Snow...Joke On The Triangle!

By Reb_BEvans | Thursday, December 02, 2010, 19:43

It's as pretty as a Christmas card in Crystal Palace and Sydenham, after the most snowfall since in the UK for 17 years, but while kids and young people are having a ball sledging and making snowmen, the rest of us are struggling just to get to the shops!

People on the Triangle struggled to get about in the black ice and sludge.
Croydon council has placed salt bins on Westow Hill, for easier access to local businesses

The Southeast of London and the UK has been severely affected by the eight inches of snow that has fallen since Tuesday and train services between Purley, Croydon, Hayes, Sevenoaks, Dartford, Victoria, London Bridge and Kings Cross St Pancras have been crippled, with many passengers getting stuck on trains and stranded at stations for up for five hours! On Tuesday and much of Wednesday I waited almost an hour in the blistering cold, for a bus which didn't arrive, in that time I didn't see one pass the other side of the street either, so I went home. While I commend those brave (or stupid enough) to 'make the effort' to get to work, it is pretty pointless if Transport for London is incapable of tackling the snowy conditions in order to provide passengers with even a Sunday service.

The gritting of locals roads in the south east has also been an issue and on Twitter the conversations and complaints about councils and the lack of grit seemed to prove that little has improved since last February. My followers told me:

@goldenblades91 - 'End of today SE19 has 8" of snow and it's just started again.'

@HamieJones - 'Had a grim trip home from a chaotic Victoria.'

@Beckenham - 'Where are the gritters? Are they snowed in!'

@JanieStamford - 'Everyone in this country needs to invest in snow chains so we don't need so much grit!'

@Tinderflint - Crystal Palace looks ****** lovely in the snow!'

@flamingnora - The drive down Gipsy Hill this morning was a bit of a white-knuckle ride. Yikes!'

In Sydenham the lack of grit on the roads has meant that the snow has settled and gone hard, but if you're wearing boots with a good grip then you should be fine, however in Crystal Palace there seems to have been a grit festival on the Triangle and the mixture of light rain and salt has created a lot of black slush on the pavements and curbs that is very slippy, very wet and quite uncomfortable if you're not wearing wellies! Maybe too much grit is a bad thing afterall!!

How have you been coping with the snow? Did you brave the trains and risk a delayed and cramped commute? Or did you give it your best shot then decide to make the most of your free day? If you were out taking pictures we would love to see them - Add them to the CP Snow Gallery.