I am sorry to harp on about the weather because my main theme of a few blogs is that we weren't prepared for the snow but we should have been. What is so irritating is that a local government spokesman is now telling us that we are too ready to criticise. It has been an unprecedented winter and an unprecedented event and we have to take extraordinary measures. My big problem with this is that we weren't prepared from day one.
We are told that councils were well prepared by having six days worth of salt ready. Could I make a suggestion for next year? Bad weather may last for longer than a week. Unfortunately I am too late with this advice. The AA told the government that we would have a problem this winter and now we need salt imports. Unfortunately the imports won't get to us for another ten days.
The headline in yesterday's Guardian is 'councils asked to go easy on grit spreading as supplies dwindle' (well it was over two pages). I am sure that councils will feel relieved that they can blame someone else. Of course the real plan is to save money and you do this by telling people to stay at home if it is freezing.
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ReplyDeleteanyway kendall in snow now :D
"We are told that councils were well prepared by having six days worth of salt ready. Could I make a suggestion for next year? Bad weather may last for longer than a week."
ReplyDeleteBefore you make suggestions like this - you really ought to consider the matter of people bitching about increased council tax - especially if next winter most of the UK gets no snow at all...
The UK, being a mid-latitude country on the edge of a large continental land mass and within range of a variety of warm and cold air masses, has weather which is really quite difficult to predict.
I understand that people don't like paying council tax. I thought my suggestion made sense and I hope you agree anonymous. Political viability is another matter but maybe it would be a vote winner for all the businesses that have been affected and with all those people who have had a car accident. If you slipped on the ice or broke a bone then you might like to see more grit. There are probably hundreds of different reasons why we should have a more efficient system.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I had considered cost - please read my other blogs.
"P.S. I had considered cost - please read my other blogs."
ReplyDeleteNo - it's your duty to justify the cost of this specific proposal
Thanks for your further comment anonymous but I am not sure what you mean. Are you saying that you won't read my other blogs? Would you like to email me at mike.gradwell@gmail.com ?
ReplyDeleteJust in case the conversation does become private I will explain that I wrote about our preparations for cold weather on the 5th 6th 8th 9th and 10th Jaunuary. I won't repeat myself but summarise it as an episode of Yes Prime Minister. There is no co-ordination of service or costs and I feel the extra cost to business, the NHS and the individualis far in excess of the cost of grit.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Add the 22nd December to the list
ReplyDelete