R2OK!

ColinB · Guest

And it all costs money - particularly those businesses that are affected in so many ways. That's what gets my goat when hear of the current ConDom Coalition Government's plans to cut public expenditure to the bone - it doesn't account for the cost to businesses out here in the real world.

That's the problem with career politicians running government - they don't seem to have the first clue about life outside politics (or Eton).

It's like this announcement that we're all to get an extra day's public holiday when that RAF bloke and his bird get married next April. Who pays for that? We do, that's who. No wonder the Federation for Small Businesses is up in arms about this daft plan. It's yet another tax on those trying to run businesses profitably in these hard times (and next year will be even harder).

Barmy.

Cherskiy · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 4:33 pm Post subject:

Someone wasn't particularly happy when I overtook them on a snowy road this afternoon - I wasn't going to sit behind them doing sub-20 mph down an admittedly somewhat icy but easily passable main road from Amble to Ashington in Northumberland. No problems drifting onto the other side of the road (through the middle unploughed bit), overtaking and then pulling back in again - though said driver then started to flash me for the next 1/4 mile as I pulled away.... maybe he thought the line of traffic building up behind him had to stay there.

There's being careful and then there's driving far too slowly for the conditions - if you're that scared of being out in the snow and ice, stay at home.
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Mark Mayhew · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 2897

Your story reminds about the many Americans who haven't the first clue about driving in rainy conditions.

SantaFefan · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 6:02 pm Post subject:

Cherskiy · Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 6:13 pm Post subject:

Ha!

Curiously enough, haven't seen many gritters these last three days (none on Thursday morning when it took me 3 hours to travel 30 miles into work) - although one was reportedly stuck in the snow near Morpeth this morning!
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mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Some people are saying in the news that the snow has caught them by surprise. Shocked

...... Don't they listen or watch the news reports? Anyway - watching the news pictures. I don't think people know how to drive in the snow sliding all over the place. Firstly don't put your foot hard on the brake pedal. Try to slow down by lifting your foot of the gas, and using the gears. I'm a professional driver, and know what I'm talking about.

ColinB · Guest

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19333 Location: Cheshire

A lot of drivers don't know how to drive in snow as we had such mild winters for so long. Living in the NE in the 70s you certainly got plenty of practice. You always had a shovel and a piece of carpet in your boot!

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

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RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

We've been out tonight with friends for a meal out towards Grantham.

Main roads clear, and at least three gritting lorries seen; side roads are skating rinks. Temperature coming home at midnight minus 8C.
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Ron

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

Why people moaning about the snow and freezing temperatures could be here for the next few weeks? It's winter, and we should expect this type of weather now. I remember when we had this in the 70's and 80's, so it's nothing new. We should be fully prepared for all weathers. How on earth do other countries cope.

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I think actually most people are coping very well but its not surprising that the weather is big news at present

After all this is the earliest snow seen since 1993 so its not exactly typical for late November

They say that earlier winters could become a pattern but the positive side is we should get earlier springs so we've just got to see the benefits as well as the disadvantages

As for driving standards there are quite a lot of incompetent drivers on the road even in good weather so it souldn't really come as a shock that these people struggle and cause other people problems
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SantaFefan · Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:38 am Post subject:

I think most drivers find out the hard way about how to drive, and stop on snow and ice... an inexperienced driver cannot imagine the total loss of control of a sliding vehicle until it happens.. then all you can do is just hope there's nothing n the way! Confused

of course it's a much better situation on today's ABS and BAS equipped cars.
I certainly don't envy Mark transporting people around in this weather!
I'm glad I have a 4x4 sometimes...
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19333 Location: Cheshire

I remember when still living in the NE in the 70s the mini was one of the better cars to cope with snow. The snowdrifts used to be higher than the car many a time!

Snow at this time was more the norm back then as well.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

graham b · Joined: 23 Sep 2010 Posts: 211 Location: Wakefield

Best car I had for the snow was a Lada. It was a gas guzzler but always got me home. Mind you it did destroy a Fiesta in a low speed bump with hardly a scratch.

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I remember in December 1981 my car radiator actually froze whilst driving along the M56 in Cheshire in freezing fog with masses of snow piled up either side of the motorway

Walking to the nearest phone was a frightening experience

And yes the engine did have plenty of antifreeze in it
Does anyone else have any memories of winter 1981 or 1963 of perhaps for some people even 1947 although that was a bit before my time
Well quite a lot actually Smile

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SantaFefan · Posted: Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:22 pm Post subject:

I'll never forget an incident back in about 1977/8 when a girlfriend of mine called me in a panic after she had rolled her Mk 1 Ford Escort in heavy snow down a narrow country lane.. It was one of those grey days when you really couldn't distinguish the land from the sky, quite magical really.
But yes, she had completely rolled her Escort plus another 90 degrees for good measure to end up on it's side.. we soon righted the car and were amazed to discover there was no damage whatsoever! not even a scratch.. the snow was so thick it cushioned the whole thing.. Shocked

Feeling elated by her lucky break we stood around in a jolly group enjoying hot mince pies and a flask of coffee and were even more amazed to see a tree fall on it and right it off..

