The Hills Have Ice

I was snowed-in today, so I went for a walk up on the Downs with my oldest son. As we walked in the middle of a normally busy road, my son said "This is Heaven. No traffic. I wish it was always like this."

I knew exactly what he meant. Some years ago, when I lived in Twickenham, a water main burst and flooded a small but vital section of road known as "The Dip". For over a week, the road was closed and all buses and cars had to be rerouted. Suddenly, the world seemed a much kinder, gentler place, dominated by the sounds of birdsong and the wind rustling the leaves of trees. I felt calmer and happier.

Today, apart from a few Landrovers, the only sounds we heard were the screaming of children, the crunching of footsteps in snow and bleating of sheep. I'll feel a real sense of loss when the traffic starts moving again.

I took a few photos of snowy lanscapes, but they look like everyone else's. My son's shots are far more interesting.

Here is an 11-year-old's view of the snowfall: