North West Cold Spell Discussion

[V for Very Cold]

Sorry do you have any proof to back up that statement, besides its really simple, not all teachers will make it in and not all pupils will either, but that's no reason why school should not be open for those that can get in. Yes classes may have to be re-jigged and this is what happened when I was at school in the 60s and 70s, even in rural areas, I know because I went to school in a rural area and despite some pretty mega falls, we were never sent home. Hospitals don't close because staff can't make it in and they are just as likely to live a long way from work, as do many others in all sorts of work areas. Plus we have a problem with children being sent home to a possibly unsupervised environment. Given the way this winter is shaping up sending children home just because of snow on the ground or small amounts falling for the sky is likely to lead to an awful amount of lost days.

On this note its rather curious that one of our clients who works at a school in Manchester 20+miles away managed to get to work on Monday with no problems, yet the local school was closed. We work for ourselves we live in a rural area yet we have got a round to all our customers all of whom managed to get to work except the teachers. Without doubt this has nothing to do with travel distance or heath and safety and everything to do with a work culture.

gosh ! - that's rather a forceful reply to my observation. So if you want me to justify it I will simply refer to the rise in car ownership from the 1950's onwards. I could quote the ratio of annual salary to average vehicle cost and how it has lowered. My simple point is that teachers do now have cars and as such it you map out the location of staffing around a school you virtually always find it is they who are far more distant than the students. In the past this was not the case - the staff often lived fairly close to the school and had to travel either by foot or appropriate public transport. And the key issue to running a school is having teachers - not students. A school will close even if all the teachers are in, but there are no students whilst a school may close wqith all students in - but only 2/3 the staff. As for the comparison with the NHS- it is simply unhelpful and irrelevant as the legal ties that bind them are completely different - let us not foget the dozens of wards that close during a winter vomiting infection.

I find it dispppointing to be dragged into unpleasantness on these threads and for those who read my twaddle, you know I enjoy a bit of intellectual stimulation and a lot of genial banter. Oh and as regards to my earlier comment, maybe a deputy head who has worked with authorities on emergency planning in cities and large rural areas, with parents who were both headteachers and worked with the authorities and government may have the freedom to make a breif comment without unpleasantness ensuing

sorry mods - apologies for this reply - please delete it if you feel it has breached the "cold weather" guidelines - and my deepest apologies to all in advance

anyway - when's the next bout of snow lololol

Edited January 5, 2010 by V for Very Cold

[James M]

anyway - when's the next bout of snow lololol

This is the radar atm, quite a few showers packing into the NE

[thewirral]

Moderatlley snowing now. Possibly half a centimietre top up if this keeps up

[snowingtequila]

gosh ! - that's rather a forceful reply to my observation. So if you want me to justify it I will simply refer to the rise in car ownership from the 1950's onwards. I could quote the ratio of annual salary to average vehilce cost and how it has lowered. My simple point is that teachers do now haev cars and as such it you map out the location of staffing around a school you virtually always find it is they who are far more distant than the students. In the past this was not the case - the staff often lived fairly close to the school and had to travel either by foot or appropriate public transport. And the key issue to running a school is having teachers - not students. A school will close even if all the teachers are in, but there are no students whilst a school may close wqith all students in - but only 2/3 the staff

I find it dispppointing to be dragged into unpleasantness on these threads and for those who read my twaddle, you know I enjoy a bit of intellectual stimulation and a lot of genial banter. Oh and as regards to my earlier comment, maybe a deputy head who has worked with authorities on emergency planning in cities and large rural areas, with parents who were both headteachers and worked with the authorities and government may have the freedom to make a breif comment without unpleasantness ensuing

sorry mods - apologies for this reply - please delete it if you feel it has breached the "cold weather" guidelines - and my deepest apologies to all in advance

anyway - when's the next bout of snow lololol

I didn't think there was any unpleasantness here at all. People can surely have opinions on things different without a suggestion of being unpleasant! I still think it is ridiculous schools, offices etc. closing and things grinding to a halt, I hope such opinions aren't deemed unpleasant

[snowdrifter]

A school will close even if all the teachers are in, but there are no students whilst a school may close wqith all students in - but only 2/3 the staff

Hi V - I work in a school in Leyland, but we have teachers from all over given the proximity of the M6, one who comes from near Lancaster, so you mention very important points. Schools are under pressure not to close and it creates lots of work for senior management to document what happened, when, why by whom etc etc.

Re weather, its been a lovely winter's day by the sea! 3" of snow at least and possibly more in this wonder-winter!!

[Mark.C]

Persistant snow this morning, gave a good 2 -3 inches at least. Has anyone tried to ride a pushbike in these conditions? its hard work il tell you especially with a heavy bag of mail on the front . Anyway hope everyone got their fair share and it looks like all eyes on the precipitation heading in from the NE.

[V for Very Cold]

I didn't think there was any unpleasantness here at all. People can surely have opinions on things different without a suggestion of being unpleasant! I still think it is ridiculous schools, offices etc. closing and things grinding to a halt, I hope such opinions aren't deemed unpleasant

you're probably right - I am just unused to making a observation and being told to justify with such vigour - I blame my short temper on the lack of snow in thew past 1 and a half lol

[Backtrack]

Huh? 8 inch almost up to your knees lol? How small are you? My friend in Runcorn says it's about 6" deep....

5 foot 10.

It's half way in between my knees and my foot.

[V for Very Cold]

backtrack - surely your foot is 12"

[wysiwyg]

Persistant snow this morning, gave a good 2 -3 inches at least. Has anyone tried to ride a pushbike in these conditions? its hard work il tell you especially with a heavy bag of mail on the front :blink: . Anyway hope everyone got their fair share and it looks like all eyes on the precipitation heading in from the NE.