I lied about the last bit...

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Angela W · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 7201 Location: North Yorkshire

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19333 Location: Cheshire

I've some of 14 Nov 2005 but I don't think it lasted more than a day or two at most. It wasn't -10c overnight I'm almost sure of that!

H
_________________
88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

quickssandra · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 158 Location: Scotland

We've heavy snow, which is really unusual. I know I live in Scotland, but we don't get much at all.

I remember the midwife telling me it was snowing the night my son was born in 1993, on the 8th November. So there you are, snow at the beginning of November.

Mind, I remember snow one May in England.

ColinB · Guest

Well, I'm pleased to say that here in sunny MK we had the lightest of dustings of that white stuff last night. The canal outside is frozen, though, which always provides us with a source of amusement as we watch the swans and ducks attempting to land on what they think is water!

RockitRon · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 7646

Sunny Nottm as well, but below freezing all day, and heading rapidly and further down now.
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Ron

John W · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 3367 Location: Warwickshire, UK

North Warks light snow, but minor roads NOT gritted, very slippy for feet and for tyres.

Driving 20 mph out of our daughter's street we came towards a mid-sized roundabout and a car was already coming round. So I braked. Even my 4WD saloon continued its trajectory. I think the other fellow saw my wheels had stopped but I hadn't and he managed to stop while I continued at 20 mph onto the roundabout! Phew!
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John W

Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19333 Location: Cheshire

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

I think farmers in some areas need be able to grit and snow plough roads. The experience on the roads in around Sussex and Surrey have been a nightmare. We should be much prepared for this. It's not as if we wern't told the weather was on the way. The M25 was full of lorrys on the hard shoulder today. Some people took nearly 10 hours in some parts of Surrey to travel only 13 miles on ( Tuesday 30/11/10 ).

Angela W · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Posts: 7201 Location: North Yorkshire

ruddlescat · Joined: 16 Sep 2010 Posts: 18010 Location: Near Chester

I absolutely detest Sat Nav Angela its a very lazy way of driving

A friend of mine was trying to get to a building in Birkenhead and his Sat Nav told him to drive into the Mersey Tunnel and then turn right
Needless to say he didn't get there

Also I live down a single track road at
the end of which is a river with a footbridge connecting it to the unsurfaced track on the other side of the river
Unfortunately most Sat Nav systems show it as a through road so we frequently get large wagons coming down and then finding they can't turn round and one ended up in the river and took four days to recover
We also had a guy in a 4 by 4 who tried to drive through the river and wrote off his vehicle despite the fact we warned him not to do it

Sat Nav has a lot to answer for Shocked

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becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6812

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

In my whole life of driving. I have never seen a road like the M23/25 today with snow on it It's a bloody disgrace. It was like driving on a country road which hasn't been treated.

ColinB · Guest

SantaFefan · Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 7:39 pm Post subject:

I'd suggest Marko was saying that in all his years of driving, he hasn't experienced the M23/25 so badly cleared of snow as today, or treated to enable safe progress. Disgraceful behaviour on the part of those Highway's boys... Razz

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ColinB · Guest

I think I get your meaning, Santa! Cool

mark occomore · Joined: 07 Dec 2006 Posts: 9955 Location: UK

The snow is back again sweeping the country. It was an nightmare here in my neck of the woods in Sussex this evening. Took me over an hour to travel 2 miles home. Gritter lorries going out at the wrong time and getting stuck in traffic. Why they don't position them in certain areas ready to roll, without leaving them in the depots is beyond me. It's the same when this happened last time on the M25. Gritter trucks got stuck in there depots, because of the traffic. They know it's coming, park them up on the side of the roads.

ColinB · Guest

No problems here. Either we've got extra-special gritters or a different type of snow. I guess we're just lucky.

SantaFefan · Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:51 pm Post subject:

A few inches here overnight and more during the day but it's so cold compared to the last lot.. really solid ice everywhere.
I tried to persuade Mrs SFF not to go to some stupid horse show in London ( Olympia ) today but failed.. at least she took the train instead of driving there.
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Helen May · Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 19333 Location: Cheshire

It started snowing here a couple of hours ago but it's that really light powdery stuff so not thick yet. I've a feeling it could be a bit different by tomorrow morning though.

H
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88 - 91 FM this is Radio 2 from the BBC!

I said it live on air in the studio with Jeremy Vine on 10/3/2005

SantaFefan · Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 11:29 pm Post subject:

Uh oh.. if it's powdery stuff, all the trains will stop running as last year! Laughing

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ColinB · Guest

Clive55 · Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 1336

SantaFefan · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:34 pm Post subject:

some of the best people live in Norfolk... Razz

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becky sharp · Joined: 01 Dec 2008 Posts: 6812

It snowed here last night ..just a light covering, then this morning we woke to a further 2 to 3 ins covering of the white stuff....

Some of my hydrangeas bowing to the inevitable.... Smile