Family do in Cambridgeshire and what should be a 10 mile trip to pick relatives up from hotel turns into a 40 mile epic
Main road into St Neots shut because of a serious accident and we passed at least three other accidents with police in attendance - reckon that's probably got every cop car on Cambridgeshire tied up this morning
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Icy roads hereabouts last night. Felt the rear of my car trying to make a break for freedom a couple of times. No drama really, quite good fun in a way and easily catchable but you can see why someone unused to, or as yet, inexperienced in these conditions might have been caught out.
Heading out on the mountain bikes in a bit. Soup in flask as we speak...
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sun 29 Dec 13 at 11:27
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I got up this morning to go for a bike ride in the sunshine. But at 8.00 I could see the roads outside were covered in frost and my chances of staying upright limited. So back to bed it was.
About to go out now on a shorter ride but there is still plenty of frost on the roofs in the shadows.
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Fab trail ride today. Cold but bright sunshine and not a breath of wind. Lungs now inside out but otherwise unscathed. Some icy patches but at least the mud was correspondingly less gloopy.
Hot toddies now...
;-)
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>> Hot toddies now...
>> ;-)
And a soothing cigarette or two to reinflate yr punished lungs...
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Tempting thought AC, tempting thought...
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I'm glad I didn't go out cycling at 8.00. It was cold enough at 1pm.
Less miles than expected were covered because I found a bike shop with 20% off all stock. Two hours later after lots of browsing, test ride of a new bike, and some buying I ended up cycling home in the dark.
I think I will be going back in a few days for a few more test rides. :-)
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Just took the dog for a couple of miles along the canal. Fine while he was off the lead but there's one short stretch where you have to cross a busy road in the dark so I popped his lead on there for safety. The pavement was really icy and I didn't notice the cat...
I've a fairly sore bum now from when it struck the deck...
Never mind, toddy number 2 now in hand
;-)
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Funny ole world, where the liquid we need to sustain life, can lead to our demise.
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There's been a posh Land Rover thing on bricks in a semi-layby in the main drag of one of our two little towns for a couple of weeks, with the brake and wheel bearing of a rear wheel exposed. I've just fetched a nipper from the station, and on the way back saw someone under it struggling with the job, whatever it is, in the dark. It's very cold and there's still a lot of water about.
He has my great sympathy. I've been there, and I don't ever want to be there again. It could easily do me in...
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>>There's been a posh Land Rover thing on bricks in a semi-layby in the main drag of one of our two little towns for a couple of weeks
If it's been there for 2 weeks, why would the owner chose a cold Sunday night to work on it?
He/she is possibly a tea leaf.
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>> He/she is possibly a tea leaf.
Never seen a woman doing anything as potty as that, although Pat may have the odd anecdote... But I must say that's a bit uncharitable of you Perro. The way I read it is busy person, strapped for cash, car needed soon, only time available... that's how it usually was with me.
Anyway I passed there again twenty minutes ago and they had gone, job still unfinished. Or perhaps that was just a tealeaf nicking a few parts while the going was good... ('Ah! Grease nipples for the rear universal... I'll have those. And a halfshaft while I'm about it...').
:o}
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We had a hard frost this morning (South Glos) but once it lifted it was glorious sunshine. Been on two decent long walks today on my own with the dog across the fields and woods, not sure who is the more tired, me or him!
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>> We had a hard frost this morning (South Glos) but once it lifted it was
>> glorious sunshine. Been on two decent long walks today on my own with the dog
>> across the fields and woods, not sure who is the more tired, me or him!
>>
Just a bit down from you in N.Somerset it was very frosty this am. Whole road was white when I got up but the strong sun soon sorted that. Nice crisp sunny day
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>>Or perhaps that was just a tealeaf nicking a few parts while the going was good...
You obviously mean borrow, Sire, they don't nick things in your neck-of-the-woods.
;-)
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Almost looked like it had snowed here first thing this morning. Like in MJW's territory we got bright sunshine later - but not everywhere.
Coming home from errands I took the back route. OK until lane crosses bridge over the fast lines of the WCML, turns parallel to the railway for a straight half a mile - and enters deep shade. Any thought of 'flooring it' even in my 75PS 1.9 quickly dispelled by sight of lots of ice - stayed at 15-20 and still felt edgy!!
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We managed our walk into town today but not by the riverside route we'd planned because the meadows are underwater. (Had an awkward moment when 12yo Beestling Major had to remind me that the shallow puddle we were standing in - which appeared to extend as far as the eye could see - didn't just shelve gently into the distance but actually dropped over the riverbank about two metres away. Would have been embarrassingly easy to waddle gaily into the Thames.)
Anyway, yes, pleasant sunshine here too but lots of ice in the shadows, and also plenty of that snow-like hoarfrost (if that's the right word) that Bromp describes. Still better than being pinned indoors by the rain and wind, though.
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You can tell the thames is high, when one side of the weir is the same as the other and there is no sound of pounding water falling - it just flows. Was like that at Weybridge lock today, the ducks and swans whooshing past at about 15 knots - sideways.
If we get the promised three more days of heavy rain this is going to be a major mess.
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>> If we get the promised three more days of heavy rain this is going to
>> be a major mess.
>>
Where you live is a choice, I am about 100M above sea level so if I get my feet wet it will be the least of my problems.
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Bit windy again here last night and there was some heavy rain in the wee small hours. Seems to have blown through now though. Blue sky and noticeably warmer than yesterday.
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Been raining and blowing from before first light until last half hour. Now brightening and turning to showers. Still a strong wind though.
Ground locally, slow draining clay, is utterly waterlogged. Water flowing out of fields onto roads adding mud/grit etc to the hazards. Very wary of it on our Xmas morning bike ride round the lanes.
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WIndy as anything on the 5 yard walk from the party home last night. Pouring with rain all night. Photos from Llanberis on FB warn of bad flooding (in a repeat of last year's flood) - very mild this morning. Popping out in a mo - Pete's Eats just what the doctor ordered after a heavy night. Self tested on my French breath kit. No reaction.
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>> >> If we get the promised three more days of heavy rain this is going
>> to
>> >> be a major mess.
>> >>
>>
>> Where you live is a choice, I am about 100M above sea level so if
>> I get my feet wet it will be the least of my problems.
>>
100M? pff....150M here..
If we flood, the Cheshire and half of Staffordshire will be under the sea... (and London as well)
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Not all flooding comes from the sea, you can get flooded high up.
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>>If we flood, the Cheshire and half of Staffordshire will be under the sea... (and London as well)
It's not all bad news then.
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They tried to increase my house insurance because I live near a river(in fact,two and a canal)but I live halfway up a hill and for me to be flooded the houses at the bottom would be completely submerged.
Last edited by: jc2 on Mon 30 Dec 13 at 13:53
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Ffflippin freezing - Runfer D'Hills
