The Snow

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

It's approx. 9.30 and have just had a snowball fight on Union Street with total strangers. It's so beautifull!

Isle of Wight Forum · **Posted:** 05-01-2010, 21:47 **Post subject:** Sponsored links

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barns101 · Site Admin Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 56

Bah humbug! It makes getting to work a nightmare! Razz

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

So!!!!!!!!!

A day off you don't need feel guilty about!

barns101 · Site Admin Joined: 08 Dec 2006 Posts: 56

I wish! No, it's work from home for me I'm afraid. Sad

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Isn't amazing how the Island comes to a complete halt after a little bit of snow?
My neighbour works for one of the removal firms here on the Island and had no problem getting to Edinburgh and back, but had to abandon his truck in Wootton because of our inability to cope with a few flakes.

This is the first decent bit of snow I can remember since 1984 and yet we still act as though it's 1884.
Because of the 26 or so year gap did the Council become complacent, thinking snow of this quantity would never fall here again?

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

A 'little bit of snow'!
These are exceptional conditions affecting the entire country! It's not just the snow but the freezing temperatures. As far as I am aware, there are only two sources of salt in the entire UK, one in Cheshire the other in Wales and every council is desperate for the stuff. Just as much to the point, the people who work for the counncils across the country and all other esssential services are hardly immune to this themselves! It reminds me of a line Billy Connolly used in one of his stand-up routines years ago. 'How does the guy who drives the snow plough get to work' People should pull together in situations like this and stop moaning about others they think should just wave a magic wand and sort it out for them!

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Yes the rest of the country is suffering. But I can remember 1 year back in the seventies when my Dad had to climb out of the window to clear the front door so we could use it. So yes this is only a little snow. As for salt we're surrounded by it in the sea. Why isn't the Island self sufficient?

The Island was the one of the last places to use salt on it's roads, we just used grit, which Bardon's has plenty of, so where's the problem?

Next time you watch the tv news look at the roads and compare them to ours. Like I said in my last post my neighbour got to Edinburgh and back and had to abandon his vehicle in Wootton, what's wrong with that picture?

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

The example you used about your dad means that was 'even' more snow. By no stretch of the imagination is this a 'little' snow which was the word you used. Whatever, this has alll been coupled with consistently low tempratures. As for the Sea idea, i'm sure you and many others on this site would be the first to complain if the council decided to spend millions on the set-up needed to extract salt from the sea and the large amount of land it would take up (It's called salt-panning i beleive) all for something that rarely happens. I can't comment on the grit at Bardon as I don't know about it. As for your friend travelling to Scotland, he was incredibly lucky but his luck finally ran out at Wotton. It's called life! We can't blame the powers that be for everything, much as we might like to.

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Why not invest in 'sea panning', and then supply other local authorities. Like you say there's only two places to get it. In 1984 the Council sent a lorry to Wales to pick up a load of salt. Unfortunately it lost the majority of the load on the return trip. But fortunately the snow melted in the nick of time before they completely ran out.
It's a long way from here to Wales, we're trying to be an eco Isle and yet look at the amount of carbon produced to go and collect the salt or have it delivered.

Who knows if this is going to be a one off? Maybe with the natural order of things, we should expect more of the same, and lasting for more prolonged periods.
This is only a little bit of snow, but we are not geared up to deal with it. The Island road network is a nightmare at the best of times, unsuitable for the amount of traffic it has to cope with, add to that the inability to keep roads open for any amount of time and out lying businesses are going to go to the wall. Also add that nowadays people live one side of the Island and travel to the other side for work, If you were an employer would you pay your employees to be stuck at home?
We then have a situation where mortgage payments are missed and debt increases. Remember here on the Island people live hand to mouth.
The government will still want their road tax, the local authority their council tax, but the service is shot. So who's to blame?

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

Firstly Wight Portal, I was expecting a very rude and snotty reply but having read your post realised I was confusing you with another user with a similar username!
You may well have a very valid point re salt-panning and the intentions for this to be an 'eco-island'. I'm curious now about what the cost and viability would be. As for this happening more in the future, I have always thought it's misleading to always refer to climate change as 'global warming' and talk too much about places like this (UK) as having v v hot summers. My understanding of global warming is that the climate becomes much more unpredictable and we start getting extremes like we are having now.

Isle of Wight Insider · Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Posts: 4 Location: Islandwide

Wight Portal · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 326 Location: Carisbrooke

Come on boys let's debate and not have a slanging match!!!

Having now done some research into salt panning, here on the Island it is unlikely that it would be viable.

I don't believe in any of this eco milarky spouted by the scientists. Mother Nature has always been in control. How can you predict what is going to happen tomorrow when you haven't got today right?

The worlds weather is governed by the jet stream that is constantly moving and mixes up weather fronts from the southern and northern hemispheres. Forecasters can only give their best predictions, they can't say for certain what's going to happen, remember the '87 hurricane?

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

Isle of Wight Insider,

My opinion would have been exactly the same werther I was mistaken or not on the users id. My point was only that I was expecting a 'snotty' reply had it been the user I originally thought it was. That said, your a new user of the site. Welcome.

laineyiow · Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 188

Having driven down today from South Yorkshire (where, in parts, over 7" of snow fell in a couple of hours where I was staying!) without any problem whatsover I have to say that I was very shocked on reaching the ferry terminal at Lymington to see so much snow and ice that hadn't been cleared. It was quite treacherous considering so much traffic movement.

I was then amazed that the road from Yarmouth to Shalfleet looked as if it had only received minimal gritting. I couldn't believe that there was still ice and snow down each side of the road and that there were just tracks down the road where vehicles had driven down. Surely if the roads had been gritted properly like in other parts then the roads should be totally clear of snow and ice, especially on a bus route! To say that I was surprised at the condition of the road is an understatement.

EinsteinsGhost · Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Posts: 92 Location: Ryde

Hi lanieyow,

Not heard from you for a while on any subject. Where you been?

As a fairly new 'immigrant' to the island, perhaps this is something the council will have to plan better for in the future and this should be a lesson. No longer can any southern part of the country take it's position and mild weather for granted.