in a Transit did it, to dramatic effect, all three of them were up for leaving the m/way altogether as they thought it was so dangerous.
Why are people so damned stupid.
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Agreed WP. Went to fetch my son on Saturday morning (25 miles up the Notts/Derbys stretch of the M1) and was overtaken at one point by a RR Sport, then an Insignia, then an Audi, all doing 90mph+. By the tyre tracks they were among the first half-dozen users of the outside lane since the 4am snowfall.
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Have to stand on the sill of the C5 as well to get to the centre two bikes... use a decorating step at home to minimise paint scuffing from shoes within the door shut area but no alternative when out and about.
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>> Have to stand on the sill of the C5 as well
Ah well, y'see, now then, you don't want to do it like that...
:-)
What y'do is, put one of your middle bikes, temporarily, on an outside rack, tighten it just enough to steady it. Then, reach through the bike to open the middle rack and then, having stuck the tip of your tongue out of the corner of your mouth, heave the bike onto the middle rack while rotating it through 180 degrees. At this point it is a bit of a leap of faith but you just have to believe...
It was, in fairness, at this point yesterday that it all went mammaries up so it's not foolproof...
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 19:38
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|
You want to put the suspension in low....oh no you can't - the accountants designed it out. Grrrrr!
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>> Went harris over apex yesterday getting the bikes off the Qashqai. It's do-able but quite
>> a reach. Have to stand on the sill. Slipped, fell over backwards, bike bounced off
>> the glass roof, didn't break it thank the Lord, and landed on me. Not elegant.
>>
What happened to the box I suggested you use for standing on and putting your muddy bike kit in?
|
Ah, well, y'see...
Anyway, it's "the german's" fault. I live next door to a german bloke and he reckons you don't need to scrape ice off your car windows. "Chust pour ze 'ot vaughter on ze vindows und off sie fahren."
Well, I'd done that earlier and the resultant puddle froze....
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 19:59
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|
Sounds like a German plot to break your windows, I would go for warm rather than 'ot.
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>> Went harris over apex yesterday getting the bikes off the Qashqai. It's do-able but quite
>> a reach. Have to stand on the sill. Slipped, fell over backwards, bike bounced off
>> the glass roof, didn't break it thank the Lord, and landed on me. Not elegant.
Damn - New Bike needed then, what with the old one being damaged and all.
And now you have a back injury it needs to be the latest and greatest lightweight ones,
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Sigh
Got the usual seasonal thud, thud of snowballs, on the way home. From the local scum of society - casue the car to brake, stop and as such forced me to stop ABS kicking in which made me a sitting duck
I am sick to death of it - you cant own a nice car without it being a target - does anyone else have this problem, and does it bother you as much as it bothers me.
Last edited by: Redviper on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 20:04
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>> and does it bother
>> you as much as it bothers me.
>>
Not unless they contain rocks.
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>> it being a target - does anyone else have this problem, and does it bother
>> you as much as it bothers me.
no and no
why did you stop?
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>>
>> why did you stop?
>>
Becasue the person in the front of me, who got hit first, stopped forced me to. as the road was half a foot under snow i wasnt going to overtake him.
I just re-read my post and realised that i missed a bit out, there was a car in front of me, and he stopped when he got hit with a snowball forcing me to stop.
Last edited by: Redviper on Mon 29 Nov 10 at 20:13
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does anyone else have this problem, and does it bother
>> you as much as it bothers me.
>>
On a certain estate where my job takes me, thankfully not local. It does indeed bother me because the sudden bang on the car makes you jump out of your skin if you aren't expecting it and would be downright dangerous if you had a window open.
Personally I would get out and shove a couple of frozen snowballs up the back passage of any thrower, but showing the kids a bit of grown up humour would no doubt result in a spell away.
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>> It does indeed bother me because the sudden bang on the car makes you jump out of your
>> skin if you aren't expecting it and would be downright dangerous if you had a
>> window open.
Exactly it is downright dangerous when you have to concentrate what you are doing.
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Redviper said: "does anyone else have this problem, and does it bother you as much as it bothers me."
Almost 20 years ago I was pelted with ice balls thrown from the roof of a multi storey car park. I was on my push bike at the time and it could have been very dangerous. Some years back I recall a dull thud as a 'snow' ball hit the side of the car. I don't mind if it is snow, but ice can leave a dent.
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They'd find it highly amusing pelting the loaded car transporter as you drove by, could guarantee a hit, unfortunately having to pass one school in particular in chavtown (where my depot was) often it would be stones at other times of the year.
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>> Bike racks back on the Mondeo today.
Won't the clip on rack work on the Squashy?
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I'd prefer to give someone else the benefit of that rack, after all it'll be Christmas soon. Might give it to someone !
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When I had my bike racks on the Altea I carried one of those small 2 step folding stools, folds flat into the boot of the car when not needed and makes loading and unloading much easier.
Agree with Humph though, it is an exercise in perfect balance!
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What's it like Andover / Basingstoke way this morning?
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Time to start SNOW - vol 2. This thread has gone too long and a pain to view in smart phones.
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Well Skoda did you make it out today? I am back home - all roads in the area totally gridlocked so have turned back and now having my coffee an d boiled egg and soldiers!!
Will try again in an hour or so.
Glad I hadnt invested in winter tyres or a 4wd - would not have made the slightest difference!
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Minus 7° in some areas of Sunny Cornwall this morning, but only -1° when I got to St. Awful.
Truro was -4°
Roads were well gritted.
Didn't encounter any morons :)
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>> Didn't encounter any morons :)
>>
No, we're all here in front of our computers ;-)
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>>No, we're all here in front of our computers ;-)<<
Many a true word spoken in jest :}
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>> Minus 7° in some areas of Sunny Cornwall this morning, but only -1° when I
>> got to St. Awful.
