Turn on any radio station other than the forever-chilled Classic FM and you'll realise pretty much everyone is moaning on about the snow. 'I can't go to school,' bleat the kids. 'I had to work from home today,' complain adults.
But there is an under-appreciated upside to the mayhem caused by snowstorms according to some enlightened folk. Below, are two thought provoking perspectives from recent newspaper leaders on why the brass monkeys weather is, in fact, a blessing in disguise:
The Daily Telegraph urged Brits to “
go with the snow”: “Just as many who live under flight paths remember the peace and quiet brought by the Icelandic ash cloud that caused so much trouble to would-be travellers earlier in the year, so the light mornings and hushed traffic make snow memorable even while it imprisons us in its soft grip. The frustration comes partly from an expectation of being able to do what we want, when we want. This is a fairly recent trend, like eating asparagus in December. Snow, like volcanic ash, brings us back to earth.”
The Guardian also took time to big-up Artic weather: “Walking is healthier as more body fat is broken down in the process. People undertake fewer journeys and thus make better use of the ones they prioritise. Chewing gum and dog poo stay frozen in the street and not on the soles of your shoes. Cars are kept unwashed and home improvement delayed until the spring. It is a
procrastinator’s paradise, when the unfinished business of the rest of the year is buried deep in layers of compacted snow and forgotten about.”
Basically, they are both saying that we should use these 'adverse weather conditions' (c Sky News) to chill the eff out.
Sometimes Johnny Cunningham pops out. In 1976 he did just that. He hopped on his motorbike. Rode to the ferry. Got on the ferry. Looked out to sea. Got off the ferry. And then drove to the foot of Ben Nevis. Then he climbed Ben Nevis. In an wooly hat. Mostly without gloves.
