Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Call for public to 'do more' in cold weather
OK, this comes all the way from Scotland, but that doesn't mean it doesn't apply here. I thought the point about looking after our older neighbours was an important one.
The head of the Scottish council group Cosla has called on the public to do more in the fight against snow and ice. Convention of Scottish Local Authorities chief executive, Pat Watter, said council workers were doing their best to plough and salt roads, but added 'It would help if people tried to do a bit more themselves'. In an interview on BBC Scotland, Mr Watters said: 'For instance, I always do the bit of pavement in front of my own house, I do my own driveway to make sure I can get my car in and out.'
He also warned that it was an 'extremely hard' time for the elderly and said they could struggle if on their own.
Dave Etheridge, deputy chief fire officer for Oxfordshire, said 'I'd ask residents who live near older people, or those with physical or other support needs, to pay them a visit tonight and let them know you're there.'
Heavy snow fell on the northwest yesterday and conditions made their way south overnight leaving many counties blanketed.
The military was called in to rescue thousands of motorists from the A3 in Hampshire and more than 2000 schools have closed across the UK.
The Met Office predicts at least a further week of sub zero temperatures with more snow to come and many councils are running low on spreading salt.
The Salt Union mine in Cheshire is working around the clock to fulfill its commitments to authorities.
Tags for Forum Posts: older people, snow
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Zena Brabazon on
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I was living in Boston Massachusetts in 1978 when we had the worst blizzard in years. We had drifts of six feet outside or house. It was so big someone wrote a book about it!
The state was so badly hit the Governor - Michael Dukakis - took immediate action and effectively closed the state for several days. No one was allowed to drive while the clean up took place. The Governor was on TV everyday in his turtleneck (for good political effect) to give updates and reports so he looked in total control!
It was expected that everyone cleared their front garden, porch and driveway which really everyone did. Looking back, it was really a bit of a holiday!
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Permalink Reply by Joe Bailey on
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This afternoon, I drove up to Muswell Hill with a green recycling box, a bucket, and some building waste bags, as well as a shovel.
I found several boxes en-route. I found enough salt to fill my recycling box, bucket and bags. I then drove back armed with supplies from the well looked after Muswell Hill. I would like to point out that every back road I saw in Muswell Hill had been cleared and gritted, even the most minor ones I passed (Conaught Gardens as an example).
We have just finished clearing the end of Allison Road, just past the top of the hill down to Wightman Road.
We managed to clear one side of the pavement, and two tracks for tyres to get grip down the road surface, as well as most of the bottom so that cars can safely stop before hitting busy traffic.
We also gritted the steps of some neighbours, to make sure they didn't slip.
Once cleared, we had enough to put more grit down to try holding off the cold, and have a little spare for the next few days. We've not done our own path or outside our house as it's not too bad there, and there were places that needed it more.
There were only a couple of people other than us out, shame that not more joined in, but it was nice to talk to neighbours and it's made a pretty good difference. Nobody other than half decent 4x4s can drive up the hill still, but at least those of us at the top can move our cars and have safer walking conditions down to Wightman now.
Hopefully we can keep the end of the road clear now without too much more effort, but it was a surprisingly small quantity of salt that we used to make such a huge difference - the recycling box and the bucket full, and they were both only as full as I could lift on my own.
So, I think that people should arm up with buckets and spades, and troop off to find salt bins - if say 5 or 6 more people did the same on our road, Allison would be free flowing. Just don't get any in cut or split skin - it really stings!
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Permalink Reply by PeterPiper on
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OK, so having been persuaded that it would be unlikely that I might get sued for clearing the pavement outside my house, - I've cleared it.
I needed 1.5 kgs of cooking salt (sadly none in Sainsbury's) but I'd laid in a bag before Christmas, which I applied and waited for several hours for it to do it's thing. Quite amazing, as I applied said salt, I could hear the ice cracking/burning immediately?
After a few hours late this afternoon, it had turned to slush and was very easy to brush/shovel away.
One of my neighbours saw my efforts, and was easily minded to go & get some salt to do his pavement tomorrow, & I'll lend him my spade & brush.
So it's less than a quid and less than an hour's pretty easy manual labour.
Now please stay clear of my cleared pavement & don't fall down on it, - I don't want weeks of litigation as a result of my attempts at performing my civic whatsits!!!
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Permalink Reply by matt on
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Used a salt spreader and shovel to clear about 20 metres of pavement today. Good exercise. Better than going to a gym!
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