>>
you can't be a true yokel, Dog......it's pronounced 'Snozzle', with a load of unintelligible gibberish before and after...;-)
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>> Well Skoda did you make it out today?
Aye i nipped up to the doctors in Newarthill, but not driving into Glasgow today. Another day working from home.
2 neighbours gave disapproving looks when they saw me switching the Octy & BMW in the driveway. That look of "your doing that the wrong way round son" :-)
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First Moron of the Season in Manchester.
Woman in Freelander thinking she could defy the laws of physics by driving too quickly, too agressively and too close to me and others on Great Clowes Street. I held my nerve and just drive straight and would not be bullied into crossing the (almost invisible) white line to give her the room she wanted to undertake. There was a car on the inside who was driving cautiously (with good reason) and woman in Freelander didn't like it.
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>>Time to start SNOW - vol 2. This thread has gone too long and a pain to view in smart phones<<
Would using the arrows on the RH side help, I wonder,
i.e. use the down arrow to go to the bottom of ze thread.
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>> What's it like Andover / Basingstoke way this morning?
Got our first snow up the A33 in Reading overnight, but so little they haven't even closed son's school, much to his disappointment. However they are giving out some useful info on the website, advising not to take 'unnecessary risks' on the way in.
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Thanks, I was supposed to be in Basingstoke today though the forecast there is for heavy snow at lunchtime and the town ground to a halt last year in the snow hence I have postponed.
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>> Thanks, I was supposed to be in Basingstoke today though the forecast there is for
>> heavy snow at lunchtime and the town ground to a halt last year in the
>> snow hence I have postponed.
I remember that day - Reading did the same. Good decision I think.
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>>
>> Thanks, I was supposed to be in Basingstoke today though the forecast there is for
>> heavy snow at lunchtime and the town ground to a halt last year in the
>> snow hence I have postponed.
Wimped out AGAIN!
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>> What's it like Andover / Basingstoke way this morning?
We're just up the A30 from Basingstoke in Yateley.
Half a centimetre at most overnight, dealt with very easily by the wipers this morning.
What's falling is very sleety, and even that's forecast to conk out by lunchtime.
Both daughters schools open as normal.
A total anti-climax, given the news and forecasts over the past few days.
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A little north of Reading here and also an anticlimax. There was enough snow to crunch underfoot as I walked the small Beests to school, and to make me put off tackling the big hill out of town until others had tried it, but the salting seems to have kept the main roads clear. It's almost all gone now.
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Just driven from N/E Surrey to Newark.
Left home at 07:00 in slight sleet, Arrived in Normal time no problem, and the washer didnt freeze up tho I used about three litres of washer fluid. The radio was full of dire warning and tales of woe, and its all been an anti climax.
What did we do before we had decent washers? remember the days of the old Ford with a plastic bag hanging on two hooks inside the engine bay? How much fluid did that take?
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>> How much fluid did that take?
Didn't really matter though did it, most cars were RWD then so you could just roll the window down and go sideways!
Gave "her" the Qashqai today. I've just been out in the Mondy to get, um, er, bread, and by crickey it's slippy round here. Of course you have have a little play don't you....
:-)
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Very mild here in Camberley. We live on a very slight slope with a corner, and its been interesting watching some of my neighbours driving. Pratt of the day goes to the owner of a very nice AMG mercedes who gave it some welly as he went round the corner - he nearly ended up in my front garden. He then wimped out and drove home again. Everyone else got out just fine.
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Whenever I see a Merc and snow, the merc is always in trouble. No idea why.
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>> Whenever I see a Merc and snow, the merc is always in trouble. No idea
>> why.
>>
One of the two delivery vans stuck in the 18 inches of snow in our street is a merc. It must be a trait of the make. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 12:29
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It is slippy though. I was tootling along at 10 mph just now and had to stop for a junction. Feathered the brakes but still set off the ABS. Someone's going to come a cropper.
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not me, these just arrived www.pogu.co.uk/
There are generic ones cheaper on eBay but as the descriptions include phrases such as "preshush steel" I'd rather go with a UK company with an address in the Lake District. If I need to use them I'll report back.
John
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Won't they dig in to the pedals?
:-)
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Might be. You'd get a good grip on the sill though....
John
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Aye true !...... Just remember if wearing them never to kneel down...
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Just had to go out and tow the (rear wheel drive) UPS van up the slope.
Landcruiser with snowflake rated AT tyres - I hardly noticed when the rope took up the slack.
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Over 2 & a half hours to drive 18 miles from Rochester to Dartford this morning, and i am certainly not looking forward to the drive home as it doesn't appear to be getting any better out there ! Some of my colleagues who only live 5 miles away in the Bexleyheath area took over 3 hours to get here !
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Very little depth in our fen but roads still very slippery and real risks everywhere as demonstrated by the occasional dyked car.
Mrs F a daily 20ml each way commute starting 6.30am is trouble free due to little traffic and the agile nature of the light C3.
Self a 10ml each way school run twice a day. C5 is saved to an extent by its electronics but as a heavy car with summer Michelins down to 4mm at the front not ideal at the moment.
Our house drive directly joins a NSL B road and slopes up sharply just where your front tyres sit while waiting to get out into traffic. Took 10 mins and many attempts before the traction control assisted the skiddy Michelins this morning.
Then on some fresh snow returning from school I found even at 25-30mph the car was trying to fall down the camber into an adj field at places where the road dips badly to the nearside.... again showing just how rubbish the half worn summer tyres are on the front.
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>>>What y'do is, put one of your middle bikes, temporarily, on an outside rack, tighten it just enough to steady it. Then, reach through the bike to open the middle rack and then, having stuck the tip of your tongue out of the corner of your mouth, heave the bike onto the middle rack while rotating it through 180 degrees. At this point it is a bit of a leap of faith but you just have to believe...
Believe... I haven't managed to understand it yet!
