The market was cancelled today because of the bad weather but one or two traders still turned up and Chapman's Bakers stayed erecting their own stall at the side of the road and doing a good trade with their regular customers.
They were unable to stand in their usual place as the Council had not cleared the Market Place and I heard two rumours which may or not be true. The first was that the people who usually erect the stalls had offered to clear the Market free of charge but their offer had been declined by the Council. The second was that the Council were to impose a £70 fine on the Chapmans for illegal trading! If that is true, I'm sure it won't be the end of the matter as their customers were delighted to see them - after all we still need to eat and as I've written previously, the conditions around here are not that bad. I've known far worse. If it IS true, it smacks of Marie Antoinette and "Let them eat cake" 'cos you ain't buying bread here.
Regarding those weather conditions, many of the sporting fixtures in the country have been cancelled this weekend and in a similar vein to my comments regarding school closures, I have a great deal of sympathy for the BBC columnist Robbo and the views he expressed here.
It didn't seem quite so cold today except when the wind caught you but there were still icy patches on Bath Street and ice skates could well have been an option in some places. I wouldn't have fancied sitting half way down the street like this chap playing his accordion. The music would have been ideal though for skaters.
With temperatures in England reported as being only two degrees warmer the the South Pole, we are also told the globe is still warming.
It appears that "weather" is what we get on a day to day basis but "climate" is what happens over a thirty year period. That would explain the cold winters of 1963 and 1947 then - right! Now while the science is irrefutable it'll take a lot more than that explanation to convince a lot of people. Surely when they started talking about Global Warming that should have been the first thing they said - and have you noticed it's now more likely to be referred to as "Climate Change". Yes the climate has changed - and so has the weather!
It was a much brighter day today with blue skies and sunshine interspersed by a few snow flurries. Overnight snowfall accounted for barely two inches on top of the already lying ice and snow but this made it much easier to get about on foot. Admittedly the side roads were a bit dodgy for vehicles but the main roads were clear and all the buses were running. So why oh why did someone take the decision to close most of the town's schools? As can be seen here, behind the locked gates and notice about the closure, the path leading to the buildings at one school had been totally cleared of the white stuff.
Surely it would have been better for the children to be in a centrally heated school even if the timetable had to be disrupted than set free to roam about the town's streets, have snowball fights in the town centre or play alongside a partially frozen canal, all of which I observed today. Health and safety legislation has much to do with the decision to close schools and whilst this is understandable in areas that have been hit hard by the weather, it seems to me that it was just an easy option here today. What about the health and safety of all the people on the bus today which was the target of idiot boys who aimed snowballs at the windscreen? idiot boys who should have been in school!
One school that did remain open was at Kirk Hallam but two thirteen year old boys have been suspended from there for five days for trying to cross the semi-frozen lake near the entrance, getting stuck half way and causing a full scale emergency to rescue them. It's not a suspension from school they need, it's an education!
Well yesterday it was reported that it had been the coldest December since 1995 and today they're saying it's the longest cold spell for 30 years. I'm surprised no-one has yet said it's the worst winter this millennium!
Today though has been one of those dark days when it has never really got light and there has been a covering of grey snow-filled cloud all day. In fact it is snowing right now and more is on the cards right up until the weekend. We can't complain in this part of the world though as it has been far worse in other parts of the country.
I am surprised though that these days it doesn't take much for schools to be closed although I don't think any of the local schools have had to close yet. I remember cold and snowy winters from my childhood but I can't remember any schools being closed around here simply because of the weather. We just put on extra layers of clothing, made slides in the playground and got on with life. Today children aren't allowed out if the playground is icy because of health and safety concerns but it's been shown on the news tonight that the children who are not at school or have been let out early, were in town centres having snowball fights. Wouldn't they be safer at school?
It was the coldest December since 1995 and despite a brief lull a few days ago, it looks set to continue well into January. It looks like we're getting a proper winter at last and although I remember winters like this from my schooldays, recent winters have been quite mild by comparison. People keep saying "It's cold isn't it?" when we meet them but it's only to be expected at this time of year and when compared to the weather experienced by friends in other parts of the world, we're still getting off lightly.
This picture was taken this morning on Wash Meadow where it was much safer to walk on the frozen snow covered grass than the icy footpath.
The feast of Epiphany is actually January 6th and celebrates the visit of the magi to the infant Jesus but I caught this image of the Three Kings after the morning service in St Mary's toady. Do you realise though that nowhere in the Bible does it say there were three of them or that they were kings?
January 6th of course is the twelfth day of Christmas and the famous carol about the twelve days has a hidden meaning for Christians:
The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus.
The two turtle doves are the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens reppresent faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds are the Gospels.
The five gold rings stand for the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying represent the six days of creation.
The seven swans a-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The eight maids a-milking are the Beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The ten lords a-leaping stand for the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping represent the eleven Apostles.
Twelve drummers drumming re[resent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles Creed.
