Friday 8 January 2010

Every Snowy Cloud ...

The boiler breakdown I can put down to cold weather but I'm not too sure about the loss of Broadband and even my mobile phone. Everything is now working just fine. Most of my people made it into early turn the other day, but we did escape most of the snow that has gripped the rest of the UK. A few who live miles away had already taken the day off anticipating not being able to get in. We only tend to suffer when the public transport falls down.

It was rather nice not to be inundated with the usual day in day out stuff, especially after Xmas. Social services have however decided that we have become the easy option for them, with numerous requests to conduct welfare checks on their clients.

I would say the closure of schools has impacted on absence more than staff not being able to get in due to the snow. Mrs Stressed had to take a day off to look after Little Stressed which was somewhat annoying as the main roads were OK to drive on. I don't think this weather is any worse than what we had when I was at school and I don't ever recall missing a day through closure. We would have adapted and doubled up classes. I saw one headteacher on TV going on about how they would be criticised and possibly sued if there was an accident involving a pupil en route to school. Nice to see they suffer from weak leadership and management too.

This is exactly the weather I lived with every year in Northern Germany. As the temperature dropped below a certain level we would get called out to start all of our vehicles so they wouldn't freeze up. It was COLDER than this and unbearable especially if you copped a 6 hour guard duty stag over the week-end. Everything went on as normal out there with the residents ensuring their pavements were cleared, all it takes is a bit of preparation. I think we could be trusted as householders to help out if the council dumped a bit of salt at the end of each road.

More snow to come on Monday by the looks of the forecast and the bosses are loving the low crime rates. If this continues big reductions due before the year end in March. All down to their policing methods of course !! or that's what the promotion application will say.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hadn't considered cold weather bringing the crime rate down but I guess even the yobs have to take a day off when the roads are so bad. You've got to see the positive side of snowball Britain ;)

Old BE said...

PC Snow - what a crime fighting hero!

I was off sick earlier in the week and as I glanced out of the window there was a PC patrolling my estate (the second time in three years that I have seen this!) and he cut a lonely, cold figure in the deserted street. I raised a cup of Lemsip in his general direction...

MTG said...

Salt in a communal bin, SoC?

Sources of common sense are utterly inconducive to the interests of Empire builders and jobsworths.

The thought of local Councils serving us best by helping us to help ourselves, must rudely awaken bureaucrats in their worst nightmares.

Stressed Out Cop said...

Cambridge Lady

What are the roads like where you are - bringing daughter back to uni Sat ???

Anonymous said...

@Stressed Out Cop - Hi there. Where we are, just west of Cambridge, the roads are pretty good - we've had very little snow. I think Cambridge itself has had a couple of inches. The council are keeping all the main roads and bus routes gritted so you should be okay Saturday. I think we have more snow forecast on Sunday. Hope that's helpful :o)

Stressed Out Cop said...

CL

Thanks for that

BE

Get well Soon

Melv

Exactly .. where have they gone. Total gridlock before Xmas on a hill because no grit .. yet a grit bin would have solved things.

Total madness - of course someone would probaby nicked it if there had been one

MarkUK said...

The Head Teacher needs a lesson in Health & Safety.

Kids, before they come on the school premises, are the responsibility of their parents.

Even when the kids arrive, the school has only to take reasonable measures, such as making sure that there is a clear way to the door. They are under no obligation to clear the playground.

Keep the little darlings in during break - problem solved (if you want it to be).

Metcountymounty said...

When I was walking down the road with the munchkin it took me right back to walking through the snow every day in winter in Germany. Proper seasons over there, but this is a rather nice change, although people really need to learn how to drive in the snow like -

a) clearing all the frigging snow off the roof of your car so you don't get blinded when someone else makes you brake suddenly causing it all to slide down onto your windscreen. You wouldn't drive around with a suitcase on the roof held on with selotape would you?

b) not annoying everyone else on the road by driving like miss daisy when it is so obviously clear and safe to drive normally, or driving like a complete tool when it's clearly dangerous

c) checking all your fluids regularly to make sure you don't run out of oil/washer fluid or fuel and end up blocking the road because your admin is crap. It's not rocket science!!!!

English Pensioner said...

In my twenty years or so at schools and technical colleges, the only time when one of them was closed was in the winter of 1940, which was one of the worst in my lifetime. Neither do I remember either of my daughters not going to school because of snow. No wonder the youngsters get the wrong idea about work when their teachers don't turn up.

Jim said...

When I was in the Army I loved it in Germany in the winter, plus as my unit was too small to stag on the main gate (Hohne) they made us duty snowplough! Have you ever seen the mess a young soldier can make of the roads and kerbs with a metal snowplough attached to the front of a bedford?

Stressed Out Cop said...

EP

A time of hardy souls and common sense, alas gone forever.

Jim

Oh yes indeed I have .. and how much fun we used to have being pulled along at 30 mph behind a land rover before letting go and bouncing across the vehicle park.

I escaped the 4am call to plough and grit the roads every day, but those who did it ..actually enjoyed it.

Hogdayafternoon said...

I too remember walking 3kms to my junior school with snow over the top of my wellies (Winter, Northampton, 1962). Never dreamed it would shut! Helped prepare me for the Met Police Cadet Corps.

As for your previous post, you are one step away from Bhuddism.

Stressed Out Cop said...

Mr H

I don't do religion but have benefited from taking this up - made me a better person and happier too.

Can't be bad - love my hair too much to get into that.

SOC