Post by PeterW on Dec 25, 2009 21:21:59 GMT -5
Earlier this week, as you may have seen on the news, southern England, particularly Kent, was hit by an unpredicted and unseasonal snow storm. The forecasters gave us only a few hours' warning. If we get this sort of snow, which has been quite rare recenty, it usually comes in mid-January or early February.
For two days before Christmas Eve Ashford was almost cut off with roads blocked by snowdrifts and abandoned cars involved in accidents. We haven't yet heard how many people were injured in the accidents, but we saw the Air Ambulance Service helicopters make several trips in driving snow to and from the big William Harvey hospital in Ashford. Very skillful pilots and brave paramedic crews. It hasn't been a very happy Christmas for those injured. Spare a thought for them and their families.
Then as suddenly as it came, the snow here cleared and the roads are almost back to normal. I hear from friends in Manchester that the snow has shifted to the north of England where they have eight to ten inches of snow.
It's all the fault of the Russians. Ever since they took down the Iron Curtain cold winds from Siberia have been able to blow right across western Europe.
I hope John Parry's coping OK on his own in Manchester. Spare a thought for him too.
Owt' tha doin, ower John? Art' cowd oop ther? Tek ceer a tha sen.
Spare a thought also for the emergency services: police, firemen, ambulance crews and rescue crews, willing work long hours without complaint in dangerous bitter conditions helping people in trouble instead of being able to spend Christmas with their families.
We had a quiet but very nice family Christmas. Just Wendy, John, Luke and me. My other grand-daughter Hayleigh spent a very short visit just to say Happy Christmas and then was back up to Birmingham in the Midlands to spend Christms Day with her husband. My daughter in Cardiff, the other side of the country, had a family Christmas with her husband and three boys. They hope to get across to see us early in the new year.
But at least extended families can chat with each other these days via the internet. Distance isn't the barrier it once was.
And, to quote an old Scottish Grace before a meal:
"Some hae meat and canna eat, and some would eat but lackit. But we hae meat and we can eat, and sae the Laird be thankit."
Mickey: has the severe winter reached Toronto yet?
PeterW in Ashford, Kent, sitting comfortably in the warm with a drink, a mince pie and a computer to chat with absent friends, even though Christmas Day has now officially ended.
For two days before Christmas Eve Ashford was almost cut off with roads blocked by snowdrifts and abandoned cars involved in accidents. We haven't yet heard how many people were injured in the accidents, but we saw the Air Ambulance Service helicopters make several trips in driving snow to and from the big William Harvey hospital in Ashford. Very skillful pilots and brave paramedic crews. It hasn't been a very happy Christmas for those injured. Spare a thought for them and their families.
Then as suddenly as it came, the snow here cleared and the roads are almost back to normal. I hear from friends in Manchester that the snow has shifted to the north of England where they have eight to ten inches of snow.
It's all the fault of the Russians. Ever since they took down the Iron Curtain cold winds from Siberia have been able to blow right across western Europe.
I hope John Parry's coping OK on his own in Manchester. Spare a thought for him too.
Owt' tha doin, ower John? Art' cowd oop ther? Tek ceer a tha sen.
Spare a thought also for the emergency services: police, firemen, ambulance crews and rescue crews, willing work long hours without complaint in dangerous bitter conditions helping people in trouble instead of being able to spend Christmas with their families.
We had a quiet but very nice family Christmas. Just Wendy, John, Luke and me. My other grand-daughter Hayleigh spent a very short visit just to say Happy Christmas and then was back up to Birmingham in the Midlands to spend Christms Day with her husband. My daughter in Cardiff, the other side of the country, had a family Christmas with her husband and three boys. They hope to get across to see us early in the new year.
But at least extended families can chat with each other these days via the internet. Distance isn't the barrier it once was.
And, to quote an old Scottish Grace before a meal:
"Some hae meat and canna eat, and some would eat but lackit. But we hae meat and we can eat, and sae the Laird be thankit."
Mickey: has the severe winter reached Toronto yet?
PeterW in Ashford, Kent, sitting comfortably in the warm with a drink, a mince pie and a computer to chat with absent friends, even though Christmas Day has now officially ended.