Brrrrr

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 20th Dec, '10, 04:48

Well we might as well enjoy some photos of snow and ice, even if it's messing up plans for quite a few of us

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/g ... 358?page=1

Scrummy Mummy · Post by **Scrummy Mummy** » 20th Dec, '10, 19:15

It's bloody freezing! I have had to succumb to buying the fashion monstrosity that is the fleece!

BoD · Post by **BoD** » 20th Dec, '10, 23:50

Finally made it to Paris. Not actually all that cold

Morrolan · Post by **Morrolan** » 21st Dec, '10, 17:31

are you there yet?

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 21st Dec, '10, 17:35

Well we're not due to set off 'til Thurs teatime Oz time so anything could happen before then.

Neo called Qantas this morning and they said they won't set off from SYD unless LHR says they can land, but for us that's 24 hours apart and things change in 24 hours.

Singapore, get the spare beds ready

Of course being able to land and being able to get up to the North East are two different things entirely. Tack, get the spare bed ready

Tack · Post by **Tack** » 21st Dec, '10, 17:41

No problem K.

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 21st Dec, '10, 20:47

Space at the Xmas brunch table for saturday lunch required?

cromasaig · Post by **cromasaig** » 21st Dec, '10, 21:18

Kooky wrote:Tack, get the spare bed ready

So long as my Dad isn't already in it.

Actually, BA say they can't get him to Frankfurt until Christmas Eve night, and I'm gently encouraging him to cancel and make the trip in a couple of weeks time instead. It doesn't leave a lot of margin for error - and it's BA, remember...

Morrolan · Post by **Morrolan** » 21st Dec, '10, 21:27

Fat Bob wrote:Space at the Xmas brunch table for saturday lunch required?

when, where?

Tack · Post by **Tack** » 21st Dec, '10, 21:31

cromasaig wrote:
Kooky wrote:Tack, get the spare bed ready
So long as my Dad isn't already in it.

Actually, BA say they can't get him to Frankfurt until Christmas Eve night, and I'm gently encouraging him to cancel and make the trip in a couple of weeks time instead. It doesn't leave a lot of margin for error - and it's BA, remember...

It's a big bed.

Plenty of room for all. My sis in law doing Christmas meal this year so told her to expect up to 4 extra! Being from the North kooks prob able to understand scottish and can be translator.

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 22nd Dec, '10, 03:51

Ooh I love a Scottish accent - I'd melt.

I'm seriously wondering if we should cancel. The equivalent plane landed at Heathrow 11am local time Tuesday, only 5 hours late, and I've been saying we'll just sit it out and see how things progress over the next couple of days. However I've been increasingly worried about travel in the UK and also being able to get back.

Just put the phone down from my sister and burst into tears. Yes, she often has that effect on me

but I've started to get really stressed about it all; I think I've just been through so much this year and the thought of more transportation hassle is getting to me.

Tack, as our man on the ground

what's your honest opinion - if we land, we've got to get up north (landing on Christmas Eve), then back down SW a few days later. We have a car booked but Neo's folks said we'd be mad to try to drive it, take a train. Sis says the east coast trains are off. I doubt we could fly.

Shit, I don't need all this.

Tack · Post by **Tack** » 22nd Dec, '10, 04:56

Oh dear. Is this the return time frame? (from the Met office site)

UK Outlook for Sunday 26 Dec 2010 to Tuesday 4 Jan 2011:
Very cold, but generally quiet conditions are expected to give way to outbreaks of rain and sleet, preceded by snow for many areas in the period between Christmas and New Year. Blizzard conditions are possible. Over parts of southwestern UK it is likely to become less cold and any snow will probably turn to rain at times as we approach New Year. This unsettled weather with rain, sleet or snow at times may continue spreading slowly and erratically north and eastwards later next week, although perhaps not reaching the far north and east. Thereafter, a gradual transition to more settled conditions is possible, with temperatures around or a little below normal, especially across more eastern and northern areas.
Updated: 1228 on Tue 21 Dec 2010

Honestly my feeling is Heathrow may be coping ok by Friday and I'd think driving would work but change that plan if heavy snowfall. It was an exceptional,record-busting freeze that took out the East trains today, my son's friend had no probs getting here by rail from Manchester, again heavy snow might change that but I don't think there is any forecast for end of week and temps should be milder (they already are here in Berkshire).

As for next week? Gawd knows.

But if you do get to Heathrow then you will not be stranded. With no sons or visitors here you are most welcome.

