Friday, January 04, 2008
It’s snowing…
Fantastic. But can someone tell me why I can get the Guardian, Daily Telegraph and the FT, but none of the local papers have made it as far as East Belfast? Photo from Gary at the NI Flickr Group!!
Mick Fealty @ 10:55 AM
I wonder how many people in the East blame the IRA for that ... ;-)
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 11:26 AMTook me 5 hours to get from Newry to Craigavon via Lisburn, car heater broke also (:
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 11:38 AMHas R J Tinsley of Dromore, Co Down, dropped his Y (fronts) for the Christmas season?
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 11:49 AMSat Nav problems?
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 12:13 PMBut can someone tell me why I can get the Guardian, Daily Telegraph and the FT, but none of the local papers have made it as far as East Belfast?
My guess would be because the nationals were flown in last night whereas the locals only get delivered in the morning. By morning time the roads were harder to traverse than last night.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 12:14 PMIncidentally, that should be “none of the local papers has made it as far as East Belfast” (not sure about the need for a capital “e” in “east”, either).
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 12:15 PMNot more pedantic semantic policing.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 12:26 PMSomeone has to promote standards.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 12:53 PMIt’s definitely have Willowfield - standards slipping?
On another topic. Translink’s response to to a few inches of snow: their website has been down all morning and no one is answering their phones. Very useful on a day when bus services are only intermittent.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 12:59 PMIt’s definitely have Willowfield ...
It’s not. On the contrary, it’s definitely “has”. “None” is singular.
- standards slipping?
Not on my part.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 01:20 PMAs a Canadian I can only say
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! As long it snows there and not here LOL
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 01:22 PMI agree with Willowfield. None is a contraction of not one, and nobody would say “none have”.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 01:26 PMYup, none takes a singular verb, “not one”.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 01:30 PMI would use “has”. I would also tend to use the lower case ‘e’ in ‘east Belfast’.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 01:33 PMIt’s kind of amusing that whenever a bit of bad weather hits the streets in the UK everything stops and it’s headline news. Here people don’t blink and just get on with it. I just got home after a 40 minute walk and outside it’s 10°F / -12°C. Count your blessings!
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 01:33 PMThere is no need for a capital E, but it’s not strictly incorrect either. I try not to discuss the area myself in polite company though so this dilemma doesn’t arise often. (just kidding - please don’t flame me).
Oddly in my part of town, we did get the Guardian this morning, but two mornings earlier in the week, we didn’t. Hmmmm.
Bad weather - snow tires - gravel - warm enough clothes = chaos. Incidentally, every time there is bad weather, some wit always points out that in other countries they get on with it.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 02:32 PM*Incidentally, every time there is bad weather, some wit always points out that in other countries they get on with it.*
To quote that great intellectual, Jeremy Clarkson:
“British severe weather is like British severe poverty, a fairly limp-wristed affair when placed in a global context”
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 02:42 PMLOL excelent quote Harry
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 02:47 PMI was in a little town in south west Ireland a few years ago and went to the newsagent and asked for a copy of the Times. After some discussion on whether I wanted the London or Irish times, the newsagent asked me if I wanted today’s paper or yesterday’s. I said “Today’s”. In that case, he said, you’ll have to come back tomorrow.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 02:52 PMafter trying unsuccessfully to dig my car out today and that allied with the fact it took me three hours to travel two miles last night…
I had the misfortune to hear a representative from the Road services on Radio5 this morning proudly informing US that all the main routes were open and had been clear for hours!!!
Which Planet do this faceless bureaucrats live on!Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 03:06 PM“Which Planet do this faceless bureaucrats live on!”
Planet ‘leafy suburbs of the well-gritted Belfast conurbation’
Very funny Irish situation there Joe, quintessentially old-Irish at its best.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 03:08 PMThe folks back home in Ireland always bring a smile to me when there are a couple of cms of snow or the temp dips below 0C. (Originally I am from County Antrim).
I live in Canada, in Ontario, and this week has been fairly typical. Yesterday morning left the house in a -31C windchill (-24C actual). Snow on the ground so far this year about 160cm. Driveway at home has snow banks from snow blower of about 4.5 feet.
Yet the drive to work is normal since we have fleets of snow clearance vehicles out all night, and the airport is open with de-icing stations applied as necessary.
Snow happens in winter. You do get used to it. See http://nyc.metblogs.com/archives/images/2006/02/02.06 snowstorm_cars.JPG for real snow.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 03:30 PMI thought you were dead.
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 03:30 PMHow much snow did you actually get
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 03:32 PMLooks like I made my escape just in time… flew out from the City airport on Wednesday in good weather.. checked the local news today and it appears chaos has descended. Ironically, a lot of the Christmas conversation was taken up with just how mild the weather had been.
It was the same deal during last summer, was back at the start of June and the weather was in the mid 20s for a week. Two days after leaving biblical rain leaves the place flooded.
Then I could understand why east belfast ground to a halt because the local punters could not get to the chippy, off license, video shop, and bookies etc. Hopefully the snow has not affected access to these essential services for the natives
Posted by on Jan 04, 2008 @ 03:32 PM
