Winter 2013

Completion on my Swedish house happened like clockwork on Friday 4 January. What I have experienced this last three months is efficiency and warm and friendly service. The UK could learn much from Sweden. It was hard to lock up and walk away for three more months. The house is well looked after and I will be back in the Spring. I have a good feeling about this coming summer.

-25C. What is that like? That is the temperature at my place in Sweden just now. Friends are keeping an eye on the place for me. I have no experience of -25. Anders tells me he has driven his truck at -41C in the far north. Engine heaters are required. Scarves and eye shields are necessary. We are not meant to be in     -41C.



4 inches of snow and Britain ground to a halt.  People don't know how to drive on snow and ice, and we use summer tyres all year round. The only reason there are not more accidents is that the Brits skive off work and go sledging with the kids. They have sledging accidents instead. Put it another way. The local councils worked their socks off to clear the roads. It's the best they have ever done. A credible effort to keep Britain moving and support our ailing economy. Then head teachers closed thousands of schools due to health and safety concerns. 25% of the national workforce to stayed home to look after the kids. I'll be careful passing an opinion because some of my closest friends are teachers. I believe passionately that health and safety often goes beyond common sense in our country. I suspect it has more to do with a fear of personal injury litigation. Heathrow has invested in a fleet of second hand snow clearance machines bought from Zurich I understand. Unfortunately having the gear is not the same as planning and implementing procedures for using it effectively (?). I'm only an armchair operations planner these days.

My social life went on hold, but that happens every time we get a spell of real winter weather. You have to be nuts to risk the narrow country lanes in this. The telly is failing to stave off cabin fever completely. Home alone with "Pointless" each evening to punctuate the day.

Monday: I have enough dirty clothes to load the washing machine. I've been looking forward to this for days! Programme E, 40C for colour fast materials. I need the snow to go away!