Snow... more snow... and yet more snow

Monday... we decide to get serious about finding a new house...after all, its really just a month away.


Wednesday....many hours spent searching online and asking people "what areas wont i get stabbed in?"

Thursday... phone calls made, 5 houses to look at on Saturday... weather forecast... huge snow falls expected... 6inches and blizzard conditions. Well that should make for interesting house views.

Friday... Snow falls around Birmingham... certainly an unusual thing.. to be visiting clients and brushing snow off myself as i go in...However the forecast says that the snow wont be serious on sat, just some light falls..phew... the house viewing should be fine.

Saturday, 8am, minus 3 degrees, off we go to find the house. Nic's searching had us booked to see houses at 9... 9.20 and 9.30.  Then a break until the next at 11.45....then 12.30..... then 1.30. The first three were all close so shouldnt be a problem... then plenty of time so all will be smooth.

As we leave home, barely any snow falling just a very light dusting, we get to the first house early, looks ok but the snow is starting to get heavier... we go inside... no good. So we hop in the car to the next, the snow is falling quite heavily.. it all looks beautiful...HOWEVER... the couple of slips and slides as we turn around is a example of the driving to come, the 2nd house is pretty nice, doesnt have off road parking, which is a concern, but otherwise.. looks good and close to work.. only 3 miles (5 kilometres) so i expect the drive to only take about 15 minutes (hahahahahahahahahahaaaa) Off to the next one, the roads are now deep.. 2-3 inches in snow, the major roads are ok and well gritted.. the side streets... well, they arent! we find ourselves slipping and a sliding and laughing at the silliness of snow... as we head up a small hill to the 3rd house.. the wheel spinning and back sliding begins, but again we manage fine...check the house out.. but again... not right for us.

The radio is telling us that the snow is getting rather serious, heathrow has been closed... Brmingham airport closed... all the premier league games called off..yes indeedy this was serious. Apparently the news is saying this is already a colder winter than last year...oh dear  :)

A break until the next house...so we sneak into mcdonalds for a cuppa and a discussion, as we sit inside watching the roads become covered... watch the cars as they slide into curbs.. or dont move as their wheels spin and nothing happens, we go to the next house... the snow is now 4 inches deep on the car and the streets... even the bigger roads are snowy and slippery this is getting rather difficult...nothing over 25 miles an hour, The house is no good..so off to the next... in the mean time the next agents had rung us 3 times to check we were coming because the weather was sooo bad... aas we left the house.. it was just a very sligh incline..barley an incline at all infact... but it really still was difficult to drive as we just could not get any grip at all.. eventually we got going and on the way.. the snow is now 6 inches, all roads are covered, the gritters cant keep up.

We get  stuck in traffic.. but, why we wonder...then we see a hill... and cars 2/3rds of the way up it... halfway up it...1/3rd of the way up it...eek.. just sliiiiiding back down it... One car is stuck halfway up.. the people have effectively given up and just left it there.....we begin heading up it.. when the car infront of us, decides to stop... (YOU IDIOT!!) and try to help the stuck car... after 10 mins.. he realises he cant help (YOU STUPID IDIOT!!) and discovers.. he is now stuck too... (YOU STUPPID...STUPID...IDIOT!!!).

We sit there for another 10 minutes as he struggles to drive up this hill.. a couple of blokes hop out and push him as the wheels spin  he eventually makes it to the top and now.. its our turn.

Ok..heres the picture, It is minus 3 degrees, snowing heavily... we are halfway up a hill with an incline not quite as steep as Mill road... but steep and about a similar length. I put the Astra into gear, let out the clutch and ease off the hand brake... the snowy trees begin to eevvvver so slowwwllllyyy drift past us, the wheels spin and scream and i discover that... the trees are going the wrong way...we are sliding backwards down the hill!! towards the queue of cars behind us.. STOPPPP!!!!

After a few minutes of different driving techniques, we have moved no more than  6 inches forward.. and probably 2 foot backwards... another couple of blokes.. get onto the back of our car and start pushing, with their help and an incredible amount of chugging, kangaroo hopping.. and different wheels spinning we reach the top of the hill and are safe!!!!


OR NOT!!!


Nic's commentary....(Super BIG file)...

Obviously we had to cancel the next house view...as we had now been stuck for around 40 minutes and there was an equally big hill at the next one...so we decided..lets go home. Home was 30 miles away... so shouldnt be too long... oh how very wrong i was...it took us and hour and a half to travel the 3 miles into the city and then another 50 mins to get home...wow.

BUT!!!  the snow really is beautiful.. the whole countryside is just spectacularly post card like, simply simply stunning.