The ice storm… (From The Northern Echo)

The ice storm…

8:09pm Thursday 9th February 2012 in Cockfield

If you looked out of your window this morning you probably thought it was just another cold, wet and dark day, it wasn’t until you stepped outside you realised that everything, paths, roads, walls and gates were covered in a thick layer of ice.

Yes it was raining but, as it fell onto ground that has been below zero for over a week now, it instantly froze and turned the village into an ice rink. It was that bad I had to snap a dog off a lamp post. Sarah Llewellyn came out with the quote of the winter when she described a man who was shivering in the cold as ‘shaking like a Tow Law rabbit’!

Dot Gamble rang me at work to enquire what the paths were like in Darlington as she was debating whether to cancel her hair appointment. As it was ok in town she gingerly negotiated the paths up to the bus stop. I received a call from her about an hour later saying she would be late as the new bus routes had confused her and she was on her way to Barnard Castle via Woodland! Once in Barny she rang me again to tell me that the Darlington bus had been cancelled and since her shadow had frozen to the pavement, she was heading back to Cockfield. I KNOW I shouldn’t have laughed… See you at the weekend Dot!

Anyway, as the temperature plummets again tonight, I can’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy for all you ex-pats reading this in Australia or UAE or South Africa… you know who you are and any invites of accommodation next winter would be much appreciated!!