Star comment: Snow sees best in us come out
Autumn seemed to stretch deep into the winter months as temperatures remained unseasonably high. And then, suddenly, we felt the full force of winter.
Snow fell at a rate that hadn’t been seen in many years and Shropshire and Mid Wales were transformed into a winter wonderland. We were fortunate in many ways that the snow came at the end of last week and through the weekend.
For that gave people both the chance to enjoy the snowy conditions as well as an opportunity to make decisions and plan ahead.
And though there were inevitable crashes on roads, delays, cancellations and closures, the county held up pretty well in the face of an Arctic blast.
One of the most heart-warming aspects of the cold snap was the manner in which people rallied to help their neighbours. Four-by-four drivers volunteered to ferry patients to and from hospitals. Neighbours did the simple kindness of clearing one another’s drives. Relatives made sure their elderly dependants were fed, warm and had provisions to last. And schools and nurseries rallied round to make sure parents did not make unnecessary journeys.
Quite apart from the fun that the snow has brought to some people, it has also brought out the best in our community.
SEE ALSO:
And with forecasters predicting the cold conditions will hang around for much of this week, every one of us can play our part to keep our friends, neighbours and colleagues safe and well.
It is enormously important to travel sensibly. Drivers should continue to avoid making unnecessary journeys, particularly on rural roads, until the ice has gone. It is better to put health and safety first than to be involved in a bump while making a journey that might have been avoided.
Some might be able to work remotely, reschedule appointments or car share with others to keep traffic from the roads. And those that who make journeys should be well prepared with blankets, provisions and shovels to help should they become stuck.
Helping neighbours, particularly the elderly or vulnerable, is the most important of all. The cold has a pernicious effect on health and is incumbent on us all to do what we can to help those who need it most.
Providing hot meals, shovelling snow, salting paths, doing shopping and other, similar tasks can be undertaken on behalf of others. The snow can be enjoyed providing we look out for others.
