Winter's last gasp?
Well, Thursday saw the vernal equinox, so I guess that means that Friday was the first day of spring. It certainly didn't feel like it here in East Anglia, where the north wind has an uninterrupted path straight onto our house. However, the wind dropped during the night and this morning we awoke to a blanket of snow. Clearly this was something new to the rabbits in the field behind our house, who were running and leaping and playing chase, kicking up sprays of snow. A good breakfast, and we were off to join them.
Our walk took us through the forest and Miss Whiplash, having pelted me with snowballs, took delight in creating an effigy, which apparently is a good likeness of me.
What fun it is to be ten years old again, if only for a few hours! And thinking of being ten years old, we were struck by the total absence of children as we walked through the West Stow country park. Odd, we thought, especially as there is a 'Heritage Fair' with stalls in the Anglo Saxon Village. Arriving at the village, the only vehicles in the car park were the traders vans. We could see the tents set up in the village, and the refreshment van was open with a promising smell of hot fryers...but no people.
Our walk took us through the forest and Miss Whiplash, having pelted me with snowballs, took delight in creating an effigy, which apparently is a good likeness of me.
What fun it is to be ten years old again, if only for a few hours! And thinking of being ten years old, we were struck by the total absence of children as we walked through the West Stow country park. Odd, we thought, especially as there is a 'Heritage Fair' with stalls in the Anglo Saxon Village. Arriving at the village, the only vehicles in the car park were the traders vans. We could see the tents set up in the village, and the refreshment van was open with a promising smell of hot fryers...but no people.
We began to feel that we were in a John Wyndham novel, but the spell was broken as a chap wearing a council ID badge came into sight. He told us that the park was closed on account of the weather (2" of snow in a country park). We must have looked dumbstruck, because he elaborated and said that the first he had heard about it (as he wondered where everyone was) was when someone told him that the closure had been announced on local radio! His job now was to turn away anyone who turned up. I bet all the traders were delighted.
Elf & Safety, eh? On whose bizarre risk assessment was this decision based? No wonder we have a growing population of fat pasty faced kids....and parents for that matter. What next? Shut down the place if it's raining (someone might slip in some mud), or if the sun shines (sunstroke)?
I feel a "when I was a lad" moment coming on, the true mark of an old git, so I'll stop now!
posted by Phil at
Sunday, March 23, 2008
4 Comments:
Great photo, Phil. I've just shown it to Chris!
Thanks Ali (Tini, aka Miss W, is the one on the left btw). Obviously not your Canadian levels of snow...now that really would freak out the local authority!
Your headline is now way out of date Phillip! Far from winter being nearly over the Scottish News programe tonight was warning that there is now several feet of snow on the tops and a further 6" is expected over night. There is a warning that avalaches can be expected. Take care!
Derek
Post a Comment
<< Home