It's good fun in a wheelchair - mega tail-slides. Downside is it is bloomin cold on the old hands! :lol:

[thewirral]

It has stopped snowing now. Hoping for another dumping tonight !!

[Liam J]

hoping some of them showers move further inland, very acitve bands coming in off the north sea.

current temp -3.5c DP -6c

ready for any snow should it turn up

[Munchermark]

Is there actually anychance of them snow showers up north which are near the lakes now getting down here?

[V for Very Cold]

bloody 'ell - missed the MetO upgrade (ish)- unsurprisingly we have a warning of icy reads , but 10 miles down the roads has a snow warning :? What do you think - is it worth a flutter :? lol

[weather eater]

gosh ! - that's rather a forceful reply to my observation. So if you want me to justify it I will simply refer to the rise in car ownership from the 1950's onwards. I could quote the ratio of annual salary to average vehilce cost and how it has lowered. My simple point is that teachers do now haev cars and as such it you map out the location of staffing around a school you virtually always find it is they who are far more distant than the students. In the past this was not the case - the staff often lived fairly close to the school and had to travel either by foot or appropriate public transport. And the key issue to running a school is having teachers - not students. A school will close even if all the teachers are in, but there are no students whilst a school may close wqith all students in - but only 2/3 the staff

I find it dispppointing to be dragged into unpleasantness on these threads and for those who read my twaddle, you know I enjoy a bit of intellectual stimulation and a lot of genial banter. Oh and as regards to my earlier comment, maybe a deputy head who has worked with authorities on emergency planning in cities and large rural areas, with parents who were both headteachers and worked with the authorities and government may have the freedom to make a breif comment without unpleasantness ensuing

sorry mods - apologies for this reply - please delete it if you feel it has breached the "cold weather" guidelines - and my deepest apologies to all in advance

anyway - when's the next bout of snow lololol

Not as you say the really the place for this conversation and In truth I was not meaning to be offensive, just trying to ascertain whether you could back up that statement. Its a fair answer you have given but I have to disagree with you, mainly because I know for a fact that several of my teachers had to make it in to work from outlying areas when I was at school. Plus most cars are now much better equipped for adverse road conditions than when I was at school. Both pupils and teachers in rural areas live out of walking distance from schools so that would balance itself out, as they did when I was at school. In fact I would guess that a quarter of the pupils at my high school, maybe more, were bussed in from outlying areas. Often its not extreme weather that that closes schools its small amounts of snow on the ground or small amounts of falling snow. Other people have to get into work and manage to do so.

A crucial aspect of all this is, what will we do if this cold spell goes on and on, keep children off school for maybe the next month or heaven forbid the next two months. Have them wandering around, frequently unsupervised, falling through ice etc.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not down on teachers, several are close friends, but most of them would admit that days off for bad weather are a perk of the job. The rest of us have to deal with the fallout from that perk.

[Backtrack]

It has stopped snowing now. Hoping for another dumping tonight !!

We wont get much more tonight, the showers will be torn to shreds by the pennines, manchester will see the last of the showers before they melt away completley IMO.

[Slowpoke]

Was really hoping for some more tonight here in Blackpool but it seems that any snow that tries to come over to us from the East get's broken up along the way. We always share our snow with the east!

Edited January 5, 2010 by extreme

[V for Very Cold]

Not as you say the really the place for this conversation and In truth I was not meaning to be offensive, just trying to ascertain whether you could back up that statement. Its a fair answer you have given but I have to disagree with you, mainly because I know for a fact that several of my teachers had to make it in to work from outlying areas when I was at school. Plus most cars are now much better equipped for adverse road conditions than when I was at school. Both pupils and teachers in rural areas live out of walking distance from schools so that would balance itself out, as they did when I was at school. In fact I would guess that a quarter of the pupils at my high school, maybe more, were bussed in from outlying areas. Often its not extreme weather that that closes schools its small amounts of snow on the ground or small amounts of falling snow. Other people have to get into work and manage to do so.

A crucial aspect of all this is, what will we do if this cold spell goes on and on, keep children off school for maybe the next month or heaven forbid the next two months. Have them wandering around, frequently unsupervised, falling through ice etc.

Don't get me wrong I'm not down on teachers, several are close friends, but most of them would admit that days off for bad weather are a perk of the job. The rest of us have to deal with the fallout from that perk.

lets agree to disagree and just enjoy the snow - honours equal

[Louise]

Still snowing lightly here, about an inch on the ground, maybe a fraction more.

[Mark.C]

Was really hoping for some more tonight here in Blackpool but it seems that any snow that tries to come over to us from the East get's broken up along the way. We always share our snow with the east!

Yes im hoping for some more, keep watching the radar, we have done really well for lying snow on the coast this early in the season.

[thewirral]

We wont get much more tonight, the showers will be torn to shreds by the pennines, manchester will see the last of the showers before they melt away completley IMO.

Keep the faith Backtrack!

[weather eater]

lets agree to disagree and just enjoy the snow - honours equal

Fair dinkum and please, I can be rather blunt at times, my many years have not tempered me much, but I truly meant no offence. I certainly have enjoyed the snow, the best I've seen since 1987.

[seasider]

Yes im hoping for some more, keep watching the radar, we have done really well for lying snow on the coast this early in the season.

According to Accuweather?? forecast snow between midnight and 3AM for my postcode (FY5), can't see where its going to come from though looking at present radar.

[martinj2]

Aw man......what an effing event......it's finised now, but I haven't seen snow like that for decades....congratulations to HC and others who called this yesterday.

-2C here now

[Slowpoke]

To be fair though, we were forecast rain last night and a new band unexpectedly formed this morning which caused the snow for the coastel areas. Anything could happen. Most of the times we get snow here in Blackpool it's not forecast!!