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Winter in Royston -
snowfalls February, 2009 |
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Cold, wintry weather gripped the UK in
February, 2009, as the worst snowfalls in 20 years were experienced.
The majority of schools in the Royston area
were closed after about five centimetres of snow fell on the town during Sunday
night and the early hours of Monday.
Overnight
snow had caused havoc in Crow Country. A serious accident had seen the A505 shut
down in both directions between Royston and Melbourn, while Newmarket Road was
also closed.
I witnessed this first-hand on Thursday morning
5th February, after an aborted attempt to get to work using public transport.
Gritters were out in force again through the night to salt the county's road
network after more snow and rain fell in the early hours, despite reports that
there was a shortage of grit. Snowfalls had caused damage to overhead lines at
Hitchin station the night before, resulting in a replacement bus service from
Stevenage to Royston. Arriving at Royston station the following morning, I was
informed that buses between Letchworth and Stevenage were taking up to 2 hours
to reach their destination. Commuters trying to get to London were being offered
an alternative route via Cambridge and into Liverpool street station. By the
time I arrived at Letchworth station by train from Royston, the service had been
cancelled due to a gridlock situation leading into Stevenage, so the only
alternative was to return home and attempt a journey in by car. As luck would
have it, traffic came to a halt near the bypass. As I approached the
Baldock turnoff, where I considered turning around, it was reopened. Train
services were restored by Friday, which was fortunate, as the A505 bypass was
being subjected to further closures, whilst drivers were being urged to avoid
the A10. |
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View up Royston's High Street. |
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View down Kneesworth Street. |
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Royston Church and the grounds
covered in snow. |
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Car dealership, Royston - anybody for a test drive? |
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View down Garden Walk, Royston, towards A10. |
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View up Garden Walk, Royston near the A10. |
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Ashwell station platform and bench. |
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A white Xmas in Royston?
Snowfalls, December, 2009 |
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Snowfalls in the south-east corner of England
are a rare occurrence indeed and so when they do occur, it has a habit of
causing chaos on British roads and public services. The disruption to the
Eurostar train service between Paris and St Pancreas Station, London, Friday
18th December, proved no exception and continues the cycle in terms of an
inability to cope with the harsh conditions. Traffic on roads to Dover and
Folkestone came to a standstill. The problem is not so much that breakdowns
occur but that there is no contingency plan in dealing with it. Some people
spent up to 17 hours stuck on trains in the tunnel and criticism was levelled at
the lack of communication.
The best thing to do is to stay at home, if
you have to. Just listening to BBC radio weather reports brought some
justification to that strategy. That's what the folk of Royston did the weekend after the snowfalls. Royston
Heath was bathed in snow and sunlight Saturday and Sunday. Families
frolicked in the snow and tobogganed down the hillside on Royston Heath whilst
low temperatures prevented the snow from melting. In some places it was 5
inches or more deep as my boots sank into the soft, cuddly snow. The jury is out
as to whether Xmas Day 2009 will be a white one. |
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Scene from window at 22h00 after
heavy snowfalls on the evening of 17th December, 2009. |
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Snow in the south-east of England is
a rare occurrence indeed. Royston folk took to tobogganing down the
hillside slopes of Royston Heath. |
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A pair of snowmen on Royston Heath
along the road into the town, as if to guard it, Sunday, 20th December. |
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Royston Heath and golf course bathed
in snow and sunlight, Sunday, 20th December. |
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Royston Heath bathed in snow and
sunlight, Sunday, 20th December, two days after snowfalls. |
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View across Royston from Royston
Heath, looking north-east. |
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Dog and his master, Royston Heath,
Sunday, 20th December. |
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