So I've bitten through the tip of my tongue and end up balancing trying to work out... 180deg in which direction?... then it all goes pear shaped. Perhaps I'll take that folding shopper bike I bought for Mrs F and save the roof carrier trouble.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 13:32
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These conditions certainly sort the disciplined, smooth drivers from the ham-fisted clod-footed insensitive masses :-)
Last edited by: Old Sock on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 13:37
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When this whether rears its head, I always see a few Darwin Award candidates.
Like the one I saw this morning revving the car like mad with the tyres spinning, when moving off from a car park space in the local supermarket.
young lad, yeh
Wrong
An older gentlemen out with his wife
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Only a thin covering here but very slippery. Just taken the new BMW out to an empty car park to experiment with it.
Used to snigger at people who seemed to have their Beamers stuck in tiny amounts of snow... well, now I see why. Cold, summer, low-profile run-flat tyres have almost zero grip.
* With full traction control enabled, it moves off, slowly, with the engine at about idle speed.
* With DTC turned on, it revs to about 2000RPM and is slightly more effective at moving away with the wheels spinning a bit.
* With traction control off, it does nothing until the automatic gearbox figures things out and shifts automatically into 2nd to pull away.
Should probably have hung onto the Passat over the winter, was awesome in icy weather.
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I was out before in it was fine. I kept to higher gears and was very careful not to do any harsh breaking. One of the roads was like an ice rink but was very careful.
I need to go out again later to drop of a machine and pick one up. I am dreading that.
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AF, put some weight in the boot? The front wheel drive Passat had the engine over the wheels.
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Same here in Bracknell Tigger. As ever, the worst and most dangerous bit of one's journey tends to be getting off the roads where one lives, no grit, no salt, and lots ice ie compressed snow, until one reaches a treated main road, the all is well, if South of the Humber.
Last edited by: Perky Penguin (p) on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 17:14
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No problems here, we are totally snowed in and are going nowhere on wheels.
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Is a bit of problem if you're self employed and need to move to earn money though. Thankfully I have a lot of cheques to pay in so I can pay the bills if business gets stuck for a few days.
Tonight is business as usual though, I am dreading it though. Not worried about the main roads just the local roads e.g mine.
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Just been out for journey 1. Trafford council don't seem to have grited any of the none major suburban roads. Kings Road in Stretford is quite icy. I didn't feel safe at anything over 25mph and I was in 4th.
The A/B roads in the Manchester city council area seem fine but minor roads are an ice rink.
Seemed to be a lot of fast moving traffic on the gritted roads. Most people seemed to be driving sensible and not tailgating but there were a few idiots in a hurry as always.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 19:49
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Most people
>> seemed to be driving sensible and not tailgating but there were a few idiots in
>> a hurry as always.
>>
I did nothing but wheel spin, trying to get some forward motion coming out of the trading Estate where I work
Some idiot behind me in a Zafira, was in so much of a hurry when he caught up with me i dont think he would have been able to stop without hitting me, I like you did not feel safe going over 25 i was not going to let him bully me out of the way. thankfully he turned off though at the next junction
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Just been out to pull a taxi out of next doors garden. He took the corner far too fast - at least 4 mph!
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"Is a bit of problem if you're self employed and need to move to earn money though"
Quite right Rattle - I have to go from Leics to Horsham, to Romford then Norwich tomorrow - wonder what my chances are of doing that.
One of our drivers rang me an hour or so ago - he left Epsom 6 hours earlier and had done 27 miles - still hadn't got to Heathrow on M25. I got from Colwyn Bay to Blackburn and then back to Leics and had a doze and a glass or 2 of red wine in the same time (not AT the same time!)
Phil
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Christmas Eve last year, when I was driving vans for a living, I got to the bottom of a steep hill to deliver a parcel and while I was inside, it rained. It was about -5 outside, and the road turned into sheet ice in seconds.
Took a run at the hill which culminated in me leaning out of the window and yelling as loudly as I could to the bloke in the car behind me, "GO BACK! GO BACK!" as I slid back down the hill...
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Horrendous driving conditions round our way tonight. Epsom, Ashstead, Leatherhead & Cobham completely grid-locked (and my journey followed that route!). The roads aren't too bad but I think just one minor incident (e.g. a minor side-road impassable) creates blockages on the main roads that have been cleared.
There was plenty of warning and the gritters were out on our (fairly minor) road last night, but still it is covered in snow tonight.
I have plenty of grip with my winter tyres, and so can still detour on minor side-roads - when I can get to them.
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>> when I can get to them.
>>
So on one of the few days when they should be of use they are almost useless. You need to persuade the rest of the countries drivers to buy them. They wouldn't help here either, we have 18" of snow, and it is still snowing.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 20:56
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>>They wouldn't help here either, we have 18" of snow
I saw some of the news covering Northumberland. You can't even see what the cars are, they are buried so deep.
18mm? Pah!
Last edited by: corax on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 21:15
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>> >>They wouldn't help here either, we have 18" of snow
>>
>> I saw some of the news covering Northumberland. You can't even see what the cars
>> are, they are buried so deep.
>>
>> 18mm. Pah!
>>
The " meant inches when I went to school.
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Just got back now. Wasn't that bad at all really I slid slightly on a cul de sac which had turned to ice but it was easy enough to control.
I really like the Pandas brakes because they are only sharp when you really need them to be so there is a lot of feel in them. I find some modern cars to have brakes which are too much like on/off which is not ideal in this weather.
At nearly all times I felt in control of the car, when I had the Corsa it could be quite scary in ice. Part of it is probably that I have improved a bit as a driver too.
Either way am hoping to avoid driving tomorrow, I shouldn't have any need to unless the phone continues to ring but I have far too much work on anyway. I should be able to work from home all day.
What annoys me is that we only got two hours worth of snow if we didn't get it then there wouldn't have been even the slightest of problems other than a bit of frost.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 21:17
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"You need to persuade the rest of the countries drivers to buy them."
