General Chat

No Crista - just a storm - believe it was about 16 October and famous as the weatherman on the news previous night said there was no truth that a bad storm was heading our way! There was another bad storm a few years later but not so devastating. We are always losing power in this area - think we are lucky if it is only for a few hours - accept it as the norm. We always seem to be the last area to be put back on to power. We have a shelf which is purely for candles/oil/gas lamps and heaven help anyone who touches it. I can find my way to it in the dark! And before Brian shoots in thinking this village is in the back of beyond away from civilisation - we are in Hampshire about 7 miles from the coast!

Brian - you have been extremely fortunate all your life not to experience long term power cuts but many thousands of others have done so especially in 1987. As for WW11 - we were bombed out twice - did not have a roof never mind power.

Ann, Sorry, I was referring to Canada with my "Did they have an ice storm too?" My parents were in Hampshire in '87. Come to think of it, I do remember that house losing power for days on end every time it was windy or snowed. We had to stay at my grandparents because they gas so could cook and heat the house still. Crista

No worries Brian. No arguing and everyone being polite. Crista

Crista - I was assuming you were talking about 1987 over here! Devastation at that time to woodlands etc. all over the country. Ann

Brian - I could not agree more - I went into a thread and thought 'front bottoms'? Is that the height of conversation and came out quickly. Ann

I think that thread managed to wind up quite a few people. Crista

Di - If them south of the border owe money - chase them quick - their currency is dropping! Ann

Hello Di, Don't think we can pay you back soon because the dollar's so weak. Have to wait until it's stronger! Did you see the thread wishing you a Happy Anniversary the other day? Crista

That's good you got it. Did you hear I lost all my address when my Palm Pilot and laptop crashed within a few days of each other? Good job you had your address on your card to me! Must be off now. Have to finish up some food shopping for Christmas. Friday is a holiday here. Crista

I was just talking to my Mum in Medicine Hat, Alberta. This morning it was -28, with a wind chill of -36. Snow and more snow. She was doing her invisible man impression as she went out for her walk this morning! I'll take our West Coast weather thank you. But then again we may get snow boxing day. Happy Holidays. Deb

Hi, people, I have had a busy day, shovelling snow, slithering around on the roads and so on. There was about a foot of snow, heavy and wet, and some freezing rain every so often, too. No elaectricity interruptions, either. In my years here, even in 2002, when the NorthEast of the US and Southern Ontario were blacked out, we had only a few hours of black-out here in Dundas. The failures were quirky, and have a lot to do with the efficiencyof local authorities, and no doubt luck, too. I believe, like Di, that the overhead distribution networks, covering many hundreds of miles, are rather vulnerable to the sorts of weather conditions described by Crista. A continental climate has extremes not seen in the UK. It's a source of amazement how quickly, (in general, that is!), that catastrophic failures are restored. Naturally, there are pockets where it can take days or (rarely) weeks to repair. But usually, power, roads and rail services get back in a few hours, and that after a couple of feet of snow. When I commuted into London, it was quite common for the rail and even underground to be brought to a halt by and inch or two of snow. It's all quite understandable in the right context. Have a wonderful - white? -Christmas! Michael in snowy Southern Ontario

Morning all Brian,i was stationed in Calne the year before the one you mentioned ,and can remember walking down the a 4 on the way back to camp in early Febuary ,snowing like hell and so ruddy cold i couldn't feel my toes.I got back to camp at 7 in the morning and just had time to clean up and have my breakfast before reporting for duty.Thankfully the two times the weather went daft i was overseas but the missus and mother left me in no doubt as to how bad it was,the mother in High Wycombe ,and the wife in Newcastle. I hav'nt seen a good snowfall at Christmas since i was a kid,so here's hoping.Merry Christmas every one ,and a peaceful new year.Fred.ptfg.

Merry Christmas from the middle of Alberta. Lots of snow so the grandkids are off with their snowmobiles. It's minus 2.8 - cloudy but beautiful. We never have problems with electricity because we have solar power and backup generator, wood heat and propane for cooking. Have to be self suffiecient because we are isolated and it was too expensive to get mains electricity - thank goodness! I don't have the power bills that my neighbours four miles away have. A very propsperous New Year to everyone and hope all your brick walls fall (genealogy wise - that is)

My s i l lives in Toronto. Her flight was delayed a few hours because of the weather. She and my wife, who picked her up, didn't get to our house in Warwickshire until 4.00am today! Ouch!!