AS: Cool Britannia (sort of): the British thread 2019

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  • Here in south Wales there has been no snow, at present it's a glorious crisp sunny morning although I don't think that will last. North Wales has had quite a lot of snow though.
  • About an inch of snow here and a lot of ice but the sun is shining so it will soon melt. Just had a short walk this morning because of the ice but will have a longer one later.
    I’ve done my morning admin and emails, now a cup of tea before a bit of marking and tutorial planning.
  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    Snow chez Boogie!

    It’s deep but due to stop soon.

    I hope so -we are flying to Berlin tomorrow to meet my son to celebrate his birthday.
  • There was a scattering here – a centimetre or so in Paris, a bit more in the suburbs, but it was too wet to properly settle.

    Surprisingly, my morning commute (by bus) was quicker than usual. Apparently driving conditions on the boulevard Périphérique were rather unpleasant, and I suppose quite a lot of people outside Paris might have left their cars at home.

    Has there ever been a time when the Bvd Périphérique was not unpleasant?
  • Here in south Wales there has been no snow, at present it's a glorious crisp sunny morning although I don't think that will last. North Wales has had quite a lot of snow though.

    A very brief flurry in Zooport, all of thirty seconds! Middle son & family have seen more of it as they live in Ferndale, which is way up the Rhondda Fach.
  • The only white stuff here is fog, which isn’t as pretty but I can’t say I’m unhappy about that.
  • More fluffy snow from the sky and more wet stuff underfoot here earlier, as usual it has already melted.
  • MooMoo Kerygmania Host
    Wet Kipper wrote: »
    Apparently my colleagues in Atlanta saw a similar amount of snow yesterday - the office was shut and everyone stayed at home due to the "risk of ice and travel disruption"

    In places where ice and snow are rare, most people don't know how to drive in it. It's much safer if people stay home.

  • Moo wrote: »
    In places where ice and snow are rare, most people don't know how to drive in it. It's much safer if people stay home.

    I can vouch for that, having experienced some of the most terrifying driving in my life when Athens had snow :grimace:
  • I've always sworn that if we ever get snow in Phoenix* (other than one or two random flakes, which does occasionally happen), I will stay inside and not venture outside even on foot. People here freak out if they have to drive in the rain -- which we're expecting for the next several days.

    *It could happen with all the crazy weather around the world these past few years.

  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I can vouch for that, having experienced some of the most terrifying driving in my life when Athens had snow :grimace:

    Driving round Athens can be bloody terrifying even without snow (as the unbelted taxi driver stubs out his sobranie on the No Smoking sign while arguing on his mobile).
  • Best (worst) bad driving ever in Athens: when they had torrential rain on the Saturday before Easter and cars, which in any case would have been sliding all over the shop, were being driven by people holding their candles lit at the Easter Vigil in one hand :confounded:
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    We got a few more inches of fairly wet snow today, but it seems to be turning to rain now, which with any luck will get rid of it.

    Had lunch in an Italian chain restaurant before a spot of retail therapy in a rather quirky, upmarket shop across from the Cathedral. Their full prices are a bit eye-watering, but their sale prices aren't bad, and I got a nice top for $53 (£30), reduced from $85 (£50).
  • sionisaissionisais Shipmate
    edited January 2019
    Best (worst) bad driving ever in Athens: when they had torrential rain on the Saturday before Easter and cars, which in any case would have been sliding all over the shop, were being driven by people holding their candles lit at the Easter Vigil in one hand :confounded:

    And if Athens is like Cyprus, resting their other arm on the open door so they can hold the roof on. Are they driving with their knees?

    Btw, our yellow snow warning has been upgraded to orange, but it looks like Cardiff will get it worse. Typical F****** Cardiff, has to be better.

    btw2: piglet, that's nuthin'. Mrs Sioni indulged in a stack of retail therapy for stuff for the Wedding (although to be fair a lot was tried and returned). Best deal was a dress at £200 reduced to £40!
  • sionisais wrote: »
    Best (worst) bad driving ever in Athens: when they had torrential rain on the Saturday before Easter and cars, which in any case would have been sliding all over the shop, were being driven by people holding their candles lit at the Easter Vigil in one hand :confounded:

    And if Athens is like Cyprus, resting their other arm on the open door so they can hold the roof on. Are they driving with their knees?

    Steering with them when necessary is not unknown :worried:
  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    edited January 2019
    sionisais wrote: »
    Btw, our yellow snow warning has been upgraded to orange, but it looks like Cardiff will get it worse. Typical F****** Cardiff, has to be better.
    Nothing here yet ... But the sky is getting very dark.

