Anyone in the UK will surely have had snow this week, which is a fairly unusual event for this country. As usual the country fell apart, doing a journey that takes me 20 minutes normally, took an hour and a half yesterday. I know other people who have worse tales of woe. I am not amongst those (many) people who berate the government, local authority, parish council and any one else for (choose any one) not gritting the roads/not being prepared/not closing schools/not opening the schools/not having enough snow ploughs/not clearing the side streets/not......the list is endless.
The one thing that I have found though is a revival of the classic English tradition of making good in adversity. I live on a hill. When we do have snow, if there is nothing on the telly, I can spend hours, sitting in our study watching the cars go up the hill, then slide back down, go up again then slide back down again. Usually, endless hours of fun. Not this week! Within a few hours of snow fall starting there were a team of people (my neighbours) shoveling the snow, laying grit and pushing people up the hill. Amazing public spirit. Yesterday I struggled to get up my drive, my wife came to help me push, next thing I know my neighbour was out with his shovel, clearing the snow from around my wheels and giving me a push. Fantastic, what a star. Later in the evening I looked out to see our pensioner neighbours digging away with shovels, clearing the drive. I went down to help them, "do you need to get out?". "No, we just thought it would be better if the drive was cleared for people to get up it."
Today, we went shopping and bought some bits for my wife's mother, who has been house bound by the snow. As we turned into the road, we were faced with a group of a dozen people with shovels and brushes, clearing the road. More genuine public spirit. Of course we helped them, it would have been rude not to, especially as they were clearing the snow from Mum's drive entrance. Great neighbours!
The funniest event for me has to be watching the Sainsbury's to You delivery van, go up the road (after a second fall of snow). Then slide back down. Drive up again. Slide down again. Park! A few minutes later a car turned up, obviously the customer, have stuff loaded into the boot of their car, only to take it back out again (the wrong delivery!) Just as they were finishing another Sainsbury's to You lorry went past, up the hill and made it all the way. Classic!
So what's the title about snow men and snow women? The question is what is the difference between them?
Luna
7 years ago