From the Mail Online: (h/t to Richard North of EUReferendum)
But the forecast is the bigger worry, not the lame-o self help from the local government:
Council chiefs have sparked outrage after proposing residents dig themselves out of the snow as Britain braces itself for another winter of Arctic conditions.
As long-range forecasts suggest the country will be hit by blizzards and temperatures plummeting to -20c, bosses at Camden Council prepared to hand out spades.
But their solution to the bitter weather has been slammed by those who remember the headache of last year’s gritting crisis which brought widespread disruption and left people trapped in their homes.
The north London council’s proposal involves a ‘self-help’ scheme in which people can ring and request a shovel.
The authority plans to give out more than 2,000 spades to community centres and groups, shopkeepers and families to help clear clogged-up roads and pavements.
Eleanor Botwright, director of Castlehaven Community Centre, said: ‘It is not quite dig your own grave but it is a double-edged sword.
The coming winter is worrying many in Britain, and it seems that such “shovel ready” programs really don’t help that worry.
The MetOffice might lift spirits if they forecast a BBQ Christmas.
“The MetOffice might lift spirits if they forecast a BBQ Christmas.”
Don’t think so, old boy. That would terrify even the Warmistas into buying long-johns. Of course, we’ll still hear all about how it’s special warm snow that increases the temperature anomaly.
Let them eat ice cream, they didn’t like the cake last year.
If it weren’t so serious it would be comical the ways in which socialism fails.
Because, you know, the entire reason for government is to provide free retirement for the lucky few.
The MET office models predicted exactly this outcome. The more the globe warms, so the more it appears to be intensely cold, and the more shovels arrive on ones door step. The number of shovels will be inversely proportional to the square footage to be shoveled.
Additionally, this will almost certainly turn out to be the ‘wrong sort of snow’ for rail, air, and submarine transport. The resulting shutdown will last until blueberries are exhausted and biscuit supplies are perilously low.
This is really not a bad idea. It would be whole lot better if the British people weren’t already taxed to death, but as a money saving exercise it has merit.
Of course they might have an issue with all the heart attacks that result from a bunch of out of shape Britons suddenly doing manual labor, but they will have clearer roads and sidewalks.
What happened to the Met office “No more winters policy of 2008?”
I was down in deepest Sussex last week and spoke to some of the local farmers. The view held by all was that this will be a cold winter (because a cold August and September combined always means a cold winter) but with little chance of severe cold until Christmas (because the hedgehogs are not yet preparing their hibernation nests).
These old boys don’t need computer models and temperature anomalies, experience of what actually happens in real life trumps any theory.
As for councils handing out shovels, for goodness sake when will these idiots grow up and realise we can cope quite adequately without our taxes being wasted providing “free” shovels? They’ll be offering to come round and wipe our bottoms next.
I’d be real keen to know what forecast Piers Corbyn has in store for the UK winter – but he’s chosen to remain silent for now – Curious Times ahead
[snip – flame bait ~mod]
What is wrong with personal responsibility? These people can’t buy their own shovels? Maybe if the UK government would stop handing out free, useless, cheap stuff to whiny residents, they could save enough money to do something that is actually useful. (like stock enough grit, or get a few snow plows or something)
Didn’t they hand out light bulbs at one point, that didn’t fit the sockets or something?
If the people in the US know that a hurricane is coming, they board up their windows… with plywood that they BUY FOR THEMSELVES which costs much more that a freakin’ shovel.
Wow, what has happened to the world?
Citizens,
Please be clear that the long range forecasts there quoted are spin without credibility or track record of success and should be ignored absolutely. We, WeatherAction have issued no forecast and await a sponsor to enable the public to know.
Perhaps some readers will invite politicians in Government or Councils to purchase our winter forecast or sponsor it for public consumption and enable everyone to know whether or when and where shovels might be needed.
We made public warnings last winter of UK & Europe ice & snow and that road salt would run-out which were ignored with consequential road accidents and deaths.
Please read:- http://climaterealists.com/index.php?id=6411
Thanks, Piers
Meanwhile on Oz, where winter snow falls mainly on a few southern mountains, shovels are well known.
A team of Council workers took their truck to a n excavation site, to discover that someone had forgotten to load the shovels. The foremean phoned the Engineer at base, who said that he would send out another truck with shovels.
The foreman asked the Engineer “What will the men do while they are waiting?” The Engineer replied “I guess they will have to lean on each other.”