  • There's that yellow tint to the sky that suggests snow is coming - I'm in the yellow warning area. Beautiful spiky frost and sunshine this morning gradually clouding over to grey, and now this yellowness. We've still got a sprinkling of the last lot on the roofs and grass, and there are patches of treachery on the shady pavements, so I'm being selective in choosing routes to walk around town.
  • john holdingjohn holding Ecclesiantics Host, Mystery Worshipper Host
    sionisais wrote: »
    Best (worst) bad driving ever in Athens: when they had torrential rain on the Saturday before Easter and cars, which in any case would have been sliding all over the shop, were being driven by people holding their candles lit at the Easter Vigil in one hand :confounded:

    Btw, our yellow snow warning has been upgraded to orange, but it looks like Cardiff will get it worse. Typical F****** Cardiff, has to be better.

    In this part of the world yellow snow doesn't fall from the sky. It's found by the side of the road, and is its own warning. I've never seen orange snow, but I suppose a very, very sick dog might...
  • Very annoying here. No taxis available so I had to cancel an appointment in the audiology clinic. They didn't seem at Llmsueorised and I gather the town was a bit chaotic. Main roads ok, but all side roads very icy. Throunle is, the roads may have cleared but the pa cements are death traps for those of us who rely on sti cks in order to walk. So I am trapped here plenty of birds to watch in the garden, including a big flock of gulls who came right down on to the patio outside the window, plus the usual non of tits, jackdaw and other assorted asians.

    Sorry, Boogie! Seems my seed and fat is preferred!!!
  • In this part of the world yellow snow doesn't fall from the sky. It's found by the side of the road, and is its own warning. I've never seen orange snow, but I suppose a very, very sick dog might...
    Er ... too much detail there I think.

  • No snow at home and no snow on the drive to middle Rogueling's college but a smattering of snow when I got to work which is in between home and college. Very localised and soon disappeared.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    sionisais wrote: »
    ... a dress at £200 reduced to £40!
    Wow - and I thought I'd got a bargain! Can I borrow Mrs. Sioni the next time I go shopping? :grin:

    Weather here is quite boring - we haven't had much more snow, although what we have has probably frozen, as it's -13° and falling.

    Memo to self: wear something reasonably warm for choir practice, as it was really quite cold in the choirstalls last week. It's hard to judge, as we never know whether the heating will be firing on all cylinders. If it is, and I'm wearing something warm, I'll be too hot*, but if it isn't, and I'm not, even I could feel a tad chilly. I think layering is my best bet.

    Talking of birdie feeders, we reopened the birdie bistro the other day - D. bought a new feeder (the old one being snowed-in in the shed) and hung it up on the hook, but we haven't had any little visitors yet. I suspect that most of them have buggered off for the winter, and I'm not at all sure that I blame them.

    * I would put it down to my age, but I've always felt the heat rather than the cold ... :flushed:

  • Started to snow here about an hour ago. Not particularly deep yet, but the garden looks very pretty
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    That's the only advantage I can see of snow - even horticultural disaster-areas like mine can look pretty. For a wee while anyway ...
  • How dare you call your hubby a disaster-area!
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Whatever made you think that? I was talking about my garden! :confused:
  • FirenzeFirenze Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    No snow, but heavy frost. When we took the car out this afternoon, I noticed the half bottle of water in the door pocket was frozen solid.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    At least when it's -13° it doesn't matter if you leave a tub of ice-cream in the car after going to the supermarket.

    Potatoes, not so much. We left a bag of spuds in the car overnight by mistake (they got buried under something else) and when we brought them into the house and let them defrost, they were absolutely manky.
  • No proper snow here, but fog is developing, and as any John Carpenter fan knows that is not good news. As I was stood at the bus stop 3 ambulances and a rapid response car rushed past me towards the motorway. Wouldn't want to be driving in this weather.
  • Wesley JWesley J Shipmate
    edited February 2019
    The weather here in Continental WesShire has been nicely wintery for most of the past few weeks. There's nearly always a certain amount of snow on the ground or the roofs, or it is being replenished; night temperatures are a few degrees below zero C.

    I find it pleasant to the eye to nearly always have at least a dusting of snow, or very few inches; road and pavement clearing services and gritters here are very efficient. I sometimes wake up at 3am or so, when the local council has their snowploughs going. It makes me go back to sleep then and dream of winter wonderlands! (Ok, I'm hopelessly romantic, and my routes to work, by train and bus, are normally well accessible, so I can't complain.)

