Well, this was something of a surprise- my biggest snowfall since 22 December 2003, looking likely to be the longest lasting since the New Year period of 2001/02, and easily beating anything I saw in Lancaster.

I was getting concerned when I woke up at 6 am. on Wednesday morning and saw no lying snow. I had forecast that the snow would probably settle on Wednesday, and up to that point, we had been warmed too much by the sea, and had had mainly hail and sleet showers. That had been in line with my prediction, but of course the settling snow was the most important compartment of my prediction, and there would be some disappointed faces if I got that bit wrong. But then, at 8:30am, suddenly, there was lying snow. I took way too many photographs of the "beast from the east" for my own good, and a handful of them may well crop up on the site after the breakdown tomorrow.

Unfortunately we threw away the sledge recently, but plan to go out to Cleadon Hills today and do everything but sledge instead.

As for Christmas itself, it was quite good. I got a gamepad, and a Monty Python DVD set from the series, and various other things. The Boxing Day tea was massive- so much so that we have spent the next two days finishing off the leftovers!

On a N-W theme, I received a copy of Philip Eden's latest book, which didn't surprise me as people generally know of the high level of respect I have for him. A good read, and I particularly liked the strong comments about extremists at both ends of the pro and anti GW spectrum at the end- very much in line with my own views on the topic. It was also interesting to see his account of the August 2003 heatwave in France, given that I was also there at the time. I remember going out into the heat for 20 minute bursts, feeling ill and coming back in again, and spent most of the last few days of that holiday in the bath. In a way I am pleased I had the experience, so that I can brag about how I lived to tell the tale and know what 40C+ feels like, but I certainly wouldn't want to experience it again.

And, unbelievably, there was more snow here in Cleadon than there was in Leeds. Yes, Sod's Law has finally failed to come up trumps.