(I have this haunting mental image of the good folk of North London standing knee deep in snow, leaning on abundant, free shovels. It’s a natural posture when one has not used a shovel before.)
“Joanie says:
October 8, 2010 at 9:47 pm”
After decades of pinko-lefty-scocialist polilices being introduced in the UK, and dumbing down of the education system, where the “people” want the Govn’t to “do something”, this is the result. People can’t think for themselves and expect someone else to do something, equals the Nanny state. Sadly, this is happening in New Zealand and Australia too.
My wife has never seen snow or experienced real cold, like -20c with wind chill of another -20c, so maybe next winter here in Aus I’ll take her to the mountains….he he he he….she has no idea what she want’s to let herself get into.
“Snow will be a distant memory.” Now who said that?
I have my own shovel and several spades as well so maybe “they” could give me the cash instead HA HA!
You have to take what is given when it is given and be grateful weather you want it or not and don’t ask why your money is being used in that way, it is their largess not your tax.
“Wow, what has happened to the world?”
Government spending is limited these days to bread and circuses. Snow removal is neither.
The only reason the council is providing the shovels is they got a good deal on them when one of their cronies had an end of year sale.
Here is a picture of a couple proudly showing off their council provided shovel.
The flaw in handing out shovels is that some people will do their “civic duty” and others won’t. What should a driver do when the streets are blocked and there is a matter of urgency to attend to?
The answer is simplistic for anyone who lives in a winter city and has to deal with real cold (-40 PLUS windchill, not -20 which is actually a nice day in January in my neck of the woods) and inadequate snow removal equipment.
Its called a 4X4.
Preferably with heated seats.
And heated side mirrors.
And remote start.
Winch on the bumpers (front and back).
24 Volt booster battery with 10 meter booster cables.
Tow rope, 30 meters
I’m told that I shouldn’t have one of these because it burns a great deal of fuel and contributes to global warming. At -40 I have difficulty understanding how that’s a problem. I also have a 15 horse self propelled snowblower. The site and sound of it running causes all my neighbours to suddenly appear in their driveways, shovels in hand, huffing and puffing, waving hello…
Hope someone is bright enough to keep track of all the cold related deaths in the UK this year. Would really like to see that number compared to the heat related deaths…
I just finished servicing the snowblower. My landlord brought in and serviced the truck-mount snow plow. The tractor/front-end loader is next on the list. I’ll be positioning the snow shovels. The tire chains are ready. We do this every winter; it’s normal, standard procedure.
And these people are whining because they’re being offered shovels to clear their own sidewalks??
The problem I saw when I lived back East was that once someone dug out their car and cleaned out the parking space, it became “their” parking place and they would often defend it violently. Many arguments over such parking spaces would turn to fisticuffs or vandalism.
When someone works pretty hard to clear out a space, particularly a “mouse potato” who isn’t used to working hard, they aren’t going to take kindly to digging out another spot. Add in some of the “holiday spirits” and things can turn ugly. I don’t believe it is in the best interests of the local government to have citizens digging themselves out unless it is a real emergency situation.
crosspatch said: Government spending is limited these days to bread and circuses. Snow removal is neither.
– I don’t know, two winter’s ago when Seattle was hit hard, the city government did a dandy job removing snow from the mayor’s street.
But won’t it be rotten snow?
Here in Brisbane, Australia, we have just had the wettest September on record – the Warmistas kept telling us we would run out of water – most dams are full (though Toowoomba is only at 21% still) – and now in October is is just raining, and raining, and raining. We will probably crack the October record as well. Two months? Is that still just weather???
The Lefty twits are crying into their soy milk and low fat meusli, wishing the drought would come back. Gaia has let them down, big time.
But Camden = Franny Land, chock full of chattering wonks responsible for what Patrick Davis refers to above. What else do you expect? Last winter the council closed all the parks and reckoned they couldn’t use snow ploughs because of the anti-car speed-bumps all over the place. Don’t judge the rest of the country by this sad bunch of Guardian readers, most of us are rather more practical and self-reliant. Some of us even own a shovel! Suggest US readers take a tour of the place via Google Street View to get a feel for the sad existence these folk must lead. Is it any wonder they worship polar bears and think the sky is falling in?
I thought this was the time of year where the MET says it’s going to be an extremely hot winter. What’s going on here?