I'll have a broken hip please !!

[Dris]

Trudged/walked/slithered to work today in conditions you wouldnt believe -car is staying put as the Council has snowed it in as well as myself all last week so its just sitting in the middle of an iceberg.
Pavements are 2/3 foot deep in snow and ice.I crossed the bridge over the River Ericht to get to work and its partially frozen -a subsidiary of the Tay.
Bus stuck in the middle of the town -chaos -passed the mechanic running from the bus garage to get it sorted.Scene set.......

Cue 2 old dears coming out the local 3 nights for the price of one bus party hotel (lovely hotel) with nice light summer jackets on, a pair of ankle boots and slacks and bleeding walking sticks which they were using like Captain of the Antartic to dig in the snow to help them -but to go where ???
They have all the comforts in the hotel why dont they stay put.? Why didnt someone stop them??
I wouldnt have been out if I didnt have to work and im quite nifty -and some people wonder about the younger generation !!

[starone]

I agree Dris. I am staying in in the warm with a blanket round my shoulders. My daughter reckons I have become frozen to the armchair. And we have nothing like what you have got, just a light sprinkling of snow. Very silly, I call it.

[Dris]

Glad youre sound Starbuck:)
I actually did wonder about contacting the hotel then I thought -well theyre passing reception -its a big hotel-so theyre just being stubborn.When will they realise that they arent as youthful nor sprightly -sad really -that what I thought anyhow when i waited until they had cirumnavigated a huge pile of snow.
Im not having a go btw -I do understand but surely if they see chaos around them they would beat the retreat?

[boxtops]

my MIL's in Hamilton, hasn't been able to get out of her flat for a fortnight.

[sandyRoe]

What's she doing for drink? Has it not run out yet?

[Dris]

Boxy -i'm surmising someone is helping her out.The 10 days I was off I made sure that I chapped the doors and got messages in and just did things to help out as the last thing I wanted was to see them going out !!
It pains me -but the ones i saw were English and it made me wonder if they really did have a clue what its like up here-its not a jolly at all.
Boxy -I was almost stir crazy -it hasnt got better but it hasnt got worse if you know what i mean -just the ice on top but the school has opened and I have to get there by hook or by crook as the country cant grind to a halt -just the same as H made a tortuous journey to get to work today.
But if you dont have to fo out its plain daft - especially if youre elderly !

[starone]

I am very lucky. My neighbours bring stuff in for me, whatever I want, and I have a good stock of food and drink. I am sure there are plenty of kind neighbours who will do the same for others. Can't understand them, it is obvious you are going to fall at some time in conditions like this.

[karenmac60]

I think it's that British stiff upper lip 'we're not going to let anything stop us' attitude and it's daft. The weather has been awful, it's got a lot worse here the past couple of days - daughter's school closed yesterday, all council buildings have closed at lunchtime 2 days running, -17 today with freezing fog. I went up on my @rse coming out of work - I'd bought milk too as the local shop has run out, and I burst the blooming bottle - all over myself and all my other shopping :( I hope those wee ladies are alright, some folk are just too stubborn for their own good!

[Dris]

Karen -its hard to project just what its like.I hope they didnt get any farther than the pavement they we trying to circumnavigate -thing is they wouldnt have gotten far.It annoys me as its so unnessecarry as someone could be having a heart attack and the ambulance is taken up with something which could be avoided -its only a small town..Its not the blitz and it would serve them well to remember and stay cosy in their own houses/hotels with home helps,family and neighbours to help.
I feel for you I dont know how man back forward backs I did to stay uprught and I was fuming when I got to work as the boss who has another 'big' job with the council was given a week off but we've to come in.Spesh when I ventured into the lounge and its like something else with HUGE tree and lights and theyre watching a Xmas film and leaving their empty cuppies for me to take down -no I wanst in the best of humours.

[annie0000]

My poor mum broke her hip last year and was lucky enough to get a replacement. She will not venture out in any kind of slippy weather now and has been stuck in her wee flat for over two weeks - we are stuck in our street 40 miles away, but some family have managed a couple of visits and her neighbours have been good to her. I think she is getting stir crazy though and is aware herself that she is getting bad tempered with the frustration - there is only so many times she can wander from bedroom to livingroom and up and down the hall before it gets a bit boring. she said is like being a prisoner but with no warders for company :o(

[Dris]

Och annie -feel for ya and I wasnt being flippant with my post I really was astonished..
Im even wary and ive only had 2 falls on soft snow but its a different kettle of fish now -the hard packed snow/ice and black ice are killers and we've had a few fatalities just from pavements -makes you wary.I'm fed up with it so can just imagine what its like for your Mum -you feel so trapped.i literally cant or wouldnt go farther than my work -i m convinced im gonna fall and do myself an injury (
Least yer Mum has you lads -it helps:)