Sunday, February 8, 2009

Snow, SAD, and Our Neville

It was a long journey, and I'd thought I'd be on holiday.

The trip up from London was fraught with snow... yes, snow in the UK!! Who knew?? From the looks of the road and houses, the citizens of the UK certainly didn't. Up north, well, you expect it, but, in Kent?? In London?? In Silverstone???

Never!!

I've yet to see a shoveled walkway or driveway... and, coming from a town at just under 5000 ft up, shovels are given as baby gifts, so the child can learn early their first chore--shoveling some of the many, many feet of snow.

I digress.

My friend, Harle, was kind enough to pick me up from Heathrow and drive me up the M1 to here, thus avoiding the horrors I would have faced taking the Express to Paddington, the Tube to Euston where Virgin Trains would transport me up this way. The idea I'd have done it dragging one case and carrying a computer case and my other big bag disguised as a 'purse' for flying purposes makes me whimper even now.

The main highway was plowed...and it ended there. Anything smaller than the M1 was, well, snowy. You saw small children standing in windows, knowing they were down to eating what was left in the cupboards since their parents were paralyzed by the vast 6" of snow.

Amateurs.

The shared road into Home was packed with snow, Loo on the main street waving at me as we pulled up. Harle and I carried my bags into the house while Loo put the kettle on. I love that phrase, 'put the kettle on' and I love the result even more--tea. Lovely, delicious, milky tea with a spoonful of sugar. With a proper cuppa, you can survive anything.

Where was I going with this? I'm not sure, except to explain everything is pretty much shut down. Poor Harle had to traverse back down to London, and later rang while I took my needed nap and told Loo the trip home had been a nightmare.

I've never been sure who actually has nightmares about traffic and trips, but, there you go... we use the phrase anyway.

After catching up on my sleep, Loo informed me not only of his call, but, that, by the by, she'd volunteered me to work as the prop mistress for her local theater group, the Silverstone Amateur Dramatics or SAD. I was thrilled, as I'd have something to do, and could enjoy the show, a pantomime production of "Peter Pan".

That part of the story is due tomorrow... right now, it's been snowing for a bit, and I need to do what ever good British citizen does when it snows.

Look outside and comment on the depth, then put the kettle on.





Our Neville Fact:

His drive is precisely shoveled, as Margaret fears she'll slip and fall and Neville could never live with that kind of guilt.

8 comments:

harrietv said...

Areas that are not used to snow and that can't cope with small amounts always remind me of David Brinkley's description of a Washing, DC, snow alert: "...an inch of snow, with drifts up to an inch and a half..."

Anonymous said...

Hope you have a wonderful, peaceful experience there.

austere said...

Have a fab holiday.
Good to see Neville again. I almost missed him.

Cormac Brown said...

You've left, but we get Neville. Not exactly an even trade, but one that we can temporarily live with. Be safe and stay warm.

Bill From Gainesville said...

Those wacky brits with their little sayings. -- also they like to use Bloody as an adjective and instead of goodby they will say Cheerio....

golfwidow said...

It's pouring rain here. The natives are as confused as if it hadn't done the same thing last winter.

vinny said...

Haven't read anything from you on theater for awhile!

Actress Andrea said...

I am sorta jealous. Even if the snow is 6". You are in England. Damn, I really need to get my passport.

Btw, new blog: www.calidreamer.wordpress.com :)

miss you!