Snoooooooooooow

fc123

B + Hove Council don't seem to be geared up or snow at all. No roads or pavements gritted and it was like a skating rink early this am.

Went to W1 today, pouring rain ....which turned into crazy snow later on.
Our suburb in SE London came to a standstill and took OH an hour to drive back from my dads (usually 5 mins) as cars were being abandoned evrywhere.

My poor old dad now has no electricity (he is having central heating installed and turn on day was today...it only took him 50 years to sort it out ) as main lead into house just fizzed out. Fortunately, EDF said they have to come around within 4 hours to mend it.

He lives in a very large house but has a 1940's gas cooker (his choice) and some candles (from 1974). Also a wind up torch we bought him for Xmas years ago...handy. Probably some claret in the basement to warm his stomach a some point too.

OH was concerned and said to come up to ours but he huffed it off saying, it's nowhere near as bad as the blitz. He's 77.

baileysbattlebus

SingleSue wrote: »

Yeah, had a text from a friend near Basingstoke who said it was blizzard like conditions.

On futher examination, our rain was a mixture of normal rain, sleet and snow..all stopped now and we still have all our snow on the pavements and road and now twice as slippery!

So still a winters scene out there....

Yes, it's been pretty heavy here most of the afternoon and evening - it seems to have stopped now - apparently the traffic is still horrendous -

people are starting to abandon their cars

I have one daughter stuck in Reading - as we speak - been trying to get home since 4.30 - managed to get as far as TGI Fridays - then pulled in for dinner!! It took her over 2 hours to drive about half a mile.

Another daughter walked to Tilehurst from Reading and is staying the night at her boyfriend's parents house.

OH is at Heathrow finishes work in a minute - he'll drive to Junction 10 on the M4 - our getting off point - but according to traffic reports it's pretty shocking at J10 where you join the A329.

Basingstoke seem to having it pretty bad too.

I wish I had a 4 wheel drive in this weather instead I have a very pretty sports car and an automatic to boot - not great if you need a push in the snow - and I'm supposed to childminding the granddaughter's tomorrow - down country roads - could be an interesting trip......

Graham_Devon

Really dangerous tonight. So hope everyone got to their destinations safely today.

I have recently drove home and as i slid down my road quite literally I'm not sure I will be able to get out again until the ice clears. Couldn't even reverse the car into position, just kept spinning, so i've had to leave it half in the small culdesack road and half in the drive! It's seriously a complete ice sheet, only made worse by having a brickette road. Just trying to stand up is bad enough.

On a 15 mile trip just earlier (we had drizzle all day at 1 degree and now -1), 7 cars were stranded after hitting the side of the road / hedges. None of the roads seem to be being treated and the water from today has just frozen solid. Pavements are a complete no go area.

Seriously dangerous, and I just wish they would grit the roads as normal.

lostinrates

Graham_Devon wrote: »

Seriously dangerous, and I just wish they would grit the roads as normal.

They have followed normal procedure here, absolutely ....in that our roads aren't gritted..:D. TBF the ''main'' B roads are, its just getting out the them thats fun. I think people should eave their cars up on a main road and walk or get lifts from those of us with 4X4s ....

fc123

OH said London suburb was gritted but down here.....zilch. Council tax is £209 pcm here too.....more than London for same band.

vivatifosi

We left work early today. Late afternoon a homeless man came into the library. He couldn't get into the emergency shelter. Spent about an hour trying to get him help. Eventually a good samaritan put him up in a B&B for the night. I was getting very worried for his outcome if he didn't get help. I want to go back and work in an office where I don't have to have people's lives in my hands. Much easier.

Graham_Devon

lostinrates wrote: »

They have followed normal procedure here, absolutely ....in that our roads aren't gritted..:D. TBF the ''main'' B roads are, its just getting out the them thats fun. I think people should eave their cars up on a main road and walk or get lifts from those of us with 4X4s ....

Policy locally seems to be A roads only. The B roads seem to be doing ok mainly because the traffic density at the moment doesnt allow for the ice to form that easily. God knows what they will be like later though.

Can tell a lot of the B roads are not being done as the pavements right next to them are sparkling away when the headlights hit them, so absolutely no grit has gone up onto the pavements.

There was a small body repair guy on the news this morning saying he had had 21 call outs in a small radius by 11am after accidents.

I would have thought after last year they would have sorted out the salt stocks, but seems we are even worse off this year. It's actually really annoyed me, as all they do is advise not to go out.

vivatifosi

fc123 wrote: »

OH said London suburb was gritted but down here.....zilch. Council tax is £209 pcm here too.....more than London for same band.

Ah, now I know that they gritted here because again in my library I heard a little girl say "mummy, why are they spreading coffee all over the path?"

lostinrates

Graham_Devon wrote: »

I would have thought after last year they would have sorted out the salt stocks, but seems we are even worse off this year.

I suppose salt is uite hard/expensive to store...I mean, presumably it has to stay dry ?

wageslave

lostinrates wrote: »

I suppose salt is uite hard/expensive to store...I mean, presumably it has to stay dry ?

My council tax is bliddy expensive too.