It’s been a difficult couple of days on the roads and railways, with severe weather warning issued for snow and ice in multiple cities.
So how are you coping with the ‘beast from the east’? Is it affecting your firm and staff? Have you decided to work from home these days?
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Yes, I walked from home.
In my slippers to the office.
It's times like these that working from home is such a godsend.
"Beast from the east"?
More like "Hysteria from Siberia".
Apparently the snow was so bad here that the outside lanes on the motorway were closed. So, what I'd suggest in that case is - drive on the lanes that are clear.
Roads are clear here. We have these things call "gritters" which melt the ice.
And also wellies to get through the slushy bits between the car door and the office.
Unlike our friends in London who seem to faint when there is the smallest dusting of snow.
It all seems the same as usual when there's a bit of snow. Everyone copes and can get to work except teachers.
A long walk from my kitchen to my office today - but the snow outside is so beautiful that I'll give myself a snow afternoon when I have finished the last payroll :-)
All depends where you are, some Edinburgh streets somewhat slippy ,having a lot of cobbled streets may be great for the tourists, not so great driving, you can lose the back of a RWD just in damp conditions here, ice gives them yet another dimension. (There is a great bit at Newhaven Village where a RWD Merc can pretty much do a 180 on the cobbles where there is a right angled tight turn even without snow/ice; that could be fun)
Disruption to office more due to all schools closed (wife was sitting up in in bed reading when I left-life is not fair), a member of staff with children has had to stay home, however pretty quiet, phone not ringing.
I think Glasgow may be worse impacted as neither of the solicitors we use in in the property team there appear to be in the office today, then again in Glasgow least excuse and they are having a party.
Road alongside our office building is a skating rink so I feel smug in my AWD Mini Countryman, Handyman has been out gritting yard access to try to get some clear before it likely freezes again.
Seems to be a little chaos down the AI, through to the Borders sounded interesting on the radio this morning and bits of the M8 to Glasgow sounded not great. The bridges over the Forth one is closed other down to one lane.
The UK does like a snow panic, anyone who spends time in Sweden in winter appreciates that what we get here is negligible.
I had better now go and check my A Web avatar/photo, I ought to use the winter one in winter and the summer one the rest of the time so may need a change for a few days.
Very little snow here in St Albans though I think the beast is supposed to be well and truly unleashed tomorrow and Friday!
Despite the gritters, and it just being a 'bit of snow', the A1 was very bad this morning.
I arrived at work 30 minutes late, but still lots of people not in at that point.
We couldn't do any work as power was intermittent. We have just done half an hour of work without the power going off ... great success!
Coping the best we can but it is an inconvenience and has effected us.
It is still snowing quite heavily and continuing to settle so I cannot see us seeing a full day out at this rate. It's best to lose a few hours work to ensure that we get home safely.
Glorious sunshine here 'down south', my friend. You should try it. Positively Mediterranean from my window, but admittedly parky if you're outside.
I like to let southerners think all is grand down south, and all is grim up north.
It keeps our homes relatively affordable and we get to enjoy glorious countryside in the summer.
:)
Canadian partner has a wry smile!
(Although to be fair did say that we don't have the equipment and it wouldn't be worth it!)
Clearly all the Yorkshire people on here work from home... we've had a mare of it up here, though luckily I'm close enough to trains each end it is only a lengthy walk and a crowded train to get me to work.
Clearly all the Yorkshire people on here work from home... we've had a mare of it up here, though luckily I'm close enough to trains each end it is only a lengthy walk and a crowded train to get me to work.
Or this one, although I did debate working from home, but 1/ a deadline to finish and the bigger monitor better to work with and 2/ my computer at home playing up today so that settled it. Stuck me boots on and walked to work which luckily is only half hour away.
“bigger monitor better to work”
I used to use the ‘2 monitors v laptop screen’ reason to work at the office rather than home. My wife bought me an extra-extra wide screen for the home office.
Who says love is dead.
“bigger monitor better to work”
I used to use the ‘2 monitors v laptop screen’ reason to work at the office rather than home. My wife bought me an extra-extra wide screen for the home office.
Who says love is dead.
Ahhh lovely. My wife is just happy for me to get out from under her feet lol.
The city had no electricity till 7.30 this morning.
My socks are wet - need to either get boots or quit smoking. Boots it is.
My anger levels rise as nitwits drive at 10mph in their 4x4s when even my pug has proper traction.
Other than that? I have my heater, my hot chocolate and the sun is shining. Could be worse.
Well, after a period of thaw here in what was briefly sunny Edinburgh the snow is starting to fall again here, but pretty light. (stop press-it is getting heavier)
Sky certainly looks like there is a fair bit to come so looks like a hot chocolate and marshmallows late afternoon/evening is way to go- think still have the sledges in one of the garden sheds though not sure 23 year old daughter is that bothered these days about going over to the park and son has not called to tell us what is happening in Frankfurt. (It will be cold as it is always cold in winter there)
(Stop press, rate of snow fall reduced again whilst typing-cannot make up its mind)
We're all mufti (cheaper than turning the heating up - I joke). No point wearing suits if you're going to be slipping and sliding all over the place. Not actually any snow here now so even that is overkill!
