Posts tagged ‘snow’
the sun has got his hat on – but snow is on the way
We’re enjoying some unseasonable weather here in the UK, with temperatures that would be impressive for high Summer, let alone mid Autumn.
This heatwave has been unexpected and we all know it can’t last – so as a nation we seem determined to make the most of it. Asda is reporting record sales of burgers (although since it gets dark at 7pm the BBQing might have to be done by torchlight) and sundresses and shorts have been dragged out of the back of wardrobes for a final airing this year. Parks and other public spaces are teeming with people enjoying themselves with the determination of someone who has looked at the calendar and knows that the sunshine can’t last.
Brighton Beach today, pic from The Guardian
Yes, at heart we Brits are a pessimistic lot, perhaps best illustrated by the fact that last Thursday as temperatures topped 25C/77F, Asda sold 147 snow shovels. This isn’t as barmy as it sounds – the first snowfall is predicted within the month…
snow business like e-commerce
Seeing I’m pretty much snowed in, I’ve been cracking on with my Christmas shopping online. In doing so, I’ve developed a bit of a theory that ‘bestsellers’ lists are a pretty good way to take the pulse of the nation.
Right now, it’s cold and snowy across all the UK. So bestsellers at Firebox include The Slanket – a fleecy blanket complete with armholes for those chilly evenings in front of the telly.
Firebox are also doing a roaring trade in slippers you can chuck in the microwave to warm up and handwarmers.
Over at Amazon, they’re inundated with orders for snow shovels, gloves, welly socks, room heaters and yet more handwarmers. And thanks to their movers and shakers feature, I bring you the news that Snow Boots Size 8
I’m just not sure how the post office and DHL are supposed to get through all this snow to deliver these urgent supplies?
The weather outside (was) frightful
I’ve perhaps been guilty of overdoing the ‘oh-my-god-its-still-snowing’ posts on the blog recently (the white stuff lasted 4 ½ weeks in the end) and I can’t imagine that anyone outside the snow-bound UK would have found them particularly interesting.
But what I have found invaluable as I’ve tried to make the decision in recent weeks whether to risk the journey into work has been traffic and weather updates (complete with photos) from my friends on twitter and facebook. It’s been like a (private) public service. Ice on the A65? Traffic jams in Horsforth? Someone will kindly let me know.
pic by the lovely @LisaWisniowski
Although the local radio stations were busy collating traffic and snow news, with listeners phoning in live reports, the bit of the online world focused on the UK didn’t seem to have found a way to crowd source on the ground information in this way.
In North America, their National Weather Service has just launched a Twitter-based program to monitor tweets about severe weather (tweets are tagged #wxreport), but we don’t seem to have a UK equivalent. Time to sort it out before the next cold snap?
Snow need to panic
If nothing else, this country is good at adversity. We know exactly what to do – PANIC!
Admittedly, its rather cold and snowy at the moment (snowfall on 20 out of the last 23 days round here and minus 10 last night). But we Brits really know how to make a drama out of a crisis.
Yesterday, my local Co-op (a largeish convenience store) sold out of bread and eggs, the government is rationing salt for gritting and thousands of schools are still shut. To illustrate the media’s approach to the whole subject, I give you:
(Via ITIABTWC . I had a rethink and put a more child friendly / suitable for work version up, but the origional is here)
But there are some rather sweet side effects to all this extreme weather; the local Chinese takeaway have built a chef style snowman outside their front door, BJL and Cheetham Bell JWT had a snowball fight and today at work there was a long row of wellies neatly lined up by the back door, waiting for the journey home.
As for work? Well most client meetings have been cancelled, the office is freezing and we don’t really feel like the Christmas break has ended properly so it’s not exactly Productivity Central, but we’re going to keep trying to get in every morning, through sheer bloody mindedness if nothing else.
MORE snow?
We’re not very good at dealing with snow in the UK. We just don’t normally get that much of it to make it worth seriously stockpiling grit, investing in snow chains or 4x4s or otherwise being prepared for inclement weather.
It’s snowed for 18 of the last 20 days here and we had another 4 inches of snow this morning. Since I own neither a 4×4 or a team of huskies and a sled, I’m snowed in (better than being snowed out like I was after the office xmas party…) and working remotely. So I chuckled when I read an all-users email that went round work today asking about good places to snowboard after work while a chum posted on facebook that he’d just watched his neighbour ski down the lane past his house.
With another week of the white stuff forecast (the Met Office are calling it an Extreme Weather Event), I don’t think I’m going to be seeing much of the office in the next few days. Which means I’m going to miss out on more fun like the agency snowball fight this lunchtime:
(thanks for the pic Craig)
this morning’s meeting is cancelled
Dear Potential New Client,
I will not be able to attend this morning’s meeting because my agency’s Company Car Scheme does not extend to include a team of husky dogs and a sled.
snow joke
Thats it. I completely give up on trying to chose suitable outfits or plan any activities according to the time of year and therefore the expected weather conditions.
Last Summer it rained pretty much non-stop for five months, ruining two pairs of shoes and making all seasonal events decidedly soggy affairs.
Then Spring temporarily showed it’s face in early February, resulting in pub gardens full of mystified coat-less punters.
So what with it being the four day Easter Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK right now, this greeted me when I opened the front door this morning:
I give up.
