http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...oldest-britain

Colin Youngs
Brussels

On Dec 9, 9:13*am, "Colin Youngs" wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...aharra-weather...

Colin Youngs
Brussels

Why on earth do people go and live there, and I do mean "go and
live there" as opposed to "live there" because they all seemed to be
incomers. Some people do seem to like pain, eh, Miss Whiplash.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

On Dec 9, 4:48*pm, Tudor Hughes wrote:
On Dec 9, 9:13*am, "Colin Youngs" wrote:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...aharra-weather...

Colin Youngs
Brussels

* * *Why on earth do people go and live there, and I do mean "go and
live there" as opposed to "live there" because they all seemed to be
incomers. *Some people do seem to like pain, eh, Miss Whiplash.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

There was a brief interview on R4 last week about a woman living in a
Scottish village (can't remember which) who was experiencing hardship.
I was expecting a mid-Lothian accent and was surprised when the reply
was distinctly Home Counties. The woman's definition of the conditions
was that there was lots of snow and that it was cold!!! As you say why
'go and live there' and complain about typical Highland weather for
December.

Given the choice I would 'go and live there' and would just get on
with things - but then all my work, family and commitments and in
London currently...

On Thu, 9 Dec 2010 08:48:39 -0800 (PST), Tudor Hughes
wrote:

On Dec 9, 9:13=A0am, "Colin Youngs" wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...aharra-weather...

Colin Youngs
Brussels

Why on earth do people go and live there, and I do mean "go and
live there" as opposed to "live there" because they all seemed to be
incomers. Some people do seem to like pain, eh, Miss Whiplash.


Worth remembering that Alltnaharra is often the warmest place. It is
well situated for Fohn events.

As for cold, I often wonder how much colder it might get up Strath
Vagastie or Strath Mudale. The weather station is situated quite near
Loch Naver, so I would expect some moderation of temperatures there
compared with further away.

A very pleasant place, worth a visit.

Richard Webb

On 09/12/2010 16:48, Tudor Hughes wrote:
On Dec 9, 9:13 am, "Colin wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...aharra-weather...

Colin Youngs
Brussels
Why on earth do people go and live there, and I do mean "go and
live there" as opposed to "live there" because they all seemed to be
incomers. Some people do seem to like pain, eh, Miss Whiplash.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.
For the usual reason, I expect. They visited it on a holiday and
thought what a stunning place it was. Indeed there are few more scenic
places than Scotland, which is why I often go on holiday there. But I
normally only go during the summer, except on one glorious occasion when
it seemed the Fort William "sleeper" train was going to be withdrawn. So
a friend and I went for a "final ride" to be rewarded by the sight of
Rannoch Moor at dawn covered with deep snow and in the background the
white clad peaks above Glencoe tinged pink with the sunrise.

And in most winters most of Scotland gets nothing like they have
experienced now. Reality has caught up with Dreamworld.

But it's not just severe weather. There are any number of stories of
people who move / retire to the "country idyll", then find themselves
lonely without all their old friends, not to mention neighbours who
won't speak to them or who hide behind gates and entryphones. The final
straw is house imprisonment when they can no longer drive and find out
the hard way that rural areas often have little or no public transport.

There are, of course, no young and active neighbours to help them
because they have seen their community facilities collapse and have in
any case been forced to move to the city because the "incomers" have
forced house prices through the roof.

I once went to my local "parish meeting" and someone actually objected
to an initiative for young people in the village on the grounds they had
moved here to get away from them! I felt so embarrassed to be a member
of the same community (and who has lived here since my student days 30
years ago) that I nearly walked out. But, of course, the "young people"
that person so despises will pay for their pension etc out of taxes and
provide the essential services on which they depend.

Welcome to community living 21st century style.


[P.S. Before anyone thinks I have a particularly jaundiced view of the
village I live in, it does actually have a fairly good community spirit
with a number of village events each year and many organisations for
people to do things. And it does have good transport links, which helps
the "age profile" as working people are attracted here to live as well.
But, sadly, I do know of other villages which are as I have described
above.]

--
- Yokel -

Yokel posts via a spam-trap account which is not read

Yokel wrote:

On 09/12/2010 16:48, Tudor Hughes wrote:
On Dec 9, 9:13 am, "Colin wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...aharra-weather...

Colin Youngs
Brussels
Why on earth do people go and live there, and I do mean "go and
live there" as opposed to "live there" because they all seemed to be
incomers. Some people do seem to like pain, eh, Miss Whiplash.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.
For the usual reason, I expect. They visited it on a holiday and thought
what a stunning place it was. Indeed there are few more scenic places than
Scotland, which is why I often go on holiday there. But I normally only go
during the summer, except on one glorious occasion when it seemed the Fort
William "sleeper" train was going to be withdrawn. So a friend and I went for
a "final ride" to be rewarded by the sight of Rannoch Moor at dawn covered
with deep snow and in the background the white clad peaks above Glencoe
tinged pink with the sunrise.

