Stopping by the City on a Snowy Evening....

Snowy Balham Common at dusk

It's snowing! Yes, we British are obsessed with the weather. It is a constant topic of conversation, the BBC frequently has alarmist weather reports popping up on its news website and any kind of weather, be it hot or cold, is guaranteed to cause a halt to public transport across the UK.

During the summer, even the slightest bit of sunshine results in hundreds of Londoners rushing out in to parks across the city, stripping down to their underwear and baking themselves frantically like hot-dogs in the sun. And snow (!) causes the same reaction (albeit with more clothes on and less heat). Londoners pack on as much fashionable winter-wear as they can find and set about trying to competitively build snowmen on commons and in back gardens throughout the Greater London area.

Maybe, we are so excitable when it comes to the weather because we are an island nation with such changeable weather conditions or maybe we love hot sun and cold snow, because so much of the year we are treated to grey skies and rain. But, whatever the reason for our national obsession with weather, we don't intend to let this chance to have fun in the snow pass us by. And of course, the wintry weather presents an extraordinarily good opportunity to take photos. I was snapping with my camera all weekend, fingers frozen and face stuck to the viewfinder in the cold.

The snow has caused some trouble to my commute to work however. True to my nature (that of an obsessive list-maker), I have made some lists of what is good and bad about snow:

Snow falls even on the tiniest of places 

The reasons why I love Snow:

• It is fluffy and light 
• Snow falling and then lying on the ground dampens and muffles the sounds of the city. The streets become calm and a hush descends over London.
• It inspires wonder in children and adults alike – two of my students from India who had never seen snow before until last week, were so excited they were actually jumping up and down in the Uni office like kids.
• Snow looks beautiful in Regent’s Park and the green parakeets that reside in the park, stand out in  brilliant tropical green against the snowy whiteness, when they perch on trees and clean their feathers.
• Snow makes all the trees look like they have been draped with soft white lace.
• Snow means a lot more cute videos of kids/dogs/cats/people playing in the snow on Youtube.
• It meant this week, I got to see a white cat padding about in the white snow. A beautiful and weird illusion for the eye.
• It means that websites publish funny things to do in the snow: http://now-here-this.timeout.com/2013/01/18/13-ways-to-appreciate-the-snow/
• It is the perfect excuse for mulled cider! Yay!
• It means I have to wear my green and white polka dot wellies to work. He he.

An inventive snowman in Sainsbury's car park

The reasons why I dislike Snow:

• It screws up my commute to work even though I spend most of my journey UNDERGROUND where it DOES NOT SNOW. Last Friday it took me 2 hours to get to work and 2 hours to get home. That is four hours to travel approximately 22 miles. I could have crawled the journey quicker.
• It makes my flat cold. And my flat is always cold in winter. I spent a lot of my time at home in bed….with three layers of clothes on.
• Snow in London turns into a muddy slush in around a day.
• The above mentioned muddy slush turns into ice when it freezes overnight and it’s impossible to walk on.
• Driving is risky. Unless the council has gritted the streets. 
• London Councils often run out of grit.
• Snow does not automatically equal a Snow Day (day off work due to difficult weather) unless you work for a school or live out in the middle of nowhere. The rest of us have to battle to work and read about other people enjoying the snow on the internet. 
• The British media goes ape with panic over weather reports. Declaring 'Red' weather warnings to freak everyone out (including my husband - an extreme weather-obsessive himself).
• Snow meant I could not get the transport to see a show called Fuerzebruta (http://www.roundhouse.org.uk/fuerzabruta) at the Roundhouse in Camden this weekend….and they won’t refund my tickets! Grrrr! My husband and I compensated with a lovely snowy walk in the wooded area of our local park while pretending we were in Robert Frost’s poem ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.’