TheBoyEllis Blog

Snowfall in London. Time to cancel everything, then. Including the Tube (?).

I sincerely hope that none of our friends on the continent have been watching Sky News this morning. If they have caught glimpses of the headlines I’d imagine they’re probably still rolling around on the floor, tears streaming down their face in fits of uncontrollable laughter.

A few inches of the white stuff and this country coughs, puffs and eventually grinds to a halt. It’s embarrassing.

What’s more, all news items seems to be fixated on our glorious capital, the occupants of which have seemingly never witnessed snow before. Inane pictures of people’s temporarily fluffy white cars somehow made the headlines as did the closure of major roads and rail networks.

Even the Tube was closed. I’m sorry? It’s underground. How much snow can fall underground? I really cannot fathom that one.

And why can’t planes take off in the snow? How do they manage in the Antarctic or Iceland?

It worries me all this. What would we do in a real disaster situation? I am genuinely quite frightened at the prospect if we can’t even deal with snowfall.

I live in Northampton which had its fair share over night. It hasn’t affected my day even slightly. I wasn’t late to work, I didn’t miss my dentist appointment and, unlike the Peugeot I saw on the way to the Tooth Fairy, didn’t stack my car into a wall.

If anything, the journey into work this morning was blissful; relatively quiet and punctuated by stunning scenes of snow-covered hills. I just wish I’d remembered my camera.

The last thing we need during a recession is for people to be given yet another excuse not to bother with work. If you have heeded warnings of staying in today, you’ve wasted your time and, more importantly, your contribution towards reviving the economy. Get off your backside, get in your car and make your way to work – your country, as pathetic as it is, needs you.

It’s 2009. Having switched on the internet, radio and TV this morning, I’ve been bombarded with people wishing me a happy new year and it’s getting rather dull.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m perfectly happy, I’m just not a huge fan of making a big thing about the calendar clicking over to a new year. I had an enjoyable ‘NYE’ but even that consisted of me simply getting drunk and paying no particular attention to the clock – just another night in, then.

I’ve never been ‘out’ on new year’s eve. I have either worked (do it if you can – you’ll make a shed-load of cash) or have chosen to spend the night in with loved ones, far from the crowds that hit the local town centre. I just simply can’t understand the fascination with going out, on what is essentially a normal night, and spending an inordinate amount of time queuing to get into pubs which, upon paying money to get in (?) you’ll spend the remainder of the night being shouldered about at the bar in a vain attempt to buy your first over-priced drink. You probably won’t get that drink either, as you’ll be distracted by someone you used to go to school with who you’d much rather punch in the face than talk to but will be coerced into doing the latter. Because it’s new year’s eve.

And then I suppose you’ll need to get home which will inevitably involve hailing a taxi. Only ‘hailing’ on new year’s eve actually means standing in a four mile queue in sub zero temperatures for an hour before eventually getting into a taxi that will rid you of your life savings in exchange for a two mile drive.

It’s all over so quickly, too. It’s now the 2^nd of January and all the festive merry-making seems so long ago. I had to resist the urge to put my foot through my TV last night when an advert for a Christmas saving company was aired. ‘Start saving now for Christmas 2009′ was the depressing tag line. Surely, amongst all the current financial turmoil, the last thing any of us should be worrying about is next Christmas. Add to that holidays. As is always the case at this time of year, advert breaks are filled with images of sun drenched Spanish beaches and (even more uninviting) Butlins. According to Sky News, we’re all going to lose our jobs next week so I fail to see how any of us can be planning expensive foreign holidays or putting £100 aside each month to pay for Christmas 2009.

Some good news, though – I’m off on a stag do tomorrow in London which should prove far more enjoyable than any forced festive enjoyment.

Happy New Year!

Whoops.