And in most winters most of Scotland gets nothing like they have experienced
now. Reality has caught up with Dreamworld.

But it's not just severe weather. There are any number of stories of people
who move / retire to the "country idyll", then find themselves lonely without
all their old friends, not to mention neighbours who won't speak to them or
who hide behind gates and entryphones. The final straw is house imprisonment
when they can no longer drive and find out the hard way that rural areas
often have little or no public transport.


One of the important factors for us in the decision to move to Tideswell a
couple of years ago is the very good public transport here. It's very much
better than we had in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. The bus passes get
a great deal of use :-)

During the recent severe spell life went on here much as usual, though at a
rather slower pace. Main roads and bus routes were well gritted. Other roads
were left to clear themselves in the fullness of time. The low traffic volumes
that are the norm here helped enormously. There was no grid-lock. Traffic just
moved more slowly than usual but everybody got to where they were going. The
postman's comment was that it was much more pleasant than rain.


--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.

On Dec 11, 2:33*pm, "Norman" wrote:

During the recent severe spell life went on here much as usual, though at a
rather slower pace. Main roads and bus routes were well gritted. Other roads
were left to clear themselves in the fullness of time. The low traffic volumes
that are the norm here helped enormously. There was no grid-lock. Traffic just
moved more slowly than usual but everybody got to where they were going. The
postman's comment was that it was much more pleasant than rain.

Hi, Norman,

Sounds very much like Copley. In our case I think it could be because
most folk here are locals and are used to winter / country life. Few
get excited or disappointed about inclement weather but just get on
with it and many, not all, look after each other. Although not a
particularly affluent area, it is a friendly village and there is a
bus stop just ten yards from my door!
Our snow clearance is second to none but we don't expect miracles.

Ken

On Dec 11, 2:33*pm, "Norman" wrote:
Yokel wrote:
On 09/12/2010 16:48, Tudor Hughes wrote:
On Dec 9, 9:13 am, "Colin *wrote:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/de...aharra-weather...

Colin Youngs
Brussels
* * *Why on earth do people go and live there, and I do mean "go and
live there" as opposed to "live there" because they all seemed to be
incomers. *Some people do seem to like pain, eh, Miss Whiplash.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.
For the usual reason, I expect. *They visited it on a holiday and thought
what a stunning place it was. *Indeed there are few more scenic places than
Scotland, which is why I often go on holiday there. *But I normally only go
during the summer, except on one glorious occasion when it seemed the Fort
William "sleeper" train was going to be withdrawn. So a friend and I went for
a "final ride" to be rewarded by the sight of Rannoch Moor at dawn covered
with deep snow and in the background the white clad peaks above Glencoe
tinged pink with the sunrise.

And in most winters most of Scotland gets nothing like they have experienced
now. *Reality has caught up with Dreamworld.

But it's not just severe weather. *There are any number of stories of people
who move / retire to the "country idyll", then find themselves lonely without
all their old friends, not to mention neighbours who won't speak to them or
who hide behind gates and entryphones. *The final straw is house imprisonment
when they can no longer drive and find out the hard way that rural areas
often have little or no public transport.

One of the important factors for us in the decision to move to Tideswell a
couple of years ago is the very good public transport here. It's very much
better than we had in Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. The bus passes get
a great deal of use :-)

During the recent severe spell life went on here much as usual, though at a
rather slower pace. Main roads and bus routes were well gritted. Other roads
were left to clear themselves in the fullness of time. The low traffic volumes
that are the norm here helped enormously. There was no grid-lock. Traffic just
moved more slowly than usual but everybody got to where they were going. The
postman's comment was that it was much more pleasant than rain.

--
Norman Lynagh
Tideswell, Derbyshire
303m a.s.l.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Your comment about the low traffic volumes is the crucial point.
Round here the roads are at nearly full capacity and the smallest
disruption means it all seizes up. There is no point in being an ace
driver in snowy conditions if ahead of you is long queue because
someone has made probably no more than a slight error of judgement and
got stuck. If the number of cars on the road were about a tenth of
the present level your chances of getting through would depend quite
strongly on your ability to deal with the conditions but for most
motorists driving skill of this kind is now quite irrelevant. Snow is
uniquely disruptive because we have decided that mobility is all.
There is simply just too much transport, of both goods and people and
I'm in some ways as guilty as anyone since my "local" pub, a real-ale
emporium in which I am a minor investor, is 7 miles away. Daft.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.