Unfortunately it's impossible to convince the ignorant old dinosaurs who insist on going out in a poorly equipped car and keep bellowing on about how their skill will get them through, whilst taking any and every opportunity to have a dig at the sensible, drivers who are prudent enough to prepare their vehicles properly.
One wonders how many images of chaos and gridlock these daft old duffers would have to stare at on the news before it dawns on them that they're ridiculously out-dated, unfit to drive and really ought to hang up their keys, not just for winter, but permanently.
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>> Unfortunately it's impossible to convince the ignorant old dinosaurs who insist on going
I'm a stick in the mud old fool luddite of the first order but tyres are my number one safety purchase and i've had winter's for years.
The drivers i see stuck pranged or ditched are not usually old duffers like me but younger duffers who buy the cheapest ultra low profile tat rubber they can find for their ill maintained heaps and drive them like top gear done innit, no money left for irrelevent things like proper tyres or anti freeze when they've blown half a weeks wages/benefits on a mind numbing booze up Friday and Saturday nights and desperately need the latest XBox or iPod and some gange.
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>> They wouldn't help here either, we have 18" of snow, and it is still snowing.
>>
Another misconception about winter tyres, I am afraid.
I've driven in snow probably twice that depth with the same tyres (in the Alps having left the car parked for a week). Yes, you need a shovel to dig the snow away immediately adjacent the car, but once you are going, strangely enough, the weight of the car squashes the snow somewhat!
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>> >> They wouldn't help here either, we have 18" of snow, and it is still
>> snowing.
>> >>
>>
>> Another misconception about winter tyres, I am afraid.
>>
Thats odd, the cars that have tried it here are failed bulldozers, I have found the roads in alpine areas are usually snowploughed, unlike ours at the moment.
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>> Thats odd, the cars that have tried it here are failed bulldozers, I have found
>> the roads in alpine areas are usually snowploughed, unlike ours at the moment.
>>
Just to elaborate, We have 18" of frozen snow in the road, there are two ruts made by 4X4's and vans, the frozen snow between the ruts would take a car front bumper off if you could get into them. Once we get a snowplough along the road I will be fully mobile on my standard tyres.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 22:24
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>> Just to elaborate, We have 18" of frozen snow in the road, there are two
>> ruts made by 4X4's and vans, the frozen snow between the ruts would take a
>> car front bumper off if you could get into them.
hmmm.. I've just lost the plastic cover from the bottom of the engine bay (Stone Guard?), damn. Yeah, forth bridge shut, along with several other roads and M8 in chaos again.
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well you have bought a collectors car tomoco
now go back and collect the bits
;-)
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Hehe, it's from the pug though. Mazda hasn't moved since we got it home.
Last edited by: ToMoCo on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 08:42
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I replaced all the tyres on the CC3 recently with ordinary mid-range radials - Barum Bravuris.
The car had more grip on snow today than it did last year with the original equipment Pirelli Eco Contacts.
Still nowt flash, but a definite improvement.
I wonder if it's due to having a full tread, or the compound of the Barums?
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I've probably mentioned this before but when we lived up a hill in Scotland we used to get our fair share of the white stuff. One car I had during that time which was surprisingly good in those conditions was a Xantia. If it started to bog down you could usually get it going even in quite deep snow by temporarliy raising the suspension to its maximum height. Bounced all over the place like that of course but it got it out of trouble more than once. Mk 1 Panda was pretty good too. My Land Rover 90 was good at unsticking itself to get moving, as you might expect, but it was a pig to stop in snow or ice.
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Who managed the furthest trip this week ?
My lad got up at 1am on Monday, drove from Hazel Grove, Stockport to Fort William, via Glencoe.
He had a full English in The Fort as he had 4 hours to spend there before getting the train over the West Highland line to Glasgow.
Taking a taxi to some place outside the city, he collected another car and drove home....a 21hr day !
Needless to say, he had today off !
Dedication to the job ? Of course, he got it from his old Dad !
We woke up to a snow scene this morning but only an inch or so. I think the warmth of the city keeps it clear.
I walked down to the village in the afternoon but it didn't seem to be too slippery.
Ted
Last edited by: Ted on Tue 30 Nov 10 at 22:34
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I needed to wear my wellies, I was sliding about all the place with my trainers, but after breaking my elbow I have been extra careful. I even keep them in my car now and change when I get out.
It will be far worse tomorrow when ice forms on top of the snow and then snow falls on top of that :(.
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Snow falling here now. An inch or two already on the car and it is still falling. I should (and could) work from home tomorrow. My colleague has other ideas but he might need to be told it's not worth it. I could do more from home anyway. And if I had a car accident in a company car on a trip that is unnecessary..... well it might cost money at best.
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Ted ran it is as his own business collecting mainly classics I think and a few Ladas.
Snowed here about an hour ago but as stopped now. Oh the second I said that it has started again.
Either way I am not driving tomorrow no matter what, the problem is with three desktops here I will be forced to drive by Thursday/Friday :(. I may simply refuse to drive in the dark at least its less likely to be icy during the day and there is better vision.
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I'm really not sure how to get in there, Zeddo.
My lad, now 37, was in dead end jobs for years.
A very good friend worked for a courtesy car firm locally, sorting out the computers as a sort of paid hobby.
I found out, over a dinner, that they used free lance drivers to deliver cars, usually following an accident.
Quite a few are to replace private hire cars and need to be tested and plated at the detination...a further complication.
I mentioned the lad and George told him to come down and see the director, who turned out to be George's son, who my lad had been at school with and a good friend of, until they had moved a few miles away.
He started dating the girl who gave out the work...shrewd move....and they now live together. She's lovely.
Now he is on the paid staff. Best conversation I ever had with a mate !
So really, you would need to find a company within striking distance of home doing this kind of work for it to be any use to you. I wouldn't mind doing a few myself but I've got enough to do already, being retired !
