SNOW PATROL

It has snowed in my garden. I'm sure it has snowed everywhere else too. The news and my facebook page keep telling me that the inclement weather is not confined to my road. I wouldn't know however, because apart from venturing out with the camera to take a few photos of the children in case their children don't know what snow is, I have not left the warmth of my kitchen.

The schools are closed. Actually not strictly true. The senior school more or less told the kids that there would be no school today yesterday before the big dump. I really believe that the Head must have a crystal ball, so confident is she in her weather predictions. The primary school is " partially closed". I gather that this means if you have to work and have no childcare you can send your children ( but we'd rather you didn't.) Obviously as I don't work and had two at home anyway my little ones are here.

And so when did we get so bad at snow? Some time over the last twenty years we all keeled over and decided that at the first sign of snow we needed to take to our beds and refuse to venture forth. Is it to do with the decline in the use of public transport I wonder. Can't get your own shiny, front wheel drive car out of the drive so throw in the towel and give up. But all the trains and buses have been running and, in the main, on time. Very little reason not to get to your destination, albeit a little late. Sorry, I don't mean to moan but it is so disappointing that our Dunkirk spirit appears to have been forgotten along with so many other post-war values.

Growing up in Lincolnshire I remember a fair bit of snow and I do recall the bus not coming and school being unattainable. But I lived twenty miles away and the snow was piled up to the top of the telephone box in the village. When I worked in Leeds if you didn't get to the office and public transport was running then you were docked a day's holiday. That was quite an incentive to don wellies and have a go.

I know that the snow can be challenging at times, particularly in rural areas but how many of the people, who have used the snow as an excuse not to get where they are supposed to be, can truly say that they couldn't make the journey?

More snow is forecast all week. I can stay holed up here. I am very lucky. But I may run out of patience before I run out of food.