Snow!

So Friday morning we woke to snow. A heavy blanket had descended - flumph - overnight. Everywhere was white and pristine. We were saying things like 'Awww, pretty!' and 'If only it had waited another week and we'd have a white Christmas.' (Like snow keeps an appointment diary - ha!)

By eight a.m, Andy and I were tromping down to the park to do 'stuff in the snow.' Discovery number one was that it is very difficult walking across a park that is covered in 6 inches of snow. As our calves and thighs began to feel the burn, we extended a sympathetic thought to all those Arctic explorers who tromp for hour upon hour upon the frozen wastes. Although, personally, I think anyone who actually chooses to occupy their life in such a way is a snow shoe short of the full ski-gear.

Activities in the park included:
1) running through virgin snow as much as possible, leaving tracks to show we were there first
2) Andy making a snow angel
3) Andy kneeling in the snow to make it look like we were actually thigh deep in the stuff
4) rolling a couple of massive snow balls with which to make a GIANT snow cat
5) photographing wildlife - robins, squirrels, ducks 'n' geese, golden labradors
6) photographing wintery scenes of the trees, lake, fields of the park

(We have many photos; I am going to ask Andy to make a slide show to put on the blog, but he's wrapping my Christmas presents at the moment, and it seems like a mammoth job so I don't want to disturb him just yet.)

Back home, our thoughts turned from funny snow japes to the tricksy problem of getting to London for the Sandi Toksvig/ Ronnie Corbett show we'd booked tickets to see that night. Travel reports said roads out of the town were blocked left, right and centre. Trains were suspended.  What to do? Advice from police was to avoid travelling if possible.

Well, by lunchtime, Southeastern rail network was running a service. Or so they said. So Andy and I wrapped up warm and spent nearly an hour walking to the train station over icy pavements, through muddy slush and piles of snow.

At the almost deserted station, a rail worker took one look at us and said, 'I wouldn't bother if I were you. Even if you get to London, the chances of you getting home this evening are virtually zilch.'
'But the website says you are running a service,' we said, weakly and pathetically.

He looked at us like we were poor, simple fools.

We trudged home, through the ice, slush and snow, feeling despondent, cold, wet, and irritated.

But then HURRAH for the South Bank Centre and the Royal Festival Hall! I thought, I'll call and see if they have a policy for people unable to attend shows due to bad weather conditions. Well, you've got to try, haven't you? Especially when you are on a budget.
And the very nice young man  I spoke to said he would send us a voucher for the value of our wasted tickets (£70), to use at the venue any time in the next year! Bless him!

And Saturday morning, we started all over again. Would we get to Canterbury for the pantomime in the afternoon? With temperatures of  minus 4 overnight, any snow that had started to melt had refrozen. News on local radio was saying that the M20 was closed for 'Operation Stack' because Eurotunnel had frozen, trapping people inside all night. Kent was becoming gridlocked; never mind the 'Garden of England', more like the car park.

Part of the pantomime party - Chris and Leane- arrived on foot as Andy and I were digging the car from the drive. We were going to try travelling. We were going to leave early and hope we could get to Canterbury, find a parking space and be entertained in a giant circus tent by Ade Edmonsen being Captain Hook. The panto was due to start at 2.30 p.m - we set off at 10 a.m.

With me at the driving helm, we skidded out of town on icy roads. I felt entitled to drive like an old granny, because in less than three months I shall be an old granny! We made it onto the hill that leads out of town and up to the motorway. The countryside looked stunning, now bathed in sunshine from clear, blue skies. Up the hill, the snow became less and less. Onto the motorway, the snow became a mere icing sugar sprinkle. Into Canterbury - snow? What snow??

Isn't it weird that in the space of 25 miles one can travel from treacherous snow and ice, to an ordinary winter's day?

Anyway, we had a good day, Andy, me and the kids. Of course, arriving 3 and a half hours early (because the journey took us no longer really than it normally does), we had plenty of time for a bit of extra Christmas shopping, a mooch around the Christmas market to admire the enormous German sausages, and a spot of lunch. The pantomime was entertaining, we got home in time for the Strictly Come Dancing Final and Chris and Ola (our favourites) won!! Hurrah!!

We decided to have an Indian takeaway for dinner. It took Andy and Chris over an hour to travel the 5 minutes back into town, locate a takeaway that was open, skid around the car park and get back home. So the home town is still icy and jammed.

More snow over night. It still looks pretty in the park. Temperatures still in the minuses.  Thank goodness for central heating. Roads still awful. Thank goodness for furry walking boots and a well-padded derriere.

And perhaps we'll have a white Christmas after all.