View from Westminster, 13th January

Cold and Crisp and Even

There is a longing in many to get back the Christmases of their youth to the days of Bing Crosby 'dreaming of a white Christmas'. Certainly the transformed countryside looks spectacular with its white blanket and children across the land have enjoyed tobogganing, building snowmen and throwing the odd snowball. The reality for many, however, is rather different from this ideal view of our wintry weather. Many people cannot get out of their homes, the roads are slippery causing many accidents and food supplies are running short as lorries struggle to get to the stores and farmers battle to get some crops out of the ground.

Blame Gordon?

The first reaction of the tabloid newspapers is to blame the Government for our lack of preparedness, usually with the line "they cope in Sweden don't they". There is, however, a big difference between snow for 2 months every year to snow for 3 weeks every 20 years. In snowy climes you drive on studded tyres, but these don't work on cleared roads so wouldn't really help here. They also have a fleet of snow ploughs at the ready and some industries close down during the wintry blasts. None of these are needed here, the cost would be prohibitive.

Better Planning

There are, however, lots more that could be done to keep our roads moving and pavements safe and most of what can be done is down to the County Council who are responsible for local roads. No council should run out of grit and salt, stock piling that (as Devon actually does) is not a great cost. There is, however, little co-ordination between the County and local communities. Grit bins that exist are abused - why can they not be locked with a couple of local volunteers to open them in time of need and then local people can use them. Grit is needed in town centres, why not distribute grit bags to local shops for them to spread. I know that local councillors like Gordon Hook are raising these issues at County Hall, so hopefully next time we have severe cold weather, life will be a bit easier.

Keyberry Light Success

I was approached by Newton Abbot Councillor Ken Purchase, along with County Councillor Gordon Hook to look at road safety on Keyberry Road near Sainsbury's. I met with them and local residents a couple of months ago. They were concerned that firstly trees and hedges make it hard for drivers to see pedestrians, particularly school children who use the crossing regularly, and secondly as the bridge is single lane, vehicles speed up to get through before meeting possible oncoming traffic. Gordon's and my representations have worked and the county engineers are now to put in temporary traffic lights to see if this works and to cut back the foliage.

The Devil of a Time

January and February 1855 were exceptionally cold with the Exe nearly freezing over. On February 9th there was a series of hooved footprints running from Exmouth to Teignmouth across fields, roads and over buildings. There were many theories at the time as to what caused them, a large bird, a kangaroo, even a donkey. How the latter cleared a 14 foot high wall being ignored! Many, however, saw this as having a more sinister source and they are to this day still known as the devil's footprints.

Snowman Joke

I heard this on the radio. Two snowmen in a field, one asks the other "do you think Gordon Brown's got long to go!"