I've been reading this thread with some bemusement, originally with a bit of added jealousy
down here in the South West we've had more than our fair share of frosts and it hasn't got much above freezing point for what seems like weeks now, but we actually only had one or two days of snow; about 1cm where I live that lasted 24 hours or so before it initially turned into sheet ice then was quickly washed away by rain.
It seems almost unbelieveable that only a couple of hundred miles away as the crow flies you're up to your necks in snow.
As for Robin's comments about people staying away from their jobs en masse to spur the authorities to do something more pro-active. Sound thinking but, as ever, it's one of those British things in that we do lots of moaning but we soldier on regardless. Our friends just the other side of the Channel would have done something to force their government to get their arses in gear by now.
Another slight issue is the way employers will treat staff, so many people's working conditions are now slipping back to good old Victorian standards where an employer simply won't pay you if you don't show up. Not too bad for those who have laptops and can work from home, or those maybe on higher rate tax who can afford an odd day without pay but for the general working man and woman who are hourly paid, they simply can't afford to take days off willy nilly.
We need a bit more of the French attitude over here!
