Snow joke!: 19/02/2010
 
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What an unreal day we had yesterday!! It's not going to seem half as bonkers now but just in case it does, here goes....

We left home about 9am ish to go to the Forest of Dean as we had to take our car in at lunch time because the wiper motor had died. We went early so we could go for a lovely walk around the Forest of Dean with