General Chat

Living in Canada, I am somewhat used to snow

........... although Vancouver is actually much more like the UK than the rest of this country. We get snow 2 or 3 times a winter, and usually in small amounts that disappear within a couple of days. The rest of the country think we are a huge joke when snow does fall!

However, last winter was a winter like you in the UK are now having ......... and the temperatures stayed below freezing for weeks so we had snow on the ground for over 6 weeks, from December 16 to February.

I found a few things helped me then, and thought they might help you guys.


1. Buy some Yaktrax .... these are strappy spiky things that you strap over the soles of your shoes/boots. They give grip on icy snowy surfaces. I have been told on another site that they are available in the UK

2. Make sure that you are perfectly warmly dressed before you go out, including a covering on your head and gloves. Layer your clothes ........ some people wear as many as 5 layers when going outside.

3. If you do have to drive anywhere, please do not attempt to do it on summer tyres. You will only be a danger to yourself and others. All-weather tyres are only barely suitable. Winter or snow tyres are the best. Carry chains if you have to go out of town (across the Pennines or up into that place up north called Scotland)......... sorry, Frank :)))

4. If you do have to take a car trip, carry something to drink (water in a bottle, or something hot in a thermos, NOT alcohol), a candle (can be lit to provide heat if necessary), a blanket or throw, and a torch. Just in case you get stuck or held up. Plus a cell phone if you have one (we don't)

5. Make sure that you have bread in yoru freezer ............. most breads will freeze successfully. My favourite, Traditional Oatmeal, does not freeze well, but others do. Some milks will freeze, or get 2 or 3 of those shelf ones. Try and have some meals in the freezer that you can cook up ..... I make double size shepherd's pies, fish pies and stews in the fall, and freeze the extra in individual portions.

6. Fill some containers with water, just in case your pipes freeze, or the thaw causes landslips into the reservoir.




sylvia

Thanks Sylvia this is very good advice, we do seem to struggle when we get snow in this country, years ago I remember my mother had some spikes she attached to her shoes, I will have a look to see if I can get some,I have a fear of falling on the ice.....

Jean x

Just googled Yaktrax and there are a few sites , mostly in the states.....



Jean x

I dont drive but I remember has a child my uncle in Cornwall putting chains in the wheels of his car in the snow. Why dont we do that now such a good idea.

lynn

Yep, chains should only be used when there is snow on the road ...... they are not allowed on bare roads over here, and never in a town or city, because of the damage they cause.


RMS ........ it seems it is true, that they don't have snow tyres in the UK. A Swiss friend thinks that is really strange .. she blesses her snow tyres as she can get out of her drive and on the roads even in a foot of snow.



Jean ............ the friend on the other site said she had bought Yaktrax in the UK last year.



sylvia

Some other ideas for you


1. Close the curtains to keep out the cold ................ but if you have a radiator under the window, make sure the curtain does not cover it (fold the curtain up on to the window sill if necessary).

2. Get draught excluders (or old rolled up towels or such), and put along the bottom of the doors and windows if they are draughty. Consider closing up the fireplace if you have one ..... the fire might be lovely, but when the fire is out, much heat is lost up the chimney, as well as cold draughts coming down. BUT please do make sure that you do not make the house totally air tight, otherwise there might be carbon monoxide build-up, which can be fatal.



I keep a large stole over my chair at the computer ....... and pull it up over my shoulders when I feel a little chilly. Easier than pulling a cardie on and off.



sylvia

Thanks Sylvia, I am often surprised when the tv visits an elderly person who is saying they are worried about using the heating and getting big bills, but there they are wearing their normal clothes. Little old ladies in pretty blouses and a cardigan and just tights skirt and slippers instead of warm trousers over the tights and a warmer jumper or cardigan, no wonder they need to put the heating up hight. I wear a fleece indoors as an extra layer as this house of o.h. has no central heating and I wear old leggings which have the crotch worn out with fleecy trousers over the top, much warmer and cheaper than tights. Today I hunted out some warmer sweaters and wear cotton long sleeved tops under the sweater, and I found several fleece jackets I had forgotten about so I can ring the changes now lol

I just looked for the Yaktrax but they seem to have sold out, and more in from Jan 10th, they aren't cheap but sound very effective and would stop me falling over, I am worried about slipping again after my fall before Christmas.