    And if the sun is out, it just looks lovely and is great for walks.

    I wonder though how I would feel in a place like Piglet land, or similar! If there's nothing but snow, and shedloads of it all the time, I might think differently!
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    It does get a bit tiresome when it's been there since the beginning of November.

    Our wheelie-bin has become snowed in; it's big enough that we could get away with not putting it down to the end of the drive last week, but we'll really need to put it out tomorrow, and that's going to involve shovelling.

    Shovelling of ice ... :anguished:

    In a general sort of way, when you have snow, fog is a good thing, because (a) it helps to shift the snow; and (b) you don't have to shovel fog.
  • I’m a spring and autumn sort of person, I don’t like extremes.
    Less than an inch of snow here and it’s fading fast. I might leave my walk until it’s cleared a bit.
    More marking today and prepping for a tutorial tomorrow afternoon. But the weather is making me want to do something more cheery. I might start planning our costumes for this summer’s Tudor re-enactment. Our current outfits are based around late 16th C gear but we are doing mid 16th C this year. Bizarrely by modern fashions, it’s the men’s costumes which are not the right fashion. A woman’s basic ‘kirtle’ is the same throughout the period but this was an era when men went from long hose (footed trousers like tights) to below knee hose (my son was gentry so wore puffed paned hose, he’s one of the pages here https://www.flickr.com/photos/hecubasstory/14243925977/in/pool-kentwell So we need to make 2 pairs of wool long hose with feet. They also need new long doublets. This is going to be a challenging year for sewing...
  • A little bit of snow here, my road slippery but main roads not too bad. Rang Leisure Centre and was surprised to find it open, so went swimming as usual on a Friday. Only one other person in pool when I got there, another came later. Now back home enjoying coffee & croissant!
  • [...] I might start planning our costumes for this summer’s Tudor re-enactment. Our current outfits are based around late 16th C gear but we are doing mid 16th C this year. Bizarrely by modern fashions, it’s the men’s costumes which are not the right fashion. A woman’s basic ‘kirtle’ is the same throughout the period but this was an era when men went from long hose (footed trousers like tights) to below knee hose (my son was gentry so wore puffed paned hose, he’s one of the pages here https://www.flickr.com/photos/hecubasstory/14243925977/in/pool-kentwell So we need to make 2 pairs of wool long hose with feet. They also need new long doublets. This is going to be a challenging year for sewing...

    Heavenlyannie, the photos look spectacular, and to be frank had me in a bit of a shock - it seems really a long way from the quite comfy outfits of today! I've seen people dressed in mediaeval gear, which I think were more loose and less formal. (Perhaps they were mere peasants?) - How comfortable and actually useable are Tudor period costumes? Or would people not have worn them all day? I'm intrigued now!

  • Grrr... comedian Jeremy Hardy's just died. Cancer. I didn't know that. Apparently few did.

    RIP. - I've been catching up on old News Quizzes from the Sandi Toxic (as I like to call her) and Miles Jupp eras. (Can be found by putting 'news quiz archive' in a search engine.) It's good to hear him do his thing. A lasting tribute.

    Sadness. :(
  • We had about an inch of snow overnight. I went out walking in the Forest earlier and was the first person down one of the bridleways from the footprints, which had fox tracks weaving in and among rabbit prints, and lots of others, including deer, bird and others I didn't recognise. Currently there is more precipitation but I'm not sure if it's sleet or snow, or alternating. It's also not clear whether it's settling or not.
  • Piglet wrote: »
    sionisais wrote: »
    ... a dress at £200 reduced to £40!
    Wow - and I thought I'd got a bargain! Can I borrow Mrs. Sioni the next time I go shopping? :grin:

    Twas Debenham's in Cardiff. I picked up a decent suit at half price (£186 to £93). We have done pretty well in Debenham's stores recently and we aren't skinny, so it's good to find a choice at reduced prices in the non-catwalk sizes.
  • @Wesley J these are gentry, for peasant costumes look at http://www.kentwell.co.uk/events/tudor/may-day-celebrations (nb I am a volunteer at Kentwell, I make no money from them). I am a peasant, a spinster in the wool shed, and my husband a wood carver. I am both a spinster and married, lol.
    Tudor clothes were well made because they needed to be hard wearing; poor people might only have one or two dresses or jackets. You also needed several layers as there was no heating and the winters were cold. The outer layers were seldom washed, they were wool so they were brushed down. Your linens were changed daily, however. Women wore their hair covered in a coif.
    Clothes would also need to be fitted for practical reasons, such as comfort. Women didn’t wear underwear other than a shift (knee length, long armed shirt) so she needed a bodice that held her attributes in place. Loose clothing might also indicate loose morals.
  • Wesley J wrote: »
    Grrr... comedian Jeremy Hardy's just died. Cancer. I didn't know that. Apparently few did.

