UK airports closed

Post by **STEVE G** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 4:25 pm

Well I managed to get into Heathrow this morning and it's not too bad, I'm just heading for Yeovil now.
I certainly hope I can get to work tomorrow as I won't get paid if I don't and may as well of stayed in Thailand!

Post by **redzonerocker** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:26 pm

STEVE G wrote:Well I managed to get into Heathrow this morning and it's not too bad, I'm just heading for Yeovil now.

have you got a sledge & a decent team of huskies??

ps good luck

Post by **Big Boy** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 7:50 pm

STEVE G wrote:Well I managed to get into Heathrow this morning and it's not too bad, I'm just heading for Yeovil now.
I certainly hope I can get to work tomorrow as I won't get paid if I don't and may as well of stayed in Thailand!

I was due to attend a meeting at Westlands Thursday and/or Friday. We've cancelled because of the snow. Much better to work

from home.

Post by **lomuamart** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:38 pm

You're all getting soft back in the UK.
When I was working, I had to make an almost daily drive from Kennington to Crawley and back. During bad winter weather, the A23 would be frozen up around Streatham Common and probably further south, so I invariably turned around and went home. Didn't fancy being cut off for a night or two in Creepy Crawley either.
And, I used to get stick from the MD for that. I used to point out that I didn't have a snowplough as a company vehicle and at least I'd tried to make it in

Post by **redzonerocker** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:51 pm

lomuamart wrote: During bad winter weather, the A23 would be frozen up around Streatham Common and probably further south, so I invariably turned around and went home.

big softy!!

Didn't fancy being cut off for a night or two in Creepy Crawley either.

could have been worse, you could have got stranded in streatham

if that happened these days, that really would be something to worry about

Post by **lomuamart** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 9:13 pm

Yeah. A big night out on the common

Post by **Big Boy** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:32 pm

I really hate this weather - just had a phone call 'instructing' me to work

from home again tomorrow.

Steve, I bet Westlands is a lonely place at the moment

Post by **STEVE G** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:34 pm

Big Boy wrote:
STEVE G wrote:Well I managed to get into Heathrow this morning and it's not too bad, I'm just heading for Yeovil now.
I certainly hope I can get to work tomorrow as I won't get paid if I don't and may as well of stayed in Thailand!
I was due to attend a meeting at Westlands Thursday and/or Friday. We've cancelled because of the snow. Much better to work from home.

Well I made it down here after getting a bus to Woking from Heathrow and then a train via Salisbury, although I thought I was going to get stuck there for a while.
Public transport let me down for the last stage as there were no buses or taxis to get me the last three miles from Yeovil Junction, but luckily an elderly gent kindly stopped and gave me a lift in his small car after I started walking.
I'm now left wondering why he could get down the road in his tiny Diahatsu when a bus couldn't!

Post by **Big Boy** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:50 pm

STEVE G wrote:I'm now left wondering why he could get down the road in his tiny Diahatsu when a bus couldn't!

As lomu and RZR have already stated, were a bunch of softies in the UK these days. I'm sure your bus driver is making up his hours by working

from home, cleaning his ticket machine.

Post by **Jim** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:03 pm

STEVE G wrote: I'm now left wondering why he could get down the road in his tiny Diahatsu when a bus couldn't!

Something to do with the weight to traction ratio

Post by **redzonerocker** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:12 pm

Big Boy wrote: As lomu and RZR have already stated, were a bunch of softies in the UK these days.

mind you if they had of gritted the roads (properly!

), the problem would've been eased.
i got stranded during the last snowfall

got stuck halfway up a hill but managed to reverse/slide back down again & eventually park up in a reasonably safe location.

fortunately it was only a 3/4 mile walk back to my parents house where i spent the night on the sofa

, as opposed to a 2 mile walk home.

i did go to work the next day btw, got picked up by a mate after a short trek to the main road.
his automatic volvo handled the roads a lot better than my peugeot.

today though work isn't a that much of a priority & as i'm self employed i've nobody to answer to & no fear of the axe

.
won't be paid though

Post by **STEVE G** » Wed Jan 06, 2010 11:39 pm

Big Boy wrote:
STEVE G wrote:I'm now left wondering why he could get down the road in his tiny Diahatsu when a bus couldn't!
As lomu and RZR have already stated, were a bunch of softies in the UK these days. I'm sure your bus driver is making up his hours by working from home, cleaning his ticket machine.

Yes, the guard on the train to Salisbury told me that all the delays and cancellations they were having were due to staff shortages and not with the snow actually hampering the trains.

Post by **richard** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:56 am

Having worked for British Rail in the past there are serious traction problems with inclement weather. No doubt staff problems also contribute to the bad service too as their scheduling systems are thrown into disarray

Post by **Big Boy** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:07 am

richard wrote:Having worked for British Rail in the past

So you're the one

Post by **STEVE G** » Thu Jan 07, 2010 1:42 am

Actually I was quite impressed with the efforts of the railway company, Network South West or whatever it's called, as I was half expecting it to be completely closed down and although there was a reduced service, I wasn't that late in the end.
In contrast the local bus company had seemed to of just given up all together.