For my part, I do a bit of troubleshooting for a car share club. They have no-one based in the City and have about 30 cars here. It's cheaper for them to get me out to sort a problem, rather than send an engineer across the Pennines.
I just get paid on a turn-out plus expenses basis, but i can be in the City centre in about 10 minutes, so it doesn't take long to sort things out.
I think the main point is that you need to live near who-ever you're working for.
It all boils down to that really. Find a few hire/courtesy car firms around the Arcadia that you reside in and give it a punt. Good luck !
Actually, Ratto, hundreds of Ladas ! Also local agent for a few other manufacturers schemes...BMW, Alfa,VAG, Polski, Porsche and Ferrari...Lord knows, some of them needed breakdown cover !
Ted
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Is he a delivery driver?
I quite fancy doing that, how do you go about getting into it?
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Ted and at least one other on here might be able to point you in this direction. Ted's involved in hire type pickup/moves/etc but one other does the delivery stuff.
When I got a test drive in 2007 the drop off driver then had to get to Leeds from Manchester on train to collect the next car. I can see how it might appeal. Some cars were also performance ones.
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...I quite fancy doing that, how do you go about getting into it?...
Maybe not quite the type of deliveries you were thinking of, but most main dealers employ one or two people to run customers' cars around, and sales cars when needed.
Mostly short trips.
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Not that short. I bought my car from Stourbridge (West Midlands) and the guys that did that job there said they were often picking and dropping cars off in Manchester.
After they had dropped my car off they had to collect one from Knutsford.
My car had 82 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
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...My car had 82 miles on the clock when I picked it up...
Sales cars are not often run around for long distances because customers don't like to see the mileage.
When I worked at the Renault dealer and we were doing a long-distance swap, it was usual for both dealers to agree to disconnect the odometers on both cars.
Was easy then, just unscrew a cable in the gearbox casing and tierap it out of the way.
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Pretty impossible now as it is all done via the ECU. It was a brand new car but at the time it was well over £1k cheaper than any of the Manchester dealers so I took the plunge and ordered it, the deal was they would drive to my local Arnold Clark dealer.
A few days after I had bought it the price went down in my local dealer too :(.
I think next time though if I ever buy a brand new car again I will collect it from the dealer myself.
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Cars are delivered my drivers all the time including ones dropped off for test drives. The driver often has a pick reasonably nearby - like an hour or so train journey. You also get to drive some exotic cars.
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Well in my case two blokes from the dealer turned up. One in my Panda and one in a Focus. I assume they then went to Knutsford in the Focus together and then one of them drove whatever car they were collecting back to the Midlands.
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...One in my Panda and one in a Focus...
I wonder who drew the short straw that morning? :)
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The Panda is actually a very comfortable car for a city car :). It has proper seats with decent amount of padding etc. It is also very refinded at 70mph. Driving wise it is just not as relaxing as lots of gear changes are required due to the tiny engine.
The bloke driivng the Panda said he has two Pandas of his own too :). A 1.2 and a 100hp.
Sure a Focus will be the better dirve, it costs nearly three times as much but it is probably not a three times better drive.
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...the Panda is actually a very comfortable car for a city car :)...
Course it is, and it would do 70mph on the motorway all day if you wanted to.
Probably do it good.
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Zero,
Contact me via email via mods - I work for a car delivery company. Beware - there are lots of cowboy companies out there! (not Ted obviously!!). Very long hours at times - set out at 5am today - just got back at 9pm!! My wife found me the job as a "little driving job for my retirement". I love it though!!
Phil
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I'll wing your details across this very instant !
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A work colleague's partner has a job delivering motability cars, sometimes over quite a distance eg yesterday he was Glasgow to Liverpool. Think he does alright out of it
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Thanks PU, but note that I have JUST this minute changed and validated my new
email address!
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Damn
He'll charge me another 50 quid admin fee you know
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"He'll charge me another 50 quid admin fee you know"
What? You mean a whole week of delivering cars 14 hours a day??!!
Phil
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...Who managed the furthest trip this week ?...
Not me, I had enough bother getting to the caravan and back - about 90 miles.
What with snowstorms, electrical failures leading to a visit to the Ford place, frozen pipes in the 'van (expected), and bother getting the CC3 back into the backyard at Iffy Towers, I've had enough excitement for one day.
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>.Horrendous driving conditions round our way tonight. Epsom, Ashstead, Leatherhead & Cobham completely grid-locked (and my journey followed that route!).
>>
Probably still is Traffic England says still 2 hour delay on M25 due lorry jacknifed.
IMO always woth a peep at it.
Just checked for daughters trip back to Oxford - amimals on the M4o at one location :-)
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"I have to go from Leics to Horsham, to Romford then Norwich tomorrow - wonder what my chances are of doing that."
Norfolk fairly clear of snow with only minor showers expected. A12 through Essex and Suffolk pretty bad today so take M11/A11 which OK
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Snowing here now in Rattoland....not too heavy but we'll see what morning brings.
Gonna get the gas heater on in the workshop and do some more work on my engine rebuild.
Cafetiere will be working overtime...as will woolly hat !
Ted
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...Gonna get the gas heater on in the workshop...
We had a couple of biggish paraffin heaters in the garage, one looked like two torpedoes stacked on top of each other.
It was always a pain at this time of year having to keep shutting the (manual) doors of the workshop to keep a bit of heat in.
And you couldn't see if anyone turned up on the forecourt.
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M25 south of London and surrounding roads seem to have been very bad today.
Radio says it is still bad plus fog.
BBC Surrey
M25 Surrey - One lane closed and severe delays on M25 clockwise between J8, A217 (Reigate) and J9, A243 (Leatherhead), because of a jackknifed lorry. Congestion to before J7 M23.
M25 Webcams show it clogged @1130pm
Traffic England says average speed M23 Northbound is ZERO
Delays of 90 min on M25 by Reigate. M25 J3 closed
May I suggest that unless things are better tomorrow you are in for a long day.
This evening I have see cars in the Mitcham area with six inches of snow on their roof but I suspect they had come from Kent.
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Well here in Lanarkshire we must have had between 6-8 inches of snow today alone.
Tonight I was watching a program that I had recorded last night on BBC and it was preceded with the weather forecast for today. The presenter clearly said there would be no fresh snow in Scotland today. That was at 10.30pm last night, it snowed almost non stop from 4am and is snowing again just now.
These forecasts really are guesswork!
But I see tonight that London is going to get snow so no doubt it will be all over the National news tomorrow!! :)
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LBC 97.3FM still reporting gridlock ( at 00:00 ) Leatherhead way with people stuck for up to seven hours
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Northants still seems largely unaffected. Only very minor roads are slippery.
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Been out from Leicester to Nuneaton, Stafford, Halesowen then Lutterworth in that order. Phoned Sally Traffic twice with updates :)
The worst snow by far was (still is) in Coalville, it took me an hour and a quarter each way to and from work (12 miles). Coming back I had to detour twice, due to the 8-mile traffic jam :(
Glad I've not been called in tomorrow yet.
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There was a bit of snow today, two to four inches, here in Sussex. There was some muttering on the forecasts about snow in Surrey, but we were due to drive to London for a party (the 40th anniversary of a frequent employer of mine, a publisher). So we risked it.
Sussex main roads well salted and good for slightly cautious normal speeds up to the limit, although the small lanes were a bit slippery here and there. But on the A24 in Surrey it was snowing and people started to pussyfoot, quite reasonably I suppose. We had plenty of time. Dusk fell as we entered the Mickleham bends and joined the back of a long, occasionally inching tailback in both lanes. Someone had stuffed it somewhere up the road, God knew where. Two fuzz cars came from behind, from Dorking, down between the two lanes. Everyone made room for them hoping they would clear the obstruction. I did too, but I wasn't surprised when the inching became even slower. After an hour and three cigarettes covering about 400 yards, we found a way across the central reservation and came back. We'd have had to stay in London anyway and I know from experience that these days it too collapses into logjam whenever conditions frighten the 'drivers'.
Once we were back in Sussex the road was merely wet. In Surrey it had been covered with snow and ice and absolutely awful.
I blame El Qaeda.
Later someone called and said the party had been awful anyway. I blame El Qaeda for that too, but I feel strangely unconsoled.
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 00:43
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So what's it like Andover / Basingstoke way this morning?
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Yep Surrey was truly awful last night, took me the small matter of 6 1/2 hours to go 30 miles from Frimley to Dorking. I think there was only 3 or so inches of snow but it seemed to me that if the A roads (A31, A25, A243) had been gritted, they hadn't received enough because ice (or re-freezing slush) was the worst problem, as soon as anyone hit any kind of incline they couldn't make it up and it became blocked - and it was VERY slippery in some places so you can't really blame the drivers.
Sorry for coming on all Daily Mail but how can 3" of forecast snow bring the whole place to a standstill??? It doesn't augur well for the next few months.
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Reported on LBC " The police say do not travel in Surrey today unless essential"
M3 is closed southbound M25 to Bagshot due to accident.
Another lorry jacknifed on M25 Reigate way.
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I see the national media has gone into "Shock horror, snow in the south east mode". We had another 6 on top of the 18 inches we already had overnight and it is still snowing, and it is drifting, with many main roads blocked.
Our council's normal plan for digging us out, on the rare occasions we need it, is to put a snowplough around the dustbin lorry routes, so the residential roads get done once a week. If they can manage to clear the main roads we should be dug out on Thursday. Just heard the Forth Road Bridge is shut.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 08:07
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Hilarious, just seen a snow report from Heathrow Airport, not a flake of snow to be seen ! The reporter has resorted to showing a land rover and a few snow ploughs that "would be used".
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 08:24
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pretty bad here but im going in soon to work british bulldog an all that............
wife went to work on the busesx3 this morning to keep the nhs pct running...........
she wouldnt let her personal driver take her so i expect she will get there at about 11..00 am
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Britains Railway workers are here defrosting these trains for you lovely people & bye eck it's freezing......................
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You simply don't realise just how tough it is in the Sarf.
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>> I see the national media has gone into "Shock horror, snow in the south east
>> mode". We had another 6 on top of the 18 inches we already had overnight
>> and it is still snowing, and it is drifting, with many main roads blocked.
Well lets be honest, in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if most of the Scottish lowlands is snowed in for 6 months?
Actually if Edinburgh were shut down for 6 months, that would halve the losses the RBoS make, perhaps it should be a policy?
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>> Reported on LBC " The police say do not travel in Surrey today unless essential"
Glad I am in the East Midlands
I have to say, Surrey drivers are, on the whole, a useless bunch.
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Here in north Hertfordshire we hardly have any snow.
The news would have everyone believe that the country is grid locked, yet 35 miles north of London hardly anything.
Could we have some of the deep stuff from Scotland please ?
I am kind of getting jealous.
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We did have good amount of snow in Bedfordshire yesterday. It is better today.
No, I don't want snow!
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After a week of mimsing snow in my bit of Gwynedd - a fair amount came down overnight, the road where I live had been cleared and gritted from boxes by residents and this has helped this morning in keeping the worst off- the lane to the main road hasn't been touched and has gone from being frozen, glazed and treacherous to sort of standing compacted snow overnight, the main road (about a 1/4 mile away) is clear - Gary gritter came through the lanes this morning - the dog was trying to walk on one leg as the salt hurts its pads !, X1 has behaved well got us to a snow free Liverpool and home - Couldn't believe the amount of ice in the shopping streets - what amused me was that the Council were not salting the pedestrian areas but litter pickers were out in force, maybe they could multi-role LCC ?