Think it might be our turn tomorrow here in Dorset. Bit of icing sugar frosting on the garden overnight and the cat refusing to go out for more than 5 minutes, otherwise unaffected today. Looking for sunglasses to wear as I might go for a walk later to enjoy the sun while it lasts.
... apparently it's due overnight... -7 in Wareham this morning when I took the hounds out at 5am (they didn't get long in the garden, I can tell you!!) and still -7 on the way into work 2 hrs later :-( - still sunny here though, with only light sugar coaing, but i'm betting the temperature hasn't got above -3 most of the day (I LOVE this weather, but 'him indoors' thinks I'm very odd - must be the Scottish blood ;-)
How did it affect me?
Woke up. Got showered and dressed. Opened the curtains. Took a photo. Started work at my desk.
It's weird.
Everywhere outside a five mile radius of me seems to be knee deep in snow. Here you couldn't tell it had snowed at all by lunchtime yesterday. Facebookland is full of pictures of peoples' kids making snowmen and tales of 4 hour delays on the local roads whereas my view looks like a bright day in April!
I think it's because my missus keeps turning the heating up so high at home that it's defrosted the immediate vicinity
Well, now a bit worse, just been home for lunch, whilst I had no issues a fair view vehicles struggling. Getting back to office was interesting as a bus was stuck at foot of hill blocking road and another at top could not go down as no room for it to pass. (weaved through gap with about 2cm on each side outwith wing mirrors, stability AWD gives helping as if I had slipped sideways at all would have had a ding)
Snow still falling (gently) we had a flurry 1.00-2.00 that has made things worse and our smart leaders suggesting everyone gets home before four has actually made things more difficult as traffic volume is high on main roads with a fair few shunts now happening.
Suspect we will consider calling it a day circa 3.30 (well I may stay on as I live close to office) but staff that have to go South and West may have issues as snow lying is reported as heavier (being near the Forth in North Edinburgh lets us escape the worst at the office)
And that is the weather update for Edinburgh at 14:17.
Still sunny and no snow (yet).
Just had an email from the children's school that they have made the decision to close on Thursday and Friday.
No world book day costume to worry about then.
Whilst I managed to drive into the office this morning (RTI submissions etc calling) from Nottinghamshire, to South Yorkshire, I've been persuaded to check into a hotel, for the evening, so that it can't be said that I wasn't responsible. I can leave the car close to the office and take a tram and walk into the City.
I have a twenty mile commute each day, these days and, across the Winter period, I've only seen one gritter in all those journeys! I thought the local authorities lived by the phrase "duty of care"? Obviously not, when it comes to motorists!
Well they are gritting here (the main roads) but it has limited effect when the temp (if my car is accurate) is -2 at lunchtime. Believe we are getting circa -3 tonight though with wind chill likely to feel a bit colder.
Still, in the past when we were over at the house in Sweden at Christmas (tricky these days due to lack of winter flights) it has been -10 during the day and up to -30 overnight, so in comparative terms positively balmy.
Yes, fully appreciate that we don't know we're born, in the UK.
However, I seem to recall 6 to 7 foot snowdrifts, close to the Snake Pass (between Sheffield and Manchester) when I was a lad, in the 1960's. Winters were Winters, in those days and, snow clearing was an art form.
I was listening to a retired Sheffield bus driver this morning, on the "wireless" who remarked that, when the buses were suspended, during bad weather, in year past, the bus driver and conductors were transferred across to the PWD (public works department) to assist with laying rock salt and clearing pavements. Wow, true public service and, possibly, some of the "good old days"?
PS (DJKL) another sad loss, in The Archers, this week? Didn't see that coming?
Snow like this would not bother them in Ambridge. It was certainly a bit unexpected, well certainly with me as I missed a couple of episodes then caught it with Will smashing up the crate.
When I was small we lived on The Loan in West Linton (south of the Pentlands ), up the hill from the village, I can recall age circa 4-5 the snow up over the windows on one side of the house (no nearby shelter as garden was a bit over an acre) and my dad shovelling a path on the other side of the house to get out to the garage; whilst memory plays tricks we had about 2ft in the lee and over 6ft on the windward side.
In winter my dad used to keep a pair of concrete slabs which were deposited at the foot of the road ( steep private road for about 20 houses) when he left in morning and then put them back into car boot when he got back from Edinburgh to enable him to get back up the hill (all RWD in those days)
Still, that is me now home so unless daughter needs collected from work (4-12 shift)I will not need to drive again today.
A mixed day for me, I was up at 6 to go to my networking breakfast. (I must admit I wore a coat today instead of just short sleeve shirt, A big thing for a Geordie).
Managed to battle through the weather to get there only 10 minutes late only to find it had been cancelled the day before but somehow me and the lawyer had been missed from the group email. As the chef had also failed to turn up there was no sniff of the full English I was expecting so headed into work, absolutely raging.
By then I was in the thick of the carnage of traffic and break downs and it took 2 hours to get into the office.
My day turned around from then as I had 2 new prospects call before 10.00am (one said he had called a few accountants but I was first he got an answer from).
