On Thu, 3 Mar 2005 17:41:22 -0000, Phil Layton wrote:

"The Highways Agency says drivers should have a winter weather kit
in their vehicles, including warm clothes,

I put them on anyway, if I'm going far and conditions look bad I will
put in extras including wellies, boots and leggings.

a hot drink,

Not normally present. I tend to add some sweet food stuff and cola
rather than just a hot drink.

de-icer, a torch

Both are there all year, I can't be bothered to take the de-icer out
for the 5 months that we might not need it.

and a spade."

A shovel would be better the sides to the blade mean that it hold more
snow than a spade. But then it would weigh more loaded with snow and
require much more effort to use so perhaps provoking a heart attack in
the average UK citizen...

Strangely no scraper mentioned, I've hardly used de-icer this winter,
mind it hasn't been a particulary frosty winter. Snowy yes (now), and
frost under snow is soft, unlike cast iron stuff you get when the air
temp drops below -5 and surfaces go even lower. The scraper(*) can
deal with that.

(*) Not one of those tiddly handheld jobbies. I use a long handled
device intended for cleaning windows. A 6" rubber blade one side and
foam the other. Much much better, and it deals with snow.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail