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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 16:56:26 GMT
The last time I remember weather this bad for such a long time was early January 2009 (or was it 2010). All I do remember is flying back from Larnaca to Manchester and two minutes before we landed (if not later), we zoomed up and headed for Birmingham as MAN decided to close. Of course I knew this would happen as before we took off my secretary rang me to tell me Manchester Airport was closed and what was I going to do....
Anyway, this time around I have two boys both armed with driving licences.... The older one is coming home for the weekend. Fortunately he saw sense (after being pressured by his parents) and is leaving the car in Birmingham and getting the train. Only £25 return with an open return so that is a good deal. The younger passed his test a week ago and after driving for a couple of days has been grounded by snow. There is no way he is going to drive in these conditions on his own and we are too busy at the moment to take him to a supermarket car park for some skid lessons....
Although not so snowy now up here in the North West, the wind has picked up (16:50 on Thursday) and the M62 has been closed over the Pennines, the M66 closed beyond Bury and it was very shaky in the Punto coming home just now.
The Merc has stayed at home; no way I am putting it at risk given the lunatics on the road. I drove the pool V70 today for a few miles; FWD and new tyres surely help. It is till a lumbering clumsy lump, but has warm seats. However the star as been the Punto. It goes everywhere I want it to; far better than the Volvo, it warms my feet better than the tank which warms my shins and ankles but not my toes, and somehow despite no 'winter pack', the washer fluid remained fluid and not solid as in the Volvo.
Remarkably, some people this week expected me to cancel inspections without telling them, so weren't there when they said they would; others just assumed I would ring within 20 minutes of getting an instruction and be popping round immediately. What is it with people? I had scheduled some tree surgeons to my house today. They were very apologetic when they couldn't get to me... Did I really expect them to come?? Of course not. Come back next week when its all calmed down.
Anyway, stay warm, safe and avoid the roads if at all possible. There are idiots out there....
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 19:03:41 GMT
When I first moved to the States I arrived in New Jersey on 01st Jan midway through a heavy snow storm. I collected my rental car and drive from the airport to a house that had been rented for me through scary snow. I guess I arrived to the house at 01:00.
I got up in the morning and left the house with some trepidation at around 7:00. I had to drive from the rural place my house was into Summit on unknown roads.
I drove to the office with snow either side of the road some 5ft tall. But every road had been ploughed and salted. Safe and clear as you like.
I guess the trouble in the UK is nobody plans for it or is willing to spend tax money on it. Priorities I guess; 50" TVs for the unemployed and Civil Service staffing levels being much further up the list.
And as for driving on the snow, well since we no longer teach self-responsibility, discipline and common sense, I guess its getting more dangerous every day.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 1, 2018 21:05:50 GMT
It would have been January 2010. That was worse than this, at least in Manchester. No more snow maybe but colder.
We were lucky when that weather arrived - it started just before the Christmas. We moved out of our house and put furniture in storage on the Thursday and it snowed the next day when the others moved in. Our furniture would have been stored wet in a cold storage place.
That January was even worse because some of the snow melted and then refroze to make roads and pavements treacherous.
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Post by bromptonaut on Mar 1, 2018 21:34:45 GMT
When I first moved to the States I arrived in New Jersey on 01st Jan midway through a heavy snow storm. I collected my rental car and drive from the airport to a house that had been rented for me through scary snow. I guess I arrived to the house at 01:00. I got up in the morning and left the house with some trepidation at around 7:00. I had to drive from the rural place my house was into Summit on unknown roads. I drove to the office with snow either side of the road some 5ft tall. But every road had been ploughed and salted. Safe and clear as you like. I guess the trouble in the UK is nobody plans for it or is willing to spend tax money on it. Priorities I guess; 50" TVs for the unemployed and Civil Service staffing levels being much further up the list. And as for driving on the snow, well since we no longer teach self-responsibility, discipline and common sense, I guess its getting more dangerous every day. Don't think I've seen it like this more than two or three times in 28 years I've lived in this Northants village. More common in the bit of the West Riding between Airedale and Wharfedale where I grew up but that was also 40 years ago and it does seem a bit warmer over all these days. Without rising to bait about TV's and public service staffing weather needing ploughing to 5ft either side of road is situation normal in NJ/NY etc. It's not case in most of UK where this will rank with 1979 as a post 47 or 63 event.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 21:52:11 GMT
It would have been January 2010. That was worse than this, at least in Manchester. No more snow maybe but colder. We were lucky when that weather arrived - it started just before the Christmas. We moved out of our house and put furniture in storage on the Thursday and it snowed the next day when the others moved in. Our furniture would have been stored wet in a cold storage place. That January was even worse because some of the snow melted and then refroze to make roads and pavements treacherous. I remember now that the day after I arrived home seven hours late, I couldn't drive to the office by Salford University (just over three miles away). I walked in wearing proper walking boots. Stayed for about three hours to clear the desk etc and then started to open the front door when the mobile rang. A bank customer who wanted a valuation urgently and had been nagging me from before the Christmas break but the instruction letter did not arrive. It eventually came by email on the first working day back of the new year. "So, are you coming today?" he asked. He took great exception to my reply which stated I wasn't going to risk my life for a poxy £500 valuation and he could ask the bank to find him another valuer, but that would delay things at least a month. Strangely he calmed down when he thought about it.....
