Snow Days

We've had a lot of snow in the UK recently. In February last year it started snowing on the first Sunday afternoon of the month, and didn't stop until about the same time the next day. My boyfriend and I walked slowly to the train station in the morning and we weren't surprised to find there were no trains running to London whatsoever. So we enjoyed a warm drink in the station cafe, and then slowly made our way home via the Priory ruins where we ran around in the snow where no one else had yet trod. It was so much fun. We climbed up The Mound and had a fantastic panoramic view of the Downs beyond, and the castle rising out of the white covered roofs of the town. It was breathtakingly beautiful, and picture postcard perfect. It was the most snow I had seen in my life, and enjoying the freedom of our Snow Day we excitedly made our way back home with the hope of buying a sledge.

As we walked through the town centre we saw a queue of about 20 or so people forming outside the sport shop, and they only had 2 sledges for sale! Sensing a scramble would occur we tried Argos, who had foolishly brought out their Spring/Summer catalogue, and therefore had nothing useful for the wintry weather whatsoever. So then it was onto Homebase where we purchased the largest bakest trays we could find...

Then it was back home for hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream, mmm! Our housemates were both at home too. Housemate 1 unfortunately had to work from home, but that didn't stop him from coming upstairs, giggling like crazy, and joining me in small room at the top of the house where we had an excellent view of our back yard (I call it a yard because it is completely paved, and so doesn't really count as a garden). Meanwhile my boyfriend had lured Housemate 2 into the yard, and Housemate 1 and I sent a massive snowball down the roof, which narrowly missed his head, but caused enough of a mess to start a huge snowball fight between us and them. Both my boyfriend and Housemate 2 had impressive aims and got quite a lot of snow inside the house as a result!

After that my boyfriend, Housemate 2, and I trudged up the hill to get to a suitable sledging spot. And this is where the baking trays came into use! Sledging down them was so much fun, and they worked surprisingly well! We did get covered in a lot of snow, but it was worth it. We then wandered for a while, enjoying the incredible views, and then we headed home, just before which we had another brief snowball fight, this time with some mechanics from a local car garage, who had made it into work but had nothing to do. They had built a huge wall of snow to shield themselves, and they began pelting snowballs at us (all meant in good fun). The baking trays became very useful shields however! Then it was back into the warmth for soup and crusty bread, and a chilled afternoon of gaming.

This December just gone, and now this January too we have experienced a fair amount of snow. In our area we've not had has much as we had in February, but the conditions have been far more treacherous this time, with the pavements becoming sheets of ice. It has made simple walks to church, work, and the shops become major expeditions, and a lesson has been learnt in making sure we leave the house in plenty of time.

I haven't been able to enjoy the December and January snow like I did last February, as I don't get Snow Days. That's because as I live in the same town as my office I have no excuse. I have had some challenging walks up the hill but I've been one of the few people who has made it in. So the snow, whilst it still looks beautiful, just hasn't been anywhere near as exciting as it was in February. I am worried that my plans for this weekend will be squashed by further snowfall and icy conditions, which will quite probably bring the trains to a standstill. It will be a shame if I have to miss my friend's hen party in Reading, and I'm also meant to be meeting another friend in London beforehand. It may will be that I can get there, but will I be able to get home again afterwards? I'm just looking to the skies, and keeping an eye on the weather forecast!

Although the snow is a nuisance and it drives a lot of people crazy, and yes it does change various plans, I still love it. Yesterday I was off work ill, and it was lovely sitting wrapped up bed under the quilts, watching the snow fall outside. The Downs are directly opposite, and there is a sheer hill face that is covered in trees. Watching the snow fall on that does wonders for the imagination of a daydreamer. The views towards the Downs from my office are stunning too - it's a beautiful view whatever the time of year, but today when more snow began to fall, we all stopped just to watch the amazing scene before us. So even if my weekend plans fall through, and even though I still have to work when so many other people are out building snowmen, I will still sit back and enjoy the snow, and let it work it's magic on me...

To finish, here are some photos from February 2009's Snow Day: