We got our forecasted snow yesterday, here in East London we got around 2 inches, other parts of the South East got up to 6 inches and other parts of the country got a lot more – from 10 to 12 inches. The usual chaos followed with over 3000 schools closed, trains delayed and cancelled, planes delayed and cancelled and many people sitting in cues for hours in their cars on impassable roads waiting for gritting to be done. Everything is just as it always is here in Britain with a tiny bit of snow: chaos!
Despite snowing for more than 12 hours yesterday it didn’t amount to much, and with a temperature hovering around zero it soon compacted and melted here and there. This was how my garden looked when I got up today, with much of the snow gone from the path already. This is our first snow this winter, it was well forecasted and still creating havoc. I wonder if Britain will ever be able to take those couple of days of snowfall per year without ending in mayhem. Coming from Norway myself, I can’t really see what the fuss is all about, just think if we in Norway were to close all our schools every time we had a couple of inches of snow. The problem here in Britain is that it snows too seldom. No one seems to be prepared for it. Even though it snows practically every year at least once, many people don’t have clothes and shoes suitable for snow and ice, like my neighbour next door for example, she has only got flip-flops and sandals. That’s very cold if you need to walk through snow...
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The snow made some great photo opportunities. Here with flowers and emerging tulips and daffodils surrounded by snow. (Click to get a greater view)
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My first snowdrop is just about to flower, very appropriately here with snow!
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All the plants on my nursery shelf has frozen solid. Poor plants, but they will be OK, this cold snap is set to last for another week and then we will get warmer weather again.
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And just to remind us all of what the goal is for now; spring! Here are some photos from my woodland corner from last year. It won’t be long until they are all up and flowering again. Can’t wait! Until next time, take care.
We've got a bit more than you in Birmingham!
ReplyDeleteLove those blues in your Woodland corner - especially the anemone.
Oh, I have seen it on the telly, some places got a lot more! The snow we have is just a tease really, can't even make a decent snowman!
DeleteThere's something so appealing about bright flowers in the snow. That so rarely happens here...or at least it doesn't happen until March. It's too cold in January. I had to chuckle about Londoners and snow. The snow chaos happens in the U.S., too, with people from warmer climates. But when you're not used to something, I guess it makes sense. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWell, the snow chaos here doesn't only apply to people from abroad, it's a British thing!! The fact that it snows practically every winter doesn’t mean that people here prepare for it! Nope, the snow is very well announced days in advance, and yet people go to work in high heels or slippery shoes, by the time they are to leave work and go home, 4 inches of snow might have come down and thousands of people end up in A&E with a broken ankle, leg or arm from walking on snow and ice in inappropriate shoes. Ahhh, very British, happens every year!
DeleteFlowers on snow doesn’t happen very often here either, I guess this will be the one time this winter, sometimes it happens much later, even as late as April, but I would rather have it in January before the spring flowers have woken up :-)
Hi Helene
ReplyDeleteI just found your lovely blog. Wonderful photos of last years spring time... I can hardly wait until spring starts here, but at the moment we've got lots of snow. I really had to laugh reading, that in England schools were closed because of the snow... that would be an absolute no go here in Switzerland. School goes on and if the world is falling apart around it *LoL*. Lately I watched "Escape to the Country" with Jules Hudson. Some Snow flakes were lovingly falling from the sky and he talked about a blizzard. It's really sweet. But please do not misunderstand me, I don't laugh at the British I really love your way of life and you live in a wonderful country... I even wished I could move Switzerland a bit closer :o).
Have a lovely weekend!
Alex
Well, I can't help laughing at the British from time to time so I think you would be forgiven for doing so too :-) I have lived in Britain for 13 years now and still haven't got used to how they deal with their winter weather. But thankfully it doesn't last for long. We got another load of snow last night and it is still snowing, I can see more chaos for rush-traffic tomorrow morning!
DeleteCan't wait for spring now, I got so many plans for my garden, so much I want to do!!
We haven't had much snow either! I think the weather forecasters have started to err on the cautious side to avoid criticism if they fail to warm people.
ReplyDeleteI think so too, although it could end up being a 'cry wolf' that no one listens to in the end, even when the forecast might be right. I assume it is difficult to predict how much snow that will come down, but after all that hype we got earlier in the week about ‘masses of snow’, I though what we got here in London was surprisingly little. Mind you, it’s snowing pretty good now, perhaps we get the ‘masses of snow’ now instead of last Friday!
DeleteI'm already looking forward to your Spring garden as it was so lovely last year Helene. I laugh at the British too (and I'm British!!) but the good thing about being a gardener is you're used to wearing sensible footwear so snow boots are a natural progression from wellies!
ReplyDeleteThank you PJ, I can't wait for the spring to get going again too, we had a good whiff of it for a while!
DeleteI guess you are right about gardeners and footwear, there's an awful lot of people in London who's not a gardener!
When I lived on the west coast of Canada it was the same chaos you talk about. They are so unused to snow there - nobody knows how to drive in it, no snow tires, no appropriate clothing. Absolute mayhem every time the white stuff started to flutter down. It's really quite funny when you think of how much snow other places see all winter long. Schools only close here (Canadian east coast) if there's a blizzard and white out conditions.
ReplyDeleteIn Britain winter tyres are completely optional, even on snow and ice. If you venture out in Norway where I come from with a car without appropriate tyres for the road condition you could get a hefty fine, even prison! But because icy conditions only happens a few days per year here in Britain, and especially in London, it seems to be perfectly OK to try to drive on completely unsuitable tyres - and all the accidents that subsequently happens seems to be just an acceptable part of winter. Madness!
DeleteI didn't know that the west coast of Canada had such a mild climate, I always thought of Canada as similar to Norway. I looked up Victoria and it seems very similar to London, although we might have a bit higher temperatures in the summer - when we have summer, has been a few years since last time we had a proper summer!
My sisters live where it snows most of the winter. So, they drive in it all the time. However, they are the ones that are always wearing flip flops, not me! I live where it rarely snows, so when it does, it's best that everything get closed. We have no idea how to drive in it, and we wouldn't have much use in learning. ;) Funny that London gets shut down with the snow. For some reason, I thought they would have been more used to that kind of weather.
ReplyDeleteIt simply doesn't snow often enough for Britons to get used to the driving, but that's no excuse for not having a good pair of boots and a proper winter jacket at the back of your wardrobe, for those few days per year :-)
DeleteI hope this is if for this winter, let's get on with the spring!
Hi Helene,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like you got the snow they predicted! I hope it doesn't harm those dainty blossoms. You had asked about the keys I posted on my blog and they are metal which have been painted a shabby chic white. Sorry you didn't make it in time for the Grow Your Blog party. Hopefully, next year you can join. I am your newest follower now. Have a great week.
Thanks for joining my blog :-)
DeleteI liked the look of your painted keys, I used to do a lot of creative stuff like that in the past, but I mostly do my arts and craft on my computer these days.
We still have snow snow from the second batch, it is quite cold so it might last the rest of the week, but I think the flowers will be OK, they are quite tough!