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 22:13:36 GMT
It's not case in most of UK where this will rank with 1979 as a post 47 or 63 event. I think it would have been around 2002 when I couldn't get out of Greens Norton to get to the M1, so if it is worse than that, then it must be pretty bad.
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Post by Alanović on Mar 2, 2018 8:48:51 GMT
December 2009 was the worst here. Took my missus 12 hours to get from Farnborough to Reading, and she had to walk the last mile uphill rom Caversham Bridge in high heels at 2am. Couldn't go out to help as I had two toddlers at home, who I'd carried (literally) back 2 miles from nursery, up and down the Hemdean Valley for those who know the area.
Feeble effort here in comparison right now, I can still see my lawn through the snow in the garden. More expected today. It is bloody cold though. Mum reports big problems for neighbouring farmers in Carmarthenshire with milking equipment etc freezing up. -12 it's been there.
School closed here of course...
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Post by Alanović on Mar 2, 2018 9:14:35 GMT
Front garden this morning. Pathetic.
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Post by Humph on Mar 2, 2018 10:56:18 GMT
At the risk of sounding smug, I've been carrying on as normal this week in my ( allegedly undriveable ) Merc. I've been in all manner of white stuff, up hill and down dale including a run to Edinburgh, another to Somerset and yesterday to Rochdale and its environs. Of course it was a bit challenging at times, but if you just keep away from the normos queueing on the motorways and use the quieter roads, keep the heid and drive with a bit of care, then it's really no problem.
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 2, 2018 12:22:06 GMT
Well to get to Rochdale at the moment, you probably can't use the M62 for most of the day.
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Post by Alanović on Mar 2, 2018 12:23:36 GMT
Just watched my neighbour turning on to our street in their Aldi Q3 (white). As it slowed/braked to turn right, the front wheels locked up on and off, but not the rear. There is some compacted snow on the road, but no too deep. What's going on there then?
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Rob
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Post by Rob on Mar 2, 2018 12:30:32 GMT
Probably only has 2WD and so the driven wheels had ESP trying to stop them spinning. Rears have to drive to them - otherwise more of the power would have been transferred to the rear. Not al Q3's are AWD.
The car is also likely to have standard tyres and not winter ones so is no better than any other front wheel drive car.
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Post by Alanović on Mar 2, 2018 13:07:39 GMT
That's probably it, yes. Didn't consider it might be 2WD, but of course. I think the wheels on it are about 53", with 2mm profile tyres. It belongs to the lady of the house, the lord of the manor has been asking me about the Leaf recently, and says it might be an idea to get the trouble and strife out of "that bloody Audi".
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Post by Alanović on Mar 2, 2018 13:35:18 GMT
Finally, bit more snow falling here. Might be able to send the children out sledging.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2018 22:31:48 GMT
December 2009 was the worst here. December 2009 was also the worst I've seen it in Basingstoke. It took me 5 hours to get home from Shinfield and it was shocking to see the number of cars stranded or abandonded simply because their drivers didn't know how to drive in those conditions. FWD cars going nowhere because the loud pedal was firmly planted against the bulkhead. Idiots. I made it home in a V8 XJ on fat summer tyres and the only problems I had were because of other cars blocking the road. www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/dec/22/snow-town-like-disaster-film
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