EVERYONE LOVES SNOW …
In my experience, the weather forecasters don’t always get it right, and I always take their predictions with a grain or two of salt. I find the easiest way to tell what’s happening weather-wise is to stick your head out of the window and look up.
So when snow was forecast for our region, I was highly sceptical (too early in the season) and expected a few flakes around midnight to be the end of it.
I first noticed there was something different going on outside the window at about 9 p.m. And sure enough there was quite a shower of snowflakes whizzing past being driven by a very strong wind.
“Oh, it’s too light, it’ll never “settle” – that’s one of the first new word I learned on arrival in England. Suddenly I am the big expert on snow, having been brought up in a country where winters last about 3 weeks maximum and snow is seldom seen.
But a few hours later, the scene was entirely different, and late night revellers, caught by surprise where laughing, shouting and screaming, sliding, throwing snowballs, taking photos of one another and being generally merry.
The snow took late night revellers by surprise
This morning it was still snowing! What a lovely surprise. As soon as it was light I dressed warmly, and armed with my camera, made for my the beach. It was very slippery underfoot, and I found my feet sliding out from me on a number of occasions. I learnt to tread on virgin snow, that made the going much firmer.
The park
The nearby park was a picture, a couple walking their dog which was thoroughly enjoying the novelty of bounding through snow to inspect a snowman.
Views from the pier were superb, and there were a few of us taking advantage of the photo opportunities.
Someone had even built a snowman sitting on a bench, with a plastic spoon for a pipe.
And there was no fishing today.
Home to a lovely hot cup of coffee and a biscuit (or two).
EVERYONE HATES THE SNOW …
As the day wore on, and a weak sun made an appearance, the snow turned to a browny-grey slush, most unattractive to look at. Transport was disrupted, trains delayed, cars sliding all over the roads, Gatwick airport closed for a while, people started to get grumpy.
I had a doctor’s appointment, and the ramp from the pavement up to the surgery was slick with compacted snow that had turned to ice. Most of the complaints from those in the waiting room were about the lack of gritting and/or salt, their original aches and pains forgotten in their annoyance.
Ah well, the novelty is over, and so is the snow it seems. Perhaps there will be more in January or February – life at the coast continues.
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