Modern Vespa

Virgin snow outside my front door:

I couldn't see any Virgins outside my door this morning.
Billy-no-scoot

where in london are you ..

my street in East London at midnight last night ...

As usual, the whole country is cancelled.

Snow day for me, officially sanctioned by boss. Go for a ride.... oh wait....

Jackknifing bendy buses....

just a typical london commute...


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6EzRCKeNDr8

SNOW MAN TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOHOOO!!!!
damn it, can't get to work, and I love Mondays....

I was grumpy this morning as alex left first, then he came back due to no tube and me, grumpier, thinking I'd have to be the only one in at work as everyone lives in the sticks...
still pretending I was fast asleep

then he said "buses aren't running either"
I haven't been so happy in years, jumped out of bed up and down reaching for a hot chocolate and eager to make my first snow man ever!

Dessa, get yourself to Hampstead Heath and go sledging! I did that last time it snowed properly in London. Great fun.

grabbing my coat now!
here's "The Snowhere Man"

Great snowman. Off to build my own at lunchtime....

My scoots:

http://pics.livejournal.com/huskyteer/pic/0005z7hw/s640x480

My snow Dalek:

http://pics.livejournal.com/huskyteer/pic/0006003z/s640x480

(We gave it an egg whisk and a potato masher as weaponry. In this pic I have disarmed the Dalek and am taunting it.)

I am at home. Walked to the tube and that was cancelled. University closed down and cancelled all teaching. I am hoping that tomorrow will be the same

cute, Alice, I like the pattern on his coat.
But does he have a bottle of vodka at hand is my question!
hehee
'it's not a competition!'
I have my theory test tomorrow morning first thing, called up there and they are 'business as usual' so it better be ok tomorrow, I ain't walking to Southwark early in the morning!!!!!!!!!

Another boring picture of a scooter in snow covered London today covered in snow BUT...

Look right at the top of the image (I just spotted this).

What the hell?...

here's the interloper earlier this morning ... there's even more snow on there now i hope this cold hasn't wankered the battery

here's a picture of my local square around 10 this morning, with snowman-building activities in full swing.

i also discovered a vintage green vespa topbox, smashed open as i later confirmed, it came off a scooter parked locally, in the road - i'd always considered it a minor miracle that it had apparently never been touched by the local yoof. i'm contemplating going and gathering up the bits and seeing if it can be repaired.

just back from a failed walk to Hampstead Heath, got to the petrol station well before even Golders Hill and walked back, it was actually snowing quite a bit.
I tapped the snow off the car roofs as Alex skidded on the car tyre marks

it's all about maturity.
downloaded some films over the weekend and watching them I shall!

Charles, I saw a madder cyclist CYCLING ALONG THE FINCHLEY ROAD!!!
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THESE GUYS
also saw a bus go by... but pretended it never happened...

That has been Toronto all winter so far. We have never been warm enough here to melt the snow away.

they key difference being that in Canada you have the infrastructure in place to deal (more or less) with snowfalls. We don't, which means that until the temperature rises, the snow stays where it is, in the road.

Alex walked to work and back (about 5 miles each way). he wanted to try out his new snow boots (purchased for ski trip next week - never thought we'd have any need for them here in London!)

Well the roads in Hammersmith have been gritted - but three miles up the road in Hounslow they have not. Preparation for snow seems to vary from council to council.

If anyone has not let me know if they want a Playdonk sticker, please can they let me know by tomorrow morning as I will placing an order then.

Pm please.

True more or less except on the west coast where they were paralyzed with snow during the Christmas holiday season. Even with snow clearing it doesn't allow us to ride our scooters very much. Getting splashed by cars with salty slush and ice cold melted snow while on your scooter isn't much fun, neither is hitting black ice or slush and going down.

I do know what you mean though, London isn't really prepared to deal with snow and it essentially closes your city down.

4 please Wonder. Why because I'm worth it.
Thank you in advance
Billy-no-scoot

(and it covers all my grey hair)

Heh.. You might regret that hair comment (WM, order 4 spares!).

No pictures from me of my GT in the snow. Mines tucked up in the garage!
Oh when will I be able to ride it again.
Billy-no-scoot

you guys should come to Boston, MA.....i dont see anymore than a sprinkling of snow in these pics

I'm having to walk to the pub tonight!

