Everyone Panic...it's a Blizzard!

Well everyone, the unthinkable has happened. That's right, six whole inches of snow fell on London earlier this week, basically resulting in a complete shut-down of the entire city. Many of you think this might be an exaggeration, but it's really not. In a way, I almost admire the way one of the largest cities in the world handles inclement weather. Forget about purchasing hundreds of pieces of snow removal trucks and equipment. Forget about buying and storing tons of salt and chemicals to reduce accumulation on the roads, or tons of gravel to increase traction. And definitely forget about overpaying laborers to use all of the expensive equipment. Instead, just systematically cancel all buses and public transportation, use the media to encourage everyone to stay home and allow the estimated billions of pounds (money) to be lost due to a loss in productivity during a weak economy. It was as if everyone knew what to do. Nothing. On the other hand, it's a poor example of how London, what some call the capital of the world, can deal with a twist to the norm. Regardless, it was a lot of fun and made for some great and unusual scenes throughout London.

See pics: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/bbergey/Blizzard?feat=directlink

The snow started on Sunday evening. I had been in my flat since dark and as I got ready to leave, I noticed that it was snowing quite hard and the ground was already covered. I had plans to meet up with Ellen and some of her friends for a pub quiz that night, and what better excuse to get out and enjoy the snow on the way! I ended up taking a bus because it was cold and snowing, but I still had plenty of time on the sidewalks to enjoy the falling snow. By the time pub quiz was over, more snow had accumulated and it was really picaresque. I took the tube half way home and then caught a bus most of the rest of the way; a distance that only takes about 10 minutes to walk.

As mentioned above, Monday didn't exist for most Londoners. But since I can walk to work, I didn't really have an excuse to stay in. So I took my time in the morning and started the trek in. Most of the main roads were actually pretty clear. The sidewalks ended up being the most treacherous result of the snow, and it lasted an extra day or two after the snow had fallen. The snow had got packed down by the walkers to ice, then slush as it warmed a little, and then refroze at night. It remained to be an obstacle for a few days. The most dangerous part of my walk to work, as usual, was the 50 yards across Lyric Square to the front doors of my building. For some reason, someone thought it would be a great idea to create a huge square in the middle of Hammersmith with polished patio-style bricks. Sure, it looks nice. But anytime it gets wet, it's slick. Real slick. Top that with some snow and ice, and it's even worse. Then as the snow and ice begin to break up, it's like maneuvering across the Antarctic full of icebergs. One wrong step and the chunks of ice slide out from under you. I would have loved to sit in one of the coffee shops or pubs on the square and watch people fall all day!

Regardless of my sarcastic ramblings, the snow was actually really nice. London hadn't seen a storm like this in 18 years and it was great to see parts of London covered in snow. I hope you enjoy the pics!