#uksnow as they say Tweet

When it finally began snowing in London, Chris was already surrounded by the white stuff on his way to Scotland, and quite happy with that, too. To love snow in England, however, is to be in a very small, and equally ill-regarded minority. I keep hearing apocalyptic quotes like nothing like this has happened around ours for at least 25 years! or even my grandson got bored with it and doesn't care to build a snowman because it's too cold. The idea that you'd have shoes and clothes capable of dealing with snow, a pair of decent gloves, some knowledge as to how to drive your car and (just to make this more horrendous) an appreciation of the beauty and the benefits of snow, such idea is, at best, a bad joke. Surely, no other country in a similar place on the face of Earth has to endure this!



As Chris likes to quote (an author that escapes me) more and more often of late, there's nowhere so pleasant as an empire in decline. And seeing a former conquering nation tremble in the presence of mere snow is saddening, if amusing, but ultimately a great proof of the disconnect with what brought them here and, frankly, what the life and experiences of their ancestors were just two generations ago. I bet grandma and grandpa didn't fret so much, had a snow shovel around, and made sure their children would build vast snow empires between lunch and dinner. Oh, well, I must be the one with a romanticised picture of yesteryears in my head.



I'm also the one jumping around with glee, however ridiculous I may come across, whenever a flurry of snowflakes hits the neighbourhood. This is Central London. It's not supposed to snow like this, and it's not supposed to last. When we want any of it, just like half of the country at least, we have to take skiing and snowboarding trips. The white stuff is OK as long as it's elsewhere. That, in my twisted language, means it's OK on my terrace, where I've taken every opportunity to freeze since last Saturday, in hope of spotting the first snowflakes. When they arrived, last night, they were as small as the smallest seeds of ice, yet perfectly formed, and so firm! I was so pleased that I could hardly fall asleep.



And it only got nuttier in the morning, when the Centre Point building was hard to spot, at times, and I was nursing a cold. The one thing I forgot to do, and for that I pray that it snows again, and again, is stick my tongue out to catch some. What do you know, childhood habits die hard! I did remember to shriek each time I noticed the snowfall intensify, and while not planned, I enjoyed scaring the bejesus out of my team. It's snowing people, and we're locked inside instead of having a walk and a play! I was, in fact, quite surprised that no one had invoked being snowed in. And spent the rest of my day in that office, until, late at night, it was time to work some more at home, and to catch a glimpse of Central London in the snow at night. And work as I may, I'm happy as Larry. As they say.