Then had a third prospect on before lunch.
Very few people must be actually working as only had those 3 calls and about 10 emails so got loads done today.
Will have to dig my car out though to get home, it also looks like a few of the people in the building I work in are after some lifts home.
I must admit I wore a coat today instead of just short sleeve shirt, A big thing for a Geordie
Didn't that make it difficult to get your tabs out of your sleeve when you wanted a smoke?
Sorry to come late to this thread, but after -5degC in Brighton last night, I spent most of the day trying to find heating engineers who could tend to our condensing boiler...
Turns out they don't like it when the moisture they produce freezes in the outlet pipe - so just when you want the heat most, they pack up. Doesn't help that the offending pipe is 20ft up an exposed wall, too thin and with two right angled bends. It's not going to be cheap, but the boiler men have been and sorted me out.
Pavements that haven't seen the sun are like ice rinks. It's going to be a little warmer tomorrow (like maybe -1degC if we're lucky), but we're battening down the hatches for a big snowfall. I'm afraid I won't be making the cross-country trek to Bristol tomorrow, but continue working from home (as I tend to most days). If you are having to do the same at your firm, there are some useful pointers in this item from the last big freeze in 2010: https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tech/tech-pulse/bad-weather-the-business...
Good luck out there, everyone - and take good care of your boilers!
Common issue producing F28 error on Vailant/Glow worm boilers.
Boil the kettle and pour it out the upstairs window over the offending pipe (make sure the kids aren't building a snowman below you first). Once you've got a whole load of hot water splashed over the pipe, reset boiler and you're good to go.
There must have been a thaw earlier in the day. All the parked cars have little icicle beards.
There should be another option added to the RTI reasonable excuse options for "Bad weather".
No problems here though - I work from home and all submissions are in and I now have 2 clear days as everything cancelled which am hoping will be productive.
Edinburgh weather update 21:16
Still snowing, even got some thunder and lightning (think that was what it was, one flash then a very deep long rumble), wind up the Forth squalling with some strong gusts.
Velux in study now totally opaque with snow lying on it.
Daughter still at work because her employers are idiots so rescue drive now looks on the cards.
I believe buses now cannot get to South Edinburgh so how they think they are getting all their staff home is a mystery, apparently Taxis are to be ordered (They seem to deal with snow pretty well) though doubt she will get one as lives a bit near.
DJKL now signing off, " I am just going outside and may be some time" whilst singing "Let it Snow."
Ended up not having to go, she made her way back on foot.
The shock news is the fair citizens of Edinburgh are ensuring they are prepared for the next day or so, the big sellers this evening were apparently booze and the sledges that had been put into the back of the store for next Christmas but rapidly brought out to meet demand.
Now waiting for all the news stories re police arresting inebriated sledgers or maybe the sledge purchases were to help get the booze home.
We are in Central Scotland, right in the middle of Glasgow and Edinburgh so are in the red warning area.
Headed home yesterday at 2pm (just as well as roads were getting bad to drive and was slipping and sliding all the way home - about a 10 mile drive home).
No chance of getting anywhere today.
About 2 foot of snow here and seems that no one else has moved as there are cars in all the driveways.
Looks like will be Monday before back in office.
Main roads are fine here.
Unfortunately, we have half a mile of hilly, untreated side roads to negotiate to actually get to them.
It's bin day today. It'll be interesting to see if they're emptied.
HMRC website is down:
'Sorry, you can't join the new tax agents service today.'
Really ???
Is this because of bad weather in Cumbernauld ?
Fascinating reading - I had always wondered where some of the regular contributors plied their trade.
To see what all the fuss was about I collected my lady friend and drove uphill to visit our local Waitrose - plenty of stock, but rather short of customers to buy it. Driving back downhill was, of course, rather more entertaining. I was surprised that the roads felt much more slippery than I would have expected for a couple of inches of snow and a temperature of -4 degC.
I've been told that it's all down to rugby - Scotland beat England, so hell has frozen over.
Worked from home for the last couple of days, and as long as it doesn't interfere with my flight on Monday morning all will be well in the world. :)
Still a bit nippy outside.
Rhona Martin's just knocked on our door, asking if she can mark out a rink on our drive.
The answer is yes. I have been snowed in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, Glasgow since Wednesday.
We were lucky as the milkman delivered the day before, so we had milk and a full freezer of food.
Internet kept kicking out even though I have fibre optic business so working was tricky on the cloud clients but we still have plenty of clients on Sage L50 to work on, so I am glad all our eggs are not in 1 basket.
Saturday, finally all the neighbours have finally finished digging out the road which took a while as it kept snowing for days and the digging was undone in minutes.
The problem in the central belt now is not the main roads, still a lot of black ice around, it is the side streets, and the snow levels are high where I live. Still loads of abandon cars, you are best not travelling as we still have a yellow warning.
I walk everywhere but between the snow mountains on the pavements from people digging the roads clear and black ice you have to road on the road which is not great as they are still sliding and some cases on able to break. I had a idot on the road thursday and his car went backward and nearly hit the kids.
I like going to my office as I suffer from Cabin Fever. But I have had sleigh and I do love snow.
