Friday, January 18

Grit


Ten centimetres of snow bring the capital to a stand still (that is less than four inches people).  Flights  and buses cancelled, schools across the country closed (including Hampton but not Emanuel); this morning's trains late at the sniff of foul weather and I have a hard time getting a return taxi to Sheen since, outside the centre-city, the snowpack "unpredictable, mate, I can't be taking the risk " As if.  The BBC dedicates 30 minutes of top-of-the-hour news to the weather: "a 'crocodile line' of five cars stuck on the motor route in Wales! We came across a lady who had been in her car for a while and she was delighted to see us." There is a run on the grocery store.  As the Radio 4 concludes solemnly: "A day London put to the test."

The British love a good weather crisis and, since Friday, an unexpected long weekend.

Photo: Telegraph