It's snow joke

Garry Edwards

Garry Edwards

Moderator
Messages
13,475
Name
Garry Edwards
Edit My Images
No
In my town home, just a few miles from Bradford, the snow is nowhere near as bad as the media hype suggests, I've been able to get around pretty well normally, and the only real problems have been caused by the incompetent driving, rather than by the actual snow.
But at my 'other' home, a small hill farm a few miles from Scarborough, it's almost impossible to cope.
The only wheeled vehicle that can get around is the farm quad, which isn't road legal but choices are limited. Neither of our tractors can do anything, and 4x4 cars are about as much use as a sports car...
The only vehicle that can get around is a tracked JCB, owned by my son's boss, and which has been trying to clear the roads (no sign of any road clearing by the local authority)
snow.jpg
This is a road that my son was able to clear earlier with the JCB, the bit that's circled is the top of a phone box... It's twice as deep (15') a few yards further on.
The biggest problem though is the animals, getting food and especially water to them is a constant, 18 hour a day job, with nothing else getting done. The water pipes are frozen, and small 25 litre cans are having to be filled in the house and transported by quad, then the ice in each water trough needs to be

broken and cleared away, my son's hand is well above average size, and gives and idea of the thickness of the ice.
ice.jpg
At the start of the snow we had a stock of sugar beet, essential to keep the animals warm enough, but it quickly ran out and it took 3 days to get more, because that's how long it took to cut a route to the feed merchants.
I was supposed to be going there on Monday, because I'm needed there, but it's impossible, I have a very capable off-roader but I've been told that it has no chance of making it there at the moment.

Meanwhile, the media is showing us how bad it is in the areas where life doesn't even need to go on, and which they can get to...
 
Of course. Some London types can't get their moccachino and it's doomsday.

I'd think if vehicles can't get there then you're left with using skiis or huskies and a sled depending on how close you can get to it but for bulk food requirements it might be a bit of a challenge.

Weather is due to warm up from tomorrow so it might become more passable at least.
 
srichards said:
Of course. Some London types can't get their moccachino and it's doomsday.

I'd think if vehicles can't get there then you're left with using skiis or huskies and a sled depending on how close you can get to it but for bulk food requirements it might be a bit of a challenge.

Weather is due to warm up from tomorrow so it might become more passable at least.
Click to expand...
Well, we have to work with what we have, so huskies are out, just as tracked vehicles aren't affordable for an event that might happen once every 5 years, we're lucky that we have occasional access to one, simply because neighbouring farmers all help each other, even though in theory we are all competing with each other. This is a level of help and camaraderie that doesn't seem to exist anywhere else, except perhaps in the military.

And huskies would bring their own problems, it's dangerous enough taking food to hungry animals in the field, where they squabble with each other and fragile humans can end up in the middle, it would be 'interesting' to take dogs into the fields...
 
I see quad bikes on the roads all the time. I'd think if they were the only way of keeping animals and human alive then it would be a very stupid policeman that would try and stop you using one. They wouldn't be able to catch you anyway ;)
 
Snow never really got that bad in our part of Essex. But weather is already warming up and the fresh snow that fell on the cars yesterday has already gone. The rest is melting too. I suppose the roads will be busy again, unlike the last few days because people were too frightened to venture out.
 
Plenty of road legal quads available. I expect there are probably some that could be registered as tractors to keep costs down.
 
Nod said:
Plenty of road legal quads available. I expect there are probably some that could be registered as tractors to keep costs down.
Click to expand...
Yes, they're available but they cost a lot more, also they need to be insured for road use that normally doesn't happen.
Tori_T said:
Does road legality apply if there's x feet of snow between the quad and the actual road?
Chemically, you're using it on a waterway.
Click to expand...
:)
srichards said:
I see quad bikes on the roads all the time. I'd think if they were the only way of keeping animals and human alive then it would be a very stupid policeman that would try and stop you using one. They wouldn't be able to catch you anyway ;)
Click to expand...
There are loads of police in Scarborough, 10 miles away, be we never see them in the country areas. Many of the roads are actually owned by farmers, and mainly unsurfaced, even though they are technically a public highway. The police only seem to go on these roads when they're lost:) On the very rare occasions when we do see them, they seem to have a positive attitude towards the needs of the farming community, and tractors, proper off road 4x4's and quads seem to be left to get on with it.
 
It got very bad here on the east coast. Today is the first day it’s started to feel less cold (about 1 degree) & it’s now starting to thaw out.

Everyone had had issues with their boilers around here.
 
Matt- said:
Yeah, has it happened to you?
Click to expand...

No, (luckily mine is inside & feeds directly into the under sink waste) but it happens every Winter to an elderly neighbour.
I get her to blow a hairdryer on the inside if it's been VERY cold (as of late) but usually slowly pouring hot water on the pipe outside is enough to melt the blockage.

They are a PITA for many homeowners ........... & a good earner for the unscrupulous plumbers.
 
Last edited:
OldCarlos said:
No, (luckily mine is inside & feeds directly into the under sink waste) but it happens every Winter to an elderly neighbour.
I get her to blow a hairdryer on the inside if it's been VERY cold (as of late) but usually slowly pouring hot water on the pipe outside is enough to melt the blockage.

They are a PITA for many homeowners ........... & a good earner for the unscrupulous plumbers.
Click to expand...

It’s handy that you can help her with it. I work for a well known gas company and have been very busy with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top