Edit; I made another suggestion that turns out not to be practical so deleted it, sorry.

skank-la · Post by **skank-la** » 22nd Dec, '10, 06:30

Here at my desk In LA I'm falling asleep after spending the whole night awake

We have had the heaviest recorded rains in the 100 years they've been keeping records here. Yesterday we had torrential downpours for 8 straight hours after 4 straight days of rain.

at 61 years old last night at 2AM I was out in the freezing rain filling sandbags (muttering I'm too old for this shit). Our house had water coming in & I was alternating between pushbrooms & the water vac. The fire dept saved us by providing sand bags but we had to go their station &fill up our own bags in the rain. After I got tarps & bags down on the side of the house the leaks slowed to a trickle - hard to tell if it was because the rain slowed down or I did some spot on sandbagging0 I suspect a bit of both. The ground is totally saturated w/huge puddles in every level spot & we have a split level built into the middle of a large hill. We cant slide but the water is killing us. Nobody here has ever seen this level of rain before.

Will find out tonight when an even bigger storm is set to hit how good my sandbagging is. Right now my focus is keep the house dry & try to get thru this w/o ending up overtired & in the hospital with pneumonia

Wot a way to end the year-Xmas taking a back seat to saving the homestead at the moment

Pinklepurr · Post by **Pinklepurr** » 22nd Dec, '10, 14:19

Oh Skank, that sounds awful, and I hear the forecast is not much better for today as well. I hope your sandbags and the like keep the weather at bay for you.

Queenie · Post by **Queenie** » 22nd Dec, '10, 15:14

I reckon you'd manage to get to Heathrow,but not entirely sure i'd be that keen on the drive north. My mainline feed to Sky News is saying heavy snow in the midlands (Queenie aka Bod)

Next step for us is to see if we can get the Eurostar to London tomrrow

Addadude · Post by **Addadude** » 22nd Dec, '10, 15:25

Kooky, having through the whole Heathrow debacle, I honestly would advise canceling your trip for now. It was BAD when we left (and we got out by a combination of pure luck and stubborness), and now it's even worse.

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 22nd Dec, '10, 15:31

Queenie wrote: Next step for us is to see if we can get the Eurostar to London tomrrow

Eurostar says: Service Update - (06:30 UK Time)

Eurostar is planning to operate a near normal service on Wednesday 22nd (click the link below for important details).

Please arrive at the station one hour before the time of departure shown on your ticket, you will not be able to travel on earlier services. We will only check-in customers for the service that is shown on your ticket.

You should only come to the station if you hold a valid ticket for travel tomorrow.

===========

And checking their online booking is not showing any availability*

*Subject to my work internet connection actually working...it's working for mid-Jan, so I suspect there may be few options if any.

Fat Bob · Post by **Fat Bob** » 22nd Dec, '10, 15:38

Morrolan wrote:
Fat Bob wrote:Space at the Xmas brunch table for saturday lunch required?
when, where?

when? Guess.

Where: Raffles Long Bar Steak House.

Possibility of others joining? None. Just phoned up for a close friend and they said "nadda".

BoD · Post by **BoD** » 22nd Dec, '10, 15:40

We have a booking, though no physical ticket as we never took the train from UK as planned. Will pop down to Gare du Nord later to check things out

Morrolan · Post by **Morrolan** » 22nd Dec, '10, 16:16

Fat Bob wrote:
Morrolan wrote:
when, where?
when? Guess.

Where: Raffles Long Bar Steak House.

Possibility of others joining? None. Just phoned up for a close friend and they said "nadda".

too bad...

Kooky · Post by **Kooky** » 22nd Dec, '10, 17:29

I've decided, we're not going, I've just had a bloody good boo but I can't go through that again,

daffodil · Post by **daffodil** » 22nd Dec, '10, 18:35

Arrived in LHR yesterday morning after setting off from Singapore at 0400 Tuesday which was just a 4 hour delay. Bloody cold yesterday, somewhat warmer today methinks....well, above freezing point anyway!

Transport seems to be getting slowly returning to normal from what I hear, although ask me again after I set out for Wales tomorrow

Right! Off to Sloane Square to buy a hat and gloves,

Edit : Flew brand new QANTAS A380 in premium economy - couldn't fault it, really good flight experience.

Lichtgestalt · Post by **Lichtgestalt** » 22nd Dec, '10, 20:45

Queenie wrote:Next step for us is to see if we can get the Eurostar to London tomrrow

A colleague of mine just took the Eurostar from London to the continent and it was empty

3 people in the carriage she said. Apparently there weren't more people

avatarless · Post by **avatarless** » 22nd Dec, '10, 23:15

oh kooky, I'm sorry your holiday plans were ruined. maybe you can hop a flight xmas day for bali or mayhbe join FB for steaks!

BoD · Post by **BoD** » 22nd Dec, '10, 23:17

Went to the station to check earlier and there were no queues and didn't seem to be any delays. We can even get a refund on the unused UK to Paris leg, so bizarrely the whole debacle will actually end up costing a few hundred dollars less

The Singapore Forum

Brrrrr

Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr

Re: Brrrrr