Last edited by: Pugugly on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 09:46
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Wow, you took a newish BMW to Liverpool and no one nicked it? Did you leave the dog in the car or pay some kids to mind it?
:-)
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Excellent secure parking right next door to Novotel - £9.00 for 24 hours (discounted by the hotel) - bargain ! Less crime in Liverpool these days than many other cities btw !
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Best conditions so far this morning. All snow gone from A/B roads. Sun helping to dry out surfaces.
Yet... at a normally busy 0830hrs the roads were deserted... as was Tescos car park at 0900. I reckon they'd all looked at the M25 on the TV and got back under the duvet.
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Just heard a local town near me, that the council are trying to get grit for the roads.
Last week it cost £3k for 30 tones.
This week £8.5k for the same amount and they have been told they are low down the priority list !
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"Wow, you took a newish BMW to Liverpool and no one nicked it? Did you leave the dog in the car or pay some kids to mind it?"
I refuse to rise to the bait!
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Only teasing Scouse ! I have vey fond connections with the city in reality. It was just too good a wind up opportunity to miss...
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Snow is the least of my worries at the moment.
SWMBO is currently quite seriously ill in hospital , admitted as an emergency last Monday and having had her gall bladder removed, suffering complications and ending up in intensive care.
I spent most of yesterday in the hospital but was able to get home last night from Redhill to Horsham although it took me an hour rather than 25 minutes..
4 inches deep this morning at home and still snowing hard but I made it to work in an hour when it usually takes 20 -25 minutes..... sadly A264 closed due to accident reportedly one delivery driver to our warehouse said between a lorry and motorcyclist and the motorcyclist died.....
SWMBO a lot brighter this morning when I phoned so I will be making the journey to hospital later to see her.....even if I have to walk it.
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I imagine I speak on behalf of all your friends here in wishing her well. Take care of yourself too mind.
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good luck and sorry to hear the bad news.
I am glad Mrs retpocileh is better today.
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Hope she's well retpo....
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>> SWMBO a lot brighter this morning when I phoned so I will be making the
>> journey to hospital later to see her.....even if I have to walk it.
>>
>>
I hope your good lady co pilot makes a full and swift recovery. Don't forget to take care of yourself.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 10:14
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Thanks all - its been a bad week .
She was on the waiting list for the operation but it suddenly developed in pancreatitis and she was admitted as an emergency . She said the pain was worse than childbirth .
All praise to the surgeons and nursing staff at East Surrey who have been brilliant...
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My very healthy father had gallstone pains earlier this year - doctor did comment it was a pain worse than any heart attack (which is what they thought he was having)
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Good luck with you wife :). Its awful when humans we love become ill :(
Snow is pretty bad here but its about 5 inches on top of my car, last year it was about 18 inches. A bit of snow is just that, not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.
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A loose gall stone damaged my pancreas, I was surgically re plumbed to repair the damage and have made a full recovery. I can vouch for the pain, but not the childbirth bit !
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It's quite bad round here. Not deep, maybe 3-4" but sitting on top of ice. Private road so no gritters. Maybe 1/2 mile to treated roads. The electronic wizardry on the Qashqai must work though. It has all manner of traction control wassnames and automatic 4x4. It just copes very well with no drama on its standard fit Bridgestone Duelers. The Mondeo is much looser on this stuff despite newish tyres but I'm sort of used to it...
I suspect the Squashy would be pretty much as good as it gets on winter rubber.
Bloke near me has a bit of a slope on his drive. They have a new Scirocco and an old Golf GTi cabrio. The Scirocco is on standard tyres but has all the electronic traction gadgets, the Golf doesn't but it is fitted with winter tyres. It got up the drive this morning, the Scirocco didn't. Granted, once the main road is reached, the difference would be minimal I suppose but to get that first 1/2 mile it's maybe worth having the winter tyres or 4WD or both.
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One small benefit of this weather... I've recorded 62.7mpg average in the C5 over the past 4 days.
Last edited by: Fenlander on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 11:18
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Have I missed the first "winter diesel" thread this year ?
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>> Have I missed the first "winter diesel" thread this year ?
>>
Not a problem, I have a garage and the car has a fuel filter heater. :-)
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It's on real heavy again here in Cumbernauld adding to the 2ft already outside our workshop.
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Frequent heavy showers here in Fife, I cleared last nights snow this morning (6") and we have had another couple of inches since then. Average depth 12 to 18 inches now.
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Heavy in Darlington at the moment - with main roads starting to become covered.
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Am I in the only part of the country without snow? I think I'm just a few miles South of Humph. We had no more than a sprinkling on Tuesday night, just the odd flake since. North Cheshire in case you're wondering.
John
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In that case you're a few miles North of me ! ( Nantwich ). My wife works in Northwich and she's just phoned to say it's much clearer there than here.
Last edited by: Humph D'Bout on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 12:57
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Yes, a few miles outside Northwich. Northwich had a very minor sprinkling on Friday night, almost looked like just a heavy frost, whereas we had nothing. I think it's quite localised on the fringes of where the snow is falling. If that makes sense.
John
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Im supposed to be doing Kettering to Newark on Sunday - its fine down my end, whats it like further up the A1? Specifically ive got to get to Fernwood.
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I am in Newark at the moment, A1 route is still fine, roads are fine if you stick to the main. routes
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Got a banjo...in case you have to talk to anyone?
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>> Got a banjo...in case you have to talk to anyone?
You took the wrong turn, boy!
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Oh no, Newark is really banjo country all right. Not as bad as lincolnshire or norfolk, but bad enough
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Cheers chap. Ive got to take my sons xmas prezzies and it would be an arkward convo with him explaining that Santa cant come because of the snow, given the Santa is well known to ride a sleigh, a method of transport known to be rather handy in the snow!
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Oh! I am trapped!
