It’s below freezing here in Blighty now and according to the Met Office, we’re due for snow tonight and all over the weekend. And here’s how my house will look again!
When I was a kid, I used to dream of snow. My godfather was a carpenter and he lovingly made me the best sledge anyone ever had; big enough for three of us with metal runners for a super-fast descent. He painted it bright red with a white lightning flash on the side and I loved it. Trouble was, we barely had enough snow to scrape together a few snowballs on our way to school, let alone enough to use my beautiful scarlet sledge. So there it stayed, hanging on the wall in the garage.
When we moved to our village twelve Christmases ago, our neighbours asked us with a worried expression, “Do you not have a four-wheel drive?”. Oh, how we laughed. As IF we’d ever get snowed in! And I hung up my sledge on the garage wall and patted it gently, never expecting to be able to use it.
In February this year we got snowed in for eight days. We’d stocked up on food, we all went skiing on the hill and gathered afterwards in the pub (very handily located at the bottom of said hill). “So this is global warming?”, I thought to myself. The schools were closed, the buses stopped and England ground to a halt.
Our village piste, conveniently ending at the pub
You see, we just aren’t any good at snow in England. We’re pants at it, actually.
Anywhere in Europe, and anywhere in the US where you get snow regularly everything just carries on, albeit looking rather prettier than normal.
But because we usually only get a cosmetic dusting of snow each year, we just never bother to gear ourselves up for it. We do a bit of extra grocery shopping, pull out the ski gear and get the logs ready by the hearth. And I think that’s about it!
So here we are, wondering if this weekend will simply bring us large, pretty, fluttering snowflakes to make everywhere look all Dickensian as we meander through the village to our carol concert at the church on Sunday, or whether we should be expecting the worst and stockpiling rocksalt, shovels and…
…well what should one do, exactly? You see, I am a complete amateur at this (as are most Brits). Maybe I should be waxing the runners on my lovely sledge? Buying chains for my car tyres (can one buy snow chains in England)? Making hearty soups?
It feels VERY unBritish to not to simply “keep calm and carry on”! That’s what we’re supposed to always do. Effortlessly. No fuss. Just do it.
Do what, exactly? Could anyone from the Northern States who’s ‘good at snow’ give me a few tips here, please?
Ta awfully!
Anna x
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Anglotopia was founded by Jonathan and Jackie Thomas for people who love Britain - whether it's British TV, Culture, History or Travel - we cover it all. Anglotopia was started to get us back to the UK for a trip and it did that in 2009. Now, the goal is for Anglotopia to make our dreams of traveling to the UK whenever we want a reality.
I would give you tips, but I think its all mental. Everyone here just gets so worked up about it they never give themselves the chance to be “good at snow”. My one tip is that the next time you hear there is snow coming, don’t psyche yourself out.
I guess my only tip is that its okay to drive really really slow when there is snow on the roads, thats what we do in the Northern states and there is no shame in it. So don’t be nervous you are holding up traffic, take some deep breaths and go on as fast as you feel comfortable with. Its scary driving in snow no matter where you come from and it never gets easier, but just relaxing and slowing down and taking your time will do you a world of good. Don’t even pay attention if a line of traffic forms behind you. They will probably be relieved that they finally have an excuse to slow down to a more comfortable pace.
I tried to buy snow chains for my car this afternoon only to be told they are not legal in this country. Can this possibly be true ? I also read somewhere that it is illegal in some European countries not to have snow chains. Do you have any info on this, it seems a bit mad for everyone to be stuck on motorways etc because of snow and for there to be a perfectly acceptable answer that isn’t, for some reason, legal. But then again this is keep calm and carry on land as you so rightly point out.
Hi there. I’m from Minnesota and we get quite a bit of snow each year. For cold weather and snow coping behavior I would probably recommend the following:
1. Buy warm mittens, hat, scarf, thermal underwear, thick socks, and tall boots.
2. Make sure everything you buy for the cold has a waterproof outer, and preferably a real fur lining. It will keep you warmer. Even shearling will do.
3. Tuck your pants into your boots, shirt into pants, etc. This will help keep the cold off of you.
4. Put your hat on, then wrap your scarf around your face and head, then pull your hood up over the whole works. This will keep your face from getting frostbite.
5. Car and driving: Always start your car each day and let it run for about 20 mins before driving it. There is no point in driving around in a cold car.
6. Scrape the snow and ice off the car daily. If you don’t it will build up and make your car act funny and lurch while driving.
7. Drive slow. No one will care if they are stuck behind you. Never take a turn fast. Slow almost to a crawl before turning. A fast turn will land you in the ditch.
8. You don’t need snow chains on your tires. Unless the roads aren’t plowed, and you live in Fairbanks. You should get by fine just going slow and starting with a warm car.
9. If the road has a little snow on it, its fine. If it is glossy, beware. Glossy roads are glare ice. If it looks wet, its better to check. Get out of the car and inspect the road to see if it is actually ice or just wet.
I realize this might be a little excessive for someone who lives in England, but I really don’t know. It seemed pretty chilly there when I went as a kid. In Minnesota people take cold weather very seriously, as I’m sure people in other cold areas do. The winter is a beautiful season, but it can also claim your life if you don’t take precautions.