The new news 24 thread

[Arthur Foxhake]

Plenty here in Chesham. No work today for me.

None yesterday either, too cold for brickwork.

[beko1987]

I stepped outside this morning and the snow is up above my ankle!

 

Already working from home, although am on my 3rd laptop, 1st won't drive my second screen at it's native resolution, 2nd wouldnt work with citrix (xp) and I'm now on the windows 7 one which is working fine!

 

Amys just driven into town to find a sled for the kids. I probably could drive into work but A - I can't be arsed, B - if it snows any more it'll stuff me over!

[Saabnut]

Been amusing myself watching TV and all the reports of OMGSNOKAOS. It is very cold here, -14c last night according to my neighbour. I have had to put a heater in the watershed as my water supply has frozen, but we have had no snow here since Sunday. On Sunday we had about 10cm but it never even got a mention on local radio, never mind national TV.

 

Pictures below show the current state after 5 days with no snow. Bonus Hyundai shite parked up at 7pm last night.

[Lacquer Peel]

I'm just baffled by why there is this level of OMGSNOKAOS when the roads are fine to drive on. Around town itself was dicey (especially when I had to reverse for a bus) because of the cunts using the road rather than their driveways but the main road should be fine.

 

Apparently Kent mostly escaped the snow. Apart from hilly areas in the North Downs. Guess where I live.

Lorries or a group of cars get stuck, block a motorway or dual carriageway, you can't legally turn around and escape.

It doesn't take a lot of snow to lose traction.

[Kiltox]

SNOKAOS last night (it was a bit thicker this morning but not much)

 

Naturally my 3 litre 6 cylinder 4x4 was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY this morning

 

[SiC]

Still snowing heavily in Bristol. TT performing acceptably with the Chinese winter deathrings on the front.

 

I did almost get stuck after I briefly stopped and got out to take this picture of our drive.

[Split_Pin]

Roffle win Audi is booked in for it's MOT on Tuesday. Once I know what the bigger picture is with I can decide what I will do with it going forward.

[stuboy]

Folkestone, hawkinge, densole, denton to canterbury where quite snowy this morning.

[Eddie Honda]

You'll all be pleased to know that that London is free and moving despite the frozen rain of terror.

 

IMG_20190201_072829726.jpg

 

*Bonus points for guessing the miserable looking building opposite

You are somewhere upstairs around 33 Kingsway, WC2. AICMFP

 

That's the Peacock Theatre on the corner of Kingsway / Portugal St. (There used to be a Benjys a bit further down on the opposite side of the road from it.)

[Eddie Honda]

Still snowing heavily in Bristol. TT performing acceptably with the Chinese winter deathrings on the front.

 

I did almost get stuck after I briefly stopped and got out to take this picture of our drive.

I hope you've got a higher definition shot of that.

[oldcars]

Roffle win Audi is booked in for it's MOT on Tuesday. Once I know what the bigger picture is with I can decide what I will do with it going forward.

What did you win?

[SiC]

I hope you've got a higher definition shot of that.

Original: 2019-02-01 08.59.40.zip

Might get Mrs SiC to take another picture now the drive should have a bit of coating of snow.

[SiC]

Outside my office window at work right now.

 

Meanwhile Mrs SiC has gone for a walk as they closed the school she works at due to the snow. Alright for some.

[HMC]

My office window...

 

 

Moorland in background- lots

 

Tavistock- nothing

[Squire_Dawson]

The difference between winter and ordinary tyres is like chalk and cheese. I bought a set of Vredestein winter tyres a few years ago and fitted them to a set of spare wheels so I could change over during the seasons - they were a revelation. Last year during the winter the static caravan's water supply froze, followed by the drains freezing up. Snow drifted throughout the Welsh valleys. But nothing stopped the car, we were able to push on at a much faster rate in safety and even climbed a snowed up mountain pass okay. There was no wheelspin or slipping. So with the correct equipment and attitude to driving in such conditions ordinary travel is possible.

[tommotech]

No snow in Tamworth today.

 

In other news I will be visiting South Africa soon and needed to obtain an International Driving Permit. From today they are available from your local* Post Office (don't wish to start a debate on demise of local services!) and its proper old school service. It has to be stamped and they actually write in it too, took me back a bit as does the item itself. There is also a choice of permits, depending on which convention applies - oh, and it all changes again in March because Brexit!