Even worse, I'll have to walk back!

Lucky it's your theory!

I'm supposed to have my practical in the morning, there's 2 chances of that going ahead and as usual slim's out of town!

Get up early, and best of luck to you both.

I have had an amusing day watching mad drivers try and park in my street, which is entirely covered in ice. Of course I leant out of the window and gave them helpful tips.

Most drivers do not know how to drive on ice/snow or have any idea it is a different surface. Given that most of the people who park on the street are of Arab extraction this is probably forgivable, but still funny to see.

It was a good day where everyone seemed to be having some fun and being rather sillier than usual (drivers excepted).

I can just imagine you were like 'only me!' from Harry Enfield

i did most of my growing up in canada, where this is considered a minor dusting of snow - barely worth breaking out the snowblower for! i guess my delight and excitement is a sign that i've been in the uk too long .... i really, really miss snow

mind you a week skiing in austria (to commence this saturday) ought to cure that

Yes I do find it funny when people panic when the snow falls and cars travel at 5 mph because they believe that snow is the same as ice.
We all know that you use a high gear with low revs, leave plenty of space between you and the car in front plus no heavy braking and you should be ok.
Why then do I see people gunning thier cars in a low gear with the wheels spinning like a top and wondering why aren't I getting anywhere ?
These always seem to be the people who end up on the TV News saying - it's bloody disgrace etc.
Learn to drive.
Having that that the night the snow hit I was overtaken on a major A road by a CBR600 doing about 60 mph in blizzard conditions so maybe it's not just the cagers huh.
A driving instructor once told me that ice isn't the worst thing its ice with water on top of it because the water acts as a lubricant and away you go.
I know one thing - the GT is staying in the garage until the sun comes out again. I like it's condition right now.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

For those coming to Ypres, Ostende and Brugge could I direct your attention to the Rallies Forum for some news about the room reservations in Ostende.
(Thank you Jim)
Billy-no-scoot

I had a great day and can only thank mother nature for giving me a day off, and on a Monday!
then thank London Transport immensely for saving me the hassle of using it to get to work at all and definitely keeping me home!

Bill, I was arguing that point with Alex all day today as I studied for my test and it says that there, on the highway code, don't it

went for a walk to kilburn and back, my uggs got soaked, but who cared, had snow fights on the street and even confirmed "the snowball effect" down the hill

shame we never made it to hampstead heath or primrose hill, would have been so much fun to go sledging...
but when we went out it was proper storm snowing and we couldn't go very far without feeling as if we were in mount everest, and wondering why would anyone do it.

also made me think about how I never ever want to live anywhere colder than london, why would anyone put yourself to such nuisance and difficulty (*I know, everyone will argue they have proper clothing, insulation, bla bla, I still find it huge hassle, restrictive and uncomfortable)
but then that's what my brother tells me everyday, why on earth do i like living here! so cold! hehe

overall, an enlightening day

wish me luck tomorrow, will miss Velma, I have several places to go tomorrow, not just work and dreading having to somehow get to them via the mighty TFL!

Well, 12long hours inland from the West Coast, over three mountain ranges is Calgary. City Hall has a policy not to plow/shovel/salt or even look at residential streets. Official policy is to wait for warm weather and it will go away. Most years this is adequate. Except we had so much snow back in early December that the few warm spells has only semi melted the snow, which proceeded to become ice. Currently all residential roads in this cowtown are slick thick ice. I ride 3blocks at 5-10kph with both feet out in order to make it to where it's clear.

May I apply to be chief 'ugg-drier' please.

Made it in on the scooter today, having pushed it from my road to the main road. Bromley was highly unpleasant but central London was OK. It was such a beautiful morning there was no way I was condemning myself to TfL's suggestion of getting a bus to New Eltham.

Bit nervous about getting home again.

my road is still pretty much impassable - even if i wanted to push the scooter to the end of the road, the sidewalk is covered in lumpy ice and i doubt i'd be able to get the scooter down the steps from the front garden. my upstairs neighbour has left his ET2 at home today, and i'm taking that as a sign. annoying that our front garden faces north, so the ice will likely be there until the end of the week.