Picture the scene if you will -- it's 8:00am and Biglorryblog has fired up the trusty Moggie snowplough and the white stuff is flying as he effortlessly cleaves a path through the drive in Kent to allow the Mighty Multipla to head off to work in Surrey ...mmmm...well it wasn't QUITE like that. Being connected to the CM office via broadband I thought it's probably not a good idea to waste three hours slogging my way in when I can start work at 7:30am in front of the computer which a nice cup of tea from Mrs Biglorryblog (well I made it, she was still in bed) . Just as well really.
Because this was the scene on the A217 this morning - jacknifed artic - picture courtesy of Clutchslip who, like Captain Oates, bravely slogged is way in. Mind you, as he told me over the phone...it's fine, as long as you've got a Land Rover...
And here's his old Disco making light work of the tricky little ramp that leads up into our visitors' carpark---well it's about the only time we can use it! I should also say that the snow-gritting team around Ashford did a pretty good job. Although it remains to be seen whether the same can be said for the mob in Sutton next to QH's offices---although they probably had more snow to deal with. Anyroadup click on this link to see a real 'live' Sutton gritter in action...
http://www.yournews.itvlocal.com/Clip.aspx?key=33ED2B00A4EFEE75
Now click through here to see the chaos that has hit the Cumbria region--with exclusive pictures from 'The Boy Swallow' in Penrith...
I asked Young Kevin to send me a photo of how bad it was and this is what he provided me with. "The weather has hit hard in Cumbria with several roads blocked and thousands of truck drivers stranded At J38 Services, just off the M6, truckers were forced to spend the day in their cabs and the snow, as high as the cab in some cases, kept them marooned. Luckily our peerless reporter went where other photo-journalists daren't and captured the scene firsthand..." You know I think he's having a laugh don't you..?
Mr Swallow has just filed this late-breaking news story "A cow was given up for dead today when a local farmer counted one shy of his full compliment. Farmer Eyesore Things was devastated when his herd of cows, or in this case, cow, failed to show up at the allotted time for milking. "I were devastated, you can quote me on that," said Farmer Things at a hastily prepared press conference held in Oxenholme, Cumbria. In a desperate bid to save the cow, called My Only Cow, Farmer Things loaded up his tractor and trailer with straw and set off to the one field he owns next to his farmhouse. "To my surprise, and you can quote me on that," said Farmer Things, "there she were with her head in the snow looking for grass. The snow must have disorientated her and she must have lost track of the time. Little did she know that it were milking time...she apologised and everything." (Now back to the day job...)
the 'mystery artic' it is a lima model - the ones who made the model railway models (OO) 1:76th, although these were nearer (HO)1:87th scale.. the model truck is a fiat