 

 

[Squire_Dawson]

I don't see how Brexit can affect it as our UK license covers EU driving. An International license covers you in non-EU states and that 1949 Convention predates the EU somewhat.

[Eddie Honda]

There is also a choice of permits, depending on which convention applies - oh, and it all changes again in March because Brexit!

 

JT_IDP.JPG

It doesn't change in March IIRC, it has changed now because after nearly 50 years after signing the '68 Vienna Convention, the UK has finally ratified it.

 

What may change from 29th March is whether you need one for certain countries or not.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

You are somewhere upstairs around 33 Kingsway, WC2. AICMFP

 

That's the Peacock Theatre on the corner of Kingsway / Portugal St. (There used to be a Benjys a bit further down on the opposite side of the road from it.)

 

Do you know what room I'm in tho at 33?

[catsinthewelder]

I tried to get one last year and made sure to go to the bigger post office in town that does car tax.  Obviously I did this on the morning I was due to get on the plane to BG and was told I'd have to go to the main post office in Shrewsbury so fortunately nobody asked to see it (unless they asked in Serbo-Croat then gave up when it became obvious that we were never going to understand each other).

 

I realise that a responsible person who respected other cultures properly would enter a country with a good grasp of the language.  Fortunately I'm not a responsible person and after 5 years of French lessons barely taught me anything I'm not going to attempt to learn more than 5 words for a country I'll be in for 24 hours and generally failed to remember that many.

[tommotech]

It doesn't change in March IIRC, it has changed now because after nearly 50 years after signing the '68 Vienna Convention, the UK has finally ratified it.

 

What may change from 29th March is whether you need one for certain countries or not.

 

The applicable Conventions change apparently, so you may need a different document depending upon where you travel to. The guy in the Post Office was very good and showed me the guidance instruction that they were working to, the lists of countries changes after Brexit date.

[Split_Pin]

What did you win?

320T's 80 Cabriolet

[tommotech]

The difference between winter and ordinary tyres is like chalk and cheese. I bought a set of Vredestein winter tyres a few years ago and fitted them to a set of spare wheels so I could change over during the seasons - they were a revelation. Last year during the winter the static caravan's water supply froze, followed by the drains freezing up. Snow drifted throughout the Welsh valleys. But nothing stopped the car, we were able to push on at a much faster rate in safety and even climbed a snowed up mountain pass okay. There was no wheelspin or slipping. So with the correct equipment and attitude to driving in such conditions ordinary travel is possible.

 

The compound used for Winter Tyres remains pliable below 7 deg C, where Standard Tyres will harden. In snow they are a revelation, cuts in the tread blocks hold snow so that in turn grips to the snow on the ground - much like making a snowball. I had Winters on a BMW 1 Series and never got stuck, even in the deepest snow.

[Eddie Honda]

I don't see how Brexit can affect it as our UK license covers EU driving. An International license covers you in non-EU states and that 1949 Convention predates the EU somewhat.

An International Driving Permit of the appropriate convention covers you in the countries to that recognise them. Otherwise it'll be down to local rules - e.g. in China, you're usually bollocksed.

 

Brexit might affect the licence (please don't start arguing in for/against, just stick to info). It's up in the air so at one end it could be no change, but assuming a worst case scenario:

 

Driving in Europe after Brexit

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 29 March 2019, you might need an IDP to drive in all EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries, apart from Ireland.

 

You will need a:

 

1926 permit to drive in Liechtenstein

1949 permit to drive in Spain, Iceland, Malta and Cyprus

1968 permit to drive in all other EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Folkestone, hawkinge, densole, denton to canterbury where quite snowy this morning.

Surprised I didn’t see you going the other way!

[Eddie Honda]

Do you know what room I'm in tho at 33?

Nope, but using eyeball trig I reckon you're on the 8th floor.

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

That is some good eyeball trig. I was in the shitter for a bit.

[Lord Sterling]

I tried to get one last year and made sure to go to the bigger post office in town that does car tax. Obviously I did this on the morning I was due to get on the plane to BG

Lol, are you in BG now? As I am only 5 hours away in Istanbul.

[Six-cylinder]

Call me a wimp, but I knew my groceries were go to get home safely! 

[Supernaut]

 

The view from my work canteen right now.

 

OMGSNOKAOS in Aberdeen! Hell, my car is parked over in that sunny bit and the ice has melted off it for the first time this week.