Britain never seems to be prepared for the British weather... How can that be? The problem is though that when I was about 10 we had a huge snowfall which went above our waist... after that nothing really major, well not enough to cause worry as it usually melted the minute it fell. Then about 4 years ago ice started making an appearance and then snow. We definitely weren't prepared for those as we ran out of grit, each year they order more then before but suddenly last year we had nothing! How could that be, we were merrily going along expecting another year snow free... last year we had 2-3 different days of black ice... oh how nasty it was trying to get my niece to school on those days as I make a point of walking. Its only 2 streets away and I laugh at those parents at work who live a few steps away from the school building but have to get the car out to collect their children... why! oh why! The only days I will take my car is when I finish work late and go straight to collect my niece.
Well anyway last Sunday we were expecting a huge snowfall... 10cm of snow they said, imagine us all laying in bed Monday morning expecting to be snowed in when pulling back the curtains you have to really adjust your eyes to see those few specks of snow... really is that 10cm! We had a week of the maybe we'll get sent home early or maybe we just won't get out of bed that day... it never came. Imagine my surprise when my husband gets up, disappears for some time... I'm all comfortable in my spot only he returns to sit on me... The most annoying response for him is why I aren't you at work? Its snowing a lot outside and your brother said not to bother coming as the roads aren't seriously slippery. For 2 hours I couldn't sleep, not for the excitement of snow but I just couldn't. I text my sister who got up to check, who then text her work people to find out what they were doing.... only to actually alert some of them to get out of bed and make their way. She decided not to go after speaking to my older brother also. Now she's seriously worried because everyone else managed to make their way in after spending 2-3 hours travelling. As for me I got a message saying stay in bed we don't expect you to travel... why thank you, I'll do just that! No matter what my work place is like, one thing I'll give them is that they do close to seriously poor weather like this. As for our 10cm of snow I think we may have got it and a bit more.... but still not the amount as the last time it snowed as a child.... I then fell asleep...
All day its been snowing, the children have been screeching, having snowball fights and the couple opposite too as well as building a snowman. I really want to go out and take a photo of it... cheeky I know! I actually feel sorry for them that they don't have more privacy to enjoy themselves freely as all the neighbours at my end can see them.
By the way my friends have often said to me they don't understand why England close their schools when it snows as its so unheard of in their country. I find it weird that they don't, it is so nerve shattering to drive in it especially as many of the workers don't live locally or for that matter in this city. Most of England is one mass set of hills, even I live in a valley (so hills all around) so for us to get this amount of snow its a lot worse for those that live higher up.... vehicles struggle, wellies are made out of plastic instead of rubber so you are slipping instead of making progress but no shoes/boots are good... it doesn't actually help that only main roads are gritted but not side streets or pavements. If today school had been opened I would have had to walk, I could have made it with the soft snow but coming back would have been lethal, I just hate the idea of walking down the icy hill. I don't think its fair to have to force people to risk their lives in an un-necessary way. I am all for schools starting later, like on one of the black ice days many schools opened at 10am allowing staff time to get in and by the time the children came the sun had risen and the ice melted... ours didn't do that and I lost count of the amount of people complaining that they'd fallen. It actually reminds me of a lady I worked with once years ago, who'd gone to drop her daughter off at school and slipped in the playground losing her front teeth, she went to the hospital and on returning to collect her daughter the school pretended nothing had happened. They didn't even ask how she was etc... instead they'd just gritted the playground and carried on like it was a normal day. By the way a lot of council jobs also advice their staff to stay home whether a cleaner on the street/buildings, a librarian or in an office you will often get the day off. At the end of the day how can you have weather warnings for people to travel out only if necessary yet have everyone out full force due to children being at schools etc... The less people on the road, the easier the travel for those that have to make it to work because they have no choice.
Do schools ever close where you live?