I ticked o.h. off when he got home from work, he had been to the local shop in the morning before work, he does shifts and is on lates this week. He had got a couple of items for his pack up but hadn't bothered to get extra bread - he left me three slices - or any salt for the doorstep or extra supplies etc. He poohpoohs the idea of buying things and said You have enough tins and stuff in the cupboard! Yes tins of veg and a couple of tins of soup but they won't make a whole meal and won't last long. He is so impractical. He goes off to work without anything except his work stuff, never puts in a blanket or a shovel or things, in the boot. I mean here's the man who makes up jump leads cos he is an electrical technician but keeps them in the garage! Doh!
Even the yard broom for sweeping snow is in the garage and there is no access unless you go out the back door, across the garden to the gate and then into the garage, it doesn't have a personal door linking it to the house or anything.
At my own house I always kept a scraper and a broom etc in the cupboard under the stairs so if I opened the door and it was snowy I could make my way out with the tools. Men are hopeless aren't they lol?

Hope you stay warm and safe Sylvia, let's hope the cold weather doesn't drag on too long.

LIzx

Hi Liz

I should sneak that broom into the house!!!

Yes, that always amazes me ................ people complaining about being cold, or alternatively turning the heat waaaaaaay up, and dressing almost as they would on a summer day!

When we were up North for Christmas, I wore wool lined trousers with silk jersey long johns under them, and had some tights with me in case it got really cold!

I have cardies, fleece jackets, and down-filled vests that I ring the changes with. I find the vests (fleece, synthetic lining or down filled) really good ...... my arms feel freer than they often do in a cardie or jacket. Then I have htis very long and wide knitted stole that I sling around my shoulders!


We're quite warm at the moment, thank you ........... it was up to 8C today, although it will be lower tomorrow and for the weekend.

It should actually be a very nice day on Thursday, the forecast is for sun, clear skies, and about 4 or 5C

.................. that is my birthday, and we are taking a ferry over to Vancouver Island to have dinner with our 5 closest friends. If it is sunny, it will be a beautiful ride over. It takes about 1 hr 50 minutes on the ferry.

Take care ..... and those Yaktrax are really good if you can get them



sylvia
xxxx

Since moving from the city to a rural area about three months ago we now carry several emergency items in our car. We have blankets, a collapsible shovel, candles and matches and gel handwarmers. We also have chocolate bars and energy/granola bars along with bottled water.

Right now it is minus 22 so if you were in an emergency situation having the right supplies could be the difference between life and death.

Teresa

QVC sell the Yaktrax things - brand name 'Get-a-Grip' or similar. They may have sold out by now - I got mine recently but haven't tested them out yet!

Sheila, thanks, I will have a look, I feel quite housebound at the mo, brrrrr!

xxxxx

Just looked and all they are showing is replacement spikes, no actual grip item, doesn't even show they do them.

Will have a look on other sites later and try to get some, Yaktrax are about £20 - how much were the qvc ones please?

Lizx

This was reported in one of our local media today


""The snow is worst affecting the southern parts of the country, particularly in Hampshire and Berkshire and to the west of London," he said during a telephone interview from Derby, England.

"It has made its way down from the north. Manchester was very badly affected yesterday and that very, very heavy band of snow has steadily been making its way south overnight."

The unexpected snowfall comes at a time when Britain is also experiencing its longest cold snap since 1981 -- weather conditions that began just before Christmas and are expected to persist for the next two weeks.

Robin Thwaytes, the duty forecaster at Britain's weather office, said it is "very unusual" for cold weather to last for such a long period of time, but noted it can happen every 20 to 30 years.

Britten said that the country has long struggled to deal with inclement winter weather.

"Anybody who knows Britain knows that it only takes one snowflake to bring the country to a grinding halt," Britten joked during a telephone interview with CTV News Channel from Derby, England."




I note that it said that you are likely to have the cold weather for about the next TWO weeks.


It sounds just like what we got here in Vancouver last winter.


Hi Teresa in Canada ......................... I couldn't live in a rural area in winter. Got too old for that adventure methinks! Which province are you in?



sylvia

OH magaged to slip over crossing our road to a neighbour's.

She was wearing "moon boots", padded up the sides so warm, but I just looked at the soles and there is no decent tread on theI know she has a pair of fell boots somewhere, so I'll try to dig them out.

Hi Sylvia,

I am half an hours south and west of Calgary. Not much snow here though, only a couple of inches. We are expecting a Chinook on Friday so the warm temps will probably melt a lot of the snow that we have.

Teresa

Amazon have 'Get a Grip' in stock - £19.99

Brian, mine were padded boots, but you can't get a grip on black ice with any kind of sole tread so I would have been no better off with my walking boots, and my padded boots did have a bit of a tread, it was just my heels that went from under me. Hope your o.h. is ok, it shook me up badly and I really had a lump on my head, nearly three weeks on.

Will see if I have enough for those spiky things tomorrow, can't get online banking at the mo, Halifax told me all aol customers are having a problem and they gave me a helpline number but the queues were so long, I had to hang up. Need to see how much money I have spare.

Lizx