Last edited by: Zero on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 13:09
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Mrs H has gone Christmas shopping in Darlington! "It'll be quiet won't it. Everyone will be at home watching telly".
I know the snow's heavy 'cos I can't see the pub across the road.
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>> Mrs H has gone Christmas shopping in Darlington! "It'll be quiet won't it. Everyone will
>> be at home watching telly".
Yes everyone apart from me, I havn't been sent home yet :-(
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Up to my knees in places just outside Motherwell.
We've major work planned for this weekend at work, most of our staff can work from home and do 90% of the job but it's still pretty challenging to resource everything :-(
As usual though we're having go / no go calls everyday and the answer every call is "hmmm, let's wait and see", not really grasping the idea of go / no go :-)
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Really? I thought you were taller than that. :-)
John
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>> I thought you were taller than that. :-)
Haha it's just that deep, 6'4s tall enough. Old man was 6'6 right enough.
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This may help A1 users in Lincolnshire
www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/lincolnshire/
A1 was blocked both ways, North and South, of Grantham earlier today. Barrowby and Ponton
Last edited by: Perky Penguin (p) on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 13:06
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Morning radio news said Beds, Herts, Northants are least affected in South East.
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"Norfolk fairly clear of snow with only minor showers expected. A12 through Essex and Suffolk pretty bad today so take M11/A11 which OK "
Spot on GC! Thanks!
Dealer in Horsham was surprised to see me at 8.45 this am - didn't think I would make it. Have to say that roads from Leics to Leatherhead via M1, A43, M40, M25 were clear of snow/ice etc but then down to Horsham they were appalling - snow on top of ice and appeared unsalted.
On way to Norwich avoided M25 (heard massive delays at Dartford) so went A24/A217(?) etc to Tower Bridge and then A12/M25/M11/A11. Literally hundreds of vehicles abandoned at Reigate Hill from previous night but then clear run through London (never seen it so quiet - never in a queue of more than 3 cars at traffic lights!) except for the middle aged lady in an Audi TT who thought that 10 mph was an appropriate speed on a slightly damp road going into London. She may have slowed to look at the rather large snow sculpture of a certain part of the male anatomy which was adorning the central reservation though!
Phil
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For anyone planning a journey this link lets you look at the road conditions where you are going . .
www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/
Pick the area then the camera you want!
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We had a sprinkling last Thursday night and a touch more Friday, but apart from what's lying in the more sheltered fields it's all gone. There are some pockets of treacherous ice though.
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Been out three times today, but it's dodgy in the lanes and getting worse, temperature minus 1 just now according to my car's thermometer.
Is anyone else infuriated by the cud-chewing prats who continue to drive at 20mph on well-salted, merely wet main roads? They almost tempt me to swoop past sideways in a shower of mud and snow.
But I resist. I'm grown-up now, and it's the only car we've got. Heated seats too!
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Wed 1 Dec 10 at 16:03
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...who continue to drive at 20mph on well-salted, merely wet main roads?...
Came across one or two of those yesterday.
I'm as cautious as anybody, but there's no need to creep along if the road is wet, just on 30 in a 30 limit is fine.
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"cud-chewing prats who continue to drive at 20mph" IN THEIR 4WDs.
Yup. Photon torpedoes armed Captain.
Actually I prefer the sound of "Disrupters". Sounds so much more painful.
John
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Salted roads here in Essex are fine. But the local unsalted roads around my village are now compacted ice. Luckily the area isn't too hilly, but they are not nice to cross when walking. Drivers are being sensible, enough speed on the main roads but cautious on the icy ones with plenty of braking distance between them. We've had around 12" of snow, most of which fell yesterday.
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I followed a snow mimser yesterday. I cautious, more than most, but he didnt top 15 mph despite Northants roads having been well gritted and consequently just wet, not even slush.
I was mildly annoyed. It was an old Fiat Bravo with several bulbs out. If only he took as much care of the car as he did with his driving...
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Our road was easily drivable yesterday in normal car on normal tyres. But still I saw an X5 with chains ON THE FRONT WHEELS. I think that says a lot about some X5 drivers ...
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Are they not 4WD? Might only have had 2 chains so best to put on front?
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Thought they were rear-biased or rear with the fronts cutting in only when the rears lose grip? Could be wrong.
But the road was just slightly wet, no chains needed at all.
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Well over a foot of snow in West Sussex this morning and it took me over an hour to clear the car and dig a path off the drive .....once round the corner onto a reasonably major road it was reasonable driving and I got to work in half an hour but have had to park outside my local independent garage because the work car park is very deep....... top of wellys deep......
Saw one lorry slide off into the central reservation of the A264 and a few cars going sideways - temperature outside currently minus 3 degrees.
Phoned a friend last night who is disabled . It took him 14 hours to get from Limehouse to Redhill on Tuesday - arrived home at 4 in the morning......he was absolutely cream crackered...
SWMBO still in hospital but a lot brighter last night when I visited with her sister - so thats good news .... the bad news is that its still snowing quite hard ........
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X1 manual says in big letters only to fit them to the rear only.
Last edited by: Pugugly on Thu 2 Dec 10 at 11:48
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Bin doing 30 mile journey every morning this week, I found the roads nigh on perfect thanks to county highways, my house is on a B road and even that has bin well gritted (thanks chaps)
makes me realise I did the right thing in moving orf the moor and back into civilisation?
plenty of whingers on radio Cornwall on about their little roads not being done.
likewise moaning about the iced up pavements.
(1) people living on small and estate roads need to pull together (wartime spirit) buy some grit and use some elbow grease (that'll be the day!)
(2) people need to purchase some grippers for their shoes, so they can walk on ice without it costing them an arm or a leg break
(3) I'm gonna make some more tea.
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Going to lock this now -open up a new weather related thread.
PS
Very little snow here today - the glaciers seem to be retreating somewhat....may dig the MX5 out tomorrow..
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SNOW - RattleandSmoke
