Snow Business

Frozen Britain taken by Nasa's Terra satellite on 7 January 2010

Snow is not a usual feature of Britain's winters. Sure, it can be found in the Highlands of Scotland and on the peaks in Wales and Northern England, and we have the occasional flurry which may hang around for a day or two, but nothing like this. This is snow that means business. It's several inches thick and it's here to stay at least for the time being. The big kid in me loves the snow even if it made it a little more inconvenient to go to work at first. What I can't stand is the perpetual whining from the majority of my fellow countrymen. I continually hear the chorus of 'Someone should do something about this'. Indeed, the Government should legislate against winter and ban the snow, except in areas where it is pretty and can be used to make snowmen, no?

Tintern in the snow

The shelves in many supermarkets have been stripped bare from panic buyers. There is no salt or kitty litter to be had as people are using to grit their paths, something they say, the council should be responsible for. The call for more cat litter and salt is putting additional demands on an already strained supply chain trying to cope with the panic buying of food. Hello?! Your home is your own responsibility and if we all go out there are cleared our drives and the path in front of our homes then these would be clear! This is all symptomatic of how the welfare state has enfeebled the country. Meanwhile, the same people whining about not being able to go to work are outside playing in the snow and building snowmen rather than going to work. If you travel a few miles to a hill to slide down it on a tea tray then you sure as hell can get to work. Not exactly the blitz spirit that our grandparents would recognise.

Tintern Abbey

Having been in work all week, I took the weekend as an opportunity to go out and see the snow and get some fresh (and freezing) air. I ventured over to Tintern to photograph the Abbey in the snow. The clouds were threatening more snow, but the sun kept breaking through to reveal a blue sky and make the snow glisten.


After a while my hands were so cold that I needed to get warm. We decided to retire to a local hostelry to thaw out and for sustenance. The Anchor, was beautifully warm and cosy inside. I had the most delicious burger I have ever tasted and soon felt the feeling come back to my numb fingers and cold cheeks.


Tintern is among the earliest of Cistercian settlements in Wales and was founded in 1131 by monks sent directly from Normandy at the behest of Walter fitz Richard de Clare, the Earl of Chepstow, on the banks of the river Wye. Tintern, as with all monastic institutions, was suppressed by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, between 1536/9. The nearby Anchor Inn was probably the abbey's watergate and a 13th century arch links it with the slipway.


The Abbey is situated on the River Wye in Monmouthshire and the ruins have inspired the Wordsworth poem "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" and Tennysons's poem "Tears, Idle Tears" and more than one painting by Turner. It also featured in Prince of Thieves and in the video for Iron Maiden's "Can I Play With Madness".


Once we had warmed up,we ventured out again and walked along the river before heading back along the main road towards the Abbey again and the warmth of the car. It was cold, but beautiful and although we saw a few other stalwart souls, the place was quiet and still in the blanket of snow.

In short...

Sorry I've been AWOL. I've been hellish busy or away.

Just got back from a weekend of camping where the heavens parted and dumped a sea on our heads. Apparently mere rain would not soak us enough. The campsite was also dreadful with very little level ground not populated by thistles and very soon turned into a quagmire. Despite this a good time was had in the evening huddled round a barbeque for warmth and food although rain spoilt play during the day. Ah... the joys of a temperate climate. I am so glad to be home, warm, clean and dry after a hot shower and a proper meal and am looking forward to my own bed. There is nothing like deprivation to make you appreciate something.

This week work is going to be gruesome (work) and I doubt I'll have much time for blogging again. I am conscious that I haven't been by much lately and hope to fix that soon! Meanwhile I appreciate you popping by.

Here We Snow Again

Well, no sooner had the snow that had fallen at the end of the week melted, than the world where I live was painted white again. And this time there was more than before. I love it when I wake up and look out of the window to see the street where I live has been transformed into a winter wonderland. Everyday things look so pretty when covered in snow.


Of course big kid that I am, I had to go out in it and take some photos despite the lack of sun and threat of more snow (which came again the next night!). I just love the crunch of snow beneath my feet as I sink through the layers of freshly fallen fat flakes.

Of course, the flip side of the coin is how disruptive the snow has been here. As we get snow so infrequently (and when it does come it usually thaws the same day) we are often ill prepared to handle it. My little car is real wheel drive and so it likes to slip and slide around in the ice given half a chance, even when I weigh the boot down.


Our side roads have largely remained ungritted (as the UK is running short already) and so only main routes are passable, schools are closed, the mail hasn't been delivered for two days, public transport is cancelled or delayed, my rubbish bin remains unemptied, I have been working from home and my social plans have had to be cancelled.


And yet, I am still happy to see the snow. I think it must be the novelty of it all. Even though I have to go out and clear my drive. The photos here were all taken in my back garden. I think even my rusty old wheel barrow looks good with a dusting of snow! I thought about making a snow man but couldn't bring myself to disturb the perfectly smooth white blanket draped across my garden. It will rain later today and it will all melt away. I am glad I got to take some photos. Apparently this is the most snow we have had in this part of the country for 20 years!

Snow today, gone tomorrow

I am always inordinately jealous of those of you who live in countries that have real winters. With snow. Lots of gorgeous white fluffy magical flakes of snow that crunch beneath your feet. Snow that is abundant and perfect for tobogganing, skiing and snowman building. Here in the southern parts of the UK we usually get freezing rain, sleet at best. It's wet, cold and miserable and totally unsuitable for making snowballs. Yesterday however, we had snow, direct from Siberia. Sent from Russia with love.

Unfortunately it was all too transient. The world as far as I could see was white for less than 48 hours and there wasn't enough even for a snowman, let alone winter sports. I had to go out in it though and I couldn't help taking a couple of photos to capture it. The top one is off the snow falling in my back garden. Big fat flakes swirling around in front of my garden shed. The last two are of snow on a couple of my garden plants. If you look very closely you can even see a star shaped snow flake right in the middle of the second photo. I love that.

Today the sun came out and the snow melted away until only patches are left in shadowy corners of my garden. I enjoyed it immensely though, even the coldness of it all. It's an odd thing to say, but I am so glad we are having a proper winter this year. The constant rain and greyness of the last two years (summer too, just warmer rain) has really been miserable. Here's to a proper summer too.

Snow!

I have been seeing some wonderful pictures of snow on other blogs lately. Beautiful scenes of crisp white snow covering trees, gardens, mountains and homes and transforming even the most mundane of suburbs into winter wonderlands. Where I live in the UK we hardly ever get snow...until Friday that was, when the inimitable rain turned to sleet and then to great big fluffy flakes of snow which fell thick and fast.


I had been lying on the sofa watching a film, (off work ill with my chest infection), when I became aware that the light in the room had darkened somewhat and when I looked out the window I could see the rain turning to snow right in front of me. It settled quickly and turned the road I live on into a modern Dickensian scene. I quickly grabbed my camera and donned my coat and grabbed a shot or two from the front door. After all, it doesn't snow often here and I wanted to record it. Besides my close looks so much prettier when it's frosted. The snow stopped after an hour or so and turned back to rain. As quickly as it had come it was washed away, with my photos being the only evidence it had been here at all.

Endnote: I am aware that snow can cause much disruption and that it is not everyone's cup of tea, but there is no denying it's beauty!