    RIP. - I've been catching up on old News Quizzes from the Sandi Toxic (as I like to call her) and Miles Jupp eras. (Can be found by putting 'news quiz archive' in a search engine.) It's good to hear him do his thing. A lasting tribute.

    Sadness. :(
    It is sad news, I loved the Linda Smith/Jeremy Hardy era of ISIHAC.

  • A short piece from 'Last Word' on Mr Hardy, with comments from Mr Corbyn and Mark Steel... who literally doesn't know whether to laugh or cry, and you can hear it. A good way to remember and be remembered, I guess. (Note to self: must be funnier and wittier, and compassionate.)

    In other news, it's been precipitating here all day, with light rain first, which made me fear the worst: a premature end to all landscaped whiteyness, but hooray, in the late afternoon, ginourmous snow flakes appeared, some wider than an inch in diametre (!) - I was even trying to catch some, so fascinated was I, silly me...! Smaller flakes later, but still ongoing. I like it.

    It makes me wonder about the physics behind this, about size and density and appearance of my flakey hibernal friends from the heavens. Marvellous. :)

    Sincere apologies to spring, summer and autumn lovers. :blush:
  • TonyKTonyK Shipmate, Host Emeritus Posts: 43
    Snowed from 22.oo last night until 12noon today - not badly, but 4 - 5inches 10-12 cm) overall.

    Local paper has drone footage of my town (Dursley) and church (St James the Great) taken this morning
    https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/17402666.amazing-drone-footage-shows-town-blanketed-in-snow/
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    That's quite a respectable amount of snow, @TonyK!

    @Wesley J - the conventional wisdom over here is "wee flakes - big snow; big flakes - wee snow". The bigger flakes tend to be wetter and more splatty, and melt more quickly; the little ones are more compact and determined wee buggers ... :mrgreen:

    It's colder than enough here today: I went out this morning to liberate the wheelie-bin from its two-foot casing of icy snow so that the bin-men could empty it, and it was absolutely baltic (Environment Canada said it was -13° and feeling like -23, but tbh it felt colder than that).

    * * * * *

    D. decided that a sensible use for some of my dad's estate would be to pay off the car loan, so the Pigletmobile now belongs to us; between that and my (tiny) British pension coming in, we'll be a few $$$ better off each month, which is a very comforting thought. If I could get someone to employ me, we'd be laughing.
  • TonyK wrote: »
    Snowed from 22.oo last night until 12noon today - not badly, but 4 - 5inches 10-12 cm) overall.

    Local paper has drone footage of my town (Dursley) and church (St James the Great) taken this morning
    https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/17402666.amazing-drone-footage-shows-town-blanketed-in-snow/

    My grandparents lived up the road in Wooton under Edge and I remember being there when it was literally waist deep in snow in the early 1980s. Nostaligia is become a disease of mine in middle age - I should snap out of it!
  • I was around for the long snow of 1946/7
    Not that I remember it, but am told that I was pushed 2 miles through it daily, in my pram by my mother (pregnant with my little brother) to my grandmother's house , taking a few lumps of coal so we could share the warmth in the one house.
  • Reminds me of this classic: Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955). :)
  • Ah yes ... I understand that, when the film people actually managed to get there, the snow had abated somewhat and the director asked the shovellers to bend their knees to make it look deeper ... Sadly the line is long closed.
  • MMMMMM Shipmate
    Wonderful footage, TonyK!

    It was snowing as we walked home from seeing the most tedious film in the world last night (Tulip Fever).

    MMM
  • It is freezing and snowy here, but there is one spot of balmy warmth.

    Unfortunately it is inside our fridge. I woke this morning to find the fridge warm and the milk off. I had to have a bracing early morning walk to the Co-op before I could have my coffee. Full matks to Aberdeenshire Council - the pavements were gritted!
  • Wish our pavements were gritted! Not that it particularly affects me, but my wobbly daughter didn't get out yesterday as ice and dodgy joints are not a safe combination.
  • Last night mt wife travelled from London on the train; two days before she had travelled to London through falling snow.

    You can guess what that meant: both trains were punctual!
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