A Snow Day In Mossley

They warn you and warn you about the weather, and it’s naturally something we love to talk and whine about - being British. But then when they don’t issue weather warnings and you start thinking you may as well just ignore the forecast because it’s never right, you wake up to 6 inches of snow outside your door.  

And that’s what happened this morning; completely unexpected, a beautiful covering of pure white snow blanketing the hills, the roads and everywhere in between, making the little village of Mossley at the foot of the Pennines even more picturesque than usual.  

As curtains were thrown back and tentative footsteps were taken to assess the possibility of getting cars out on the road, it quickly became clear that this would be difficult. And as you would expect in England, everything pretty much came to a standstill. 

A snow day was declared. 

Of course, you could say that every day is a snow day when you work from home, but today was proper white, and proper wintry. It literally didn’t stop snowing until 4pm, and having taken the dog out in the morning, was definitely an occasion for wrapping up warm and staying inside. 

Do you REALLY need to go out? 

And that's what I think everyone should've done. It’s easy to complain and whinge about the snow, and how we’re so unprepared and pathetic in this country deal with anything other than a bit of sleet. 

I lived in Wisconsin, USA for two years, where they generally have this much snow on the ground for at least 2 months every year. 

So yes, they have amazing machines that clear both the roads and the pavements overnight, so you can get to work easily. They don’t stop in their tracks because of a snow storm, or run out of salt and grit because they’re unprepared.  

They just deal with it, and we don’t. We get chaos as everything comes to a halt.

 

But so what? How often does it actually happen that we get more than a sprinkling of snow? We can moan about council cuts and the lack of gritters/plowers, but when you look at it logically, it’s really not economically viable to invest in machinery that sits idle for 350 days of the year. 

When was the last time you literally couldn’t get out on the road because it was too dangerous to risk? 

Maybe once a year, if that. So when you do get a snow day, why do you need to try and get to wherever you need  think you need to be? Can you not afford that one day to just relax, change your plans, and enjoy being snowed in? 

Why do you need to risk your own life and that of others, navigating treacherous roads just to get to appointments that can be easily rearranged. Except in urgent circumstances, I am sure you can afford to just changes plans, and stay home. 

I see people complaining that some are using the snow day as an excuse to stay home and skive work, but so what - it only happens once a year. You can work from home if you want, you can make up the time elsewhere, and instead, you can enjoy yourself.

You can get out, and enjoy the snow. 

Bringing out the best in people

Whilst some in Mossley did insist on spinning around corners and sitting in long traffic jams, it seemed that many did just decide they could take the day for what it was, and enjoy the snow. 

And it was great to see that. It was great to see people giving up their cars and actually having to walk to places. Where they might’ve driven to the corner shop or the train station, they had to dig out their boots and walk.  

In a small town like Mossley, maybe it would be nice to go without cars more often; you can get everything you need without them.

It was inspiring to see how many social media posts there were in community groups like ‘The Real Mossley’ about offers for help. Those who were out and about were offering support to others who were struggling, or asking if they could pick up groceries for any elderly in the area who couldn’t get out themselves.  

And that was really nice; the snow was bringing out the best in people. 

It was the same on the corner of our street by Raja’s. There’s a wood recycling firm called Plevins at the end of the road, and their trucks were still out and about, finding themselves regularly getting stuck on this corner. So, some staff members were sent from the firm to dig out the snow and help them navigate around.  

But these blokes (I’m fairly certain they were from Plevins, but not 100%), then stayed on the corner, and helped everyone else out. They were pushing cars up roads, guiding them to safe parking spaces, and digging out the snow wherever they could. 

It was nice to see such great community camaraderie.  

Wandering the PBW

We took the opportunity to wander up above Mossley on one of our favourite walks to Greenfield across the Pennine Bridle Way. It was shin deep in snow, which then later turned to slush, but it was a fun walk with great views. The perfect way to get out, get some exercise and enjoy the snow day. 

You can see some more pictures here: Snow Day in Mossley 

When we returned, we found that all the parked cars on our street had been shovelled out, with the snow cleared from all around them. What a considerate thought. Whether it was the Plevins' guys again, or some really helpful neighbour, someone had dug out every car on the road, and given them an easy chance to get out on the road. 

Not that they should. Car keys should stay hung up on snow days.