FAO Co Durham and N York Dalesfans

[SuzieP]

Do hope you're all OK. I've been listening to the news and it sounds like horrendous weather conditions - especially around the A66 (which is the main trunk road past Barnard Castle).

Thinking of you and your pones......

[PonyGirl]

Do hope all is well.

[harveydales]

Yes, I've been thinking about our Northern members too. Hope every one is OK and their ponies too.

[justjordie]

We are just off the A66 near Richmond and have no snow what so ever. Apparently it's bad just a few miles further up the A66 but with us it snowed/sleeted but didn't lie so we are fine. It's nice and frosty this morning (lovely cos the dogs stay clean!) Sooty is enjoying the chilly bright weather, he wasn't wild about the sleet and the driving winds yesterday.

[SuzieP]

So glad you're OK. It sounds like the snow was very localised then.... I heard that loads of drivers had to be rescued from their cars which were stranded on the A66 and spent the night in a village hall in Bowes!

[justjordie]

That seems to be true, very localised snow storms. We aren't far from Bowes but it's fine here. I gather that when it came down it was thick and fast and seemed to take people by surprise. I was watching the local news last night when they did a brilliant phone interview with a person who was stranded, by that time they had retired to a local hotel and were making merry. The tv presenter was trying to sound very concerned and sorry for them but the lady had obviously found comfort in a whisky bottle and was quite merry. When she was asked to confirm that there were families and children stranded she said"well there is a couple with two Jack Russels". She was hilarious. I understand that they are all on there way home now.

[Debbie]

Ooh, certainly glad you're okay. That sleet/ice mixture is pretty scary stuffs.

[harveydales]

lol That interview sounds hilarious - they didn't show it on our local news sadly. The bits of film we saw showed loads of lorries stuck but very little snow. I suppose the high winds were the problem? I don't understand why they were taken by suprise because it was forecasted for days.

[justjordie]

I think there was a sudden heavy shower. But your right, I didn't think there was that much snow. I think the problem was not so much that they were stuck in the snow but that the road was closed. I hate to sound like an old F**t but people do seem to get very excited about a bit of snow, here goes, .....when I was a lass (there I said it!) we had huge drifts that went from hedge top to hedge top. I can recall digging out the farm road and the snow was DEEP. My dad used to take us to school in a tractor (I used to be SOoooo embarrassed) now my daughters school closes at the first flurry of snow. The other week they closed the school and sent them home because of heavy rain. There, I'll get off my soap box, rant over.

[SuzieP]

LOL - couldn't agree more! My Dad used to set off on winter morning to go to work with his snow chains, a thermos and a shovel. He has drummed it into me that wherever I go in the car I should take a warm coat (even in summer) and wellies just in case I break down or get stuck and have to get out and walk in bad weather. I remember driving behind the snow plough through what felt like tunnels because the walls of snow on either side of the road were so high.

School didn't close - it stayed open to welcome all those who battled through the snow to get there. And if the boiler broke down, we did lessons in our coats and hats and were made to jump up and down every now and again to keep warm. It was really exciting - better than staying at home.

[greydales]

I had to laugh when I went to pick up some dog food from the local feed merchant in Shrewsbury, she said that lots of schools had closed and they had sent children home at 1pm due to the 'heavy snow' forecast. Well, all we got was the tiniest of sprinklings. It really is pathetic!

When I was little we had 5ft snow drifts outside our house and had to walk to school!