February 5th 2009

It snowed on Monday, and by Tuesday, I was driving Nan back to Thurcroft, where I stayed with her for a few days. Midweek, she had a hospital appointment to get her eye checked. As it turns out, since her accident, her vision has changed, meaning the treatment they had planned was no longer suitable. Instead of a quick fix, we got a five-week wait for a fresh consultation. NHS time, as ever, moves at a leisurely pace.

The day I left to head home, with a quick detour to Newark to see Charlotte before the next snow dump arrived, step-brother David and Genya kindly popped in that evening to keep Nan company. Top marks for timing.

Before departing Newark, I squeezed in a classic British fish and chip lunch with the family, read Lucas a couple of stories (he was polite enough not to critique my character voices), and then set off home, nervously eyeing the menacing snow-heavy skies, hoping they’d hold their load until I was safely back.

Come Thursday, we woke to find the world outside had vanished under a blanket of snow. After breakfast, Sarah and I got to work constructing a Cyberman snowman, surely the most chilling villain in Doctor Who and on the front lawn. Meanwhile, Jamie, ever the optimist, decided to attempt an escape in his car. We warned him it wouldn’t work; the snow was far too deep, but teenage confidence knows no bounds.

His car, with its low-profile wheels and lowered suspension (a whopping 20cm off the ground), was about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Half an hour, several wheel spins, and five mates pushing later, he finally admitted defeat. With a snowboard slung under his arm, he set off on foot for the hills outside Harborough.

On a more thoughtful note, Charlotte sent Sue a beautiful bunch of flowers to lift her spirits after her recent bout of illness. Very sweet, and perfectly timed. One unexpected benefit of the snow was that Sue and I weren’t summoned into school to cover for staff sickness. The snow had done what no admin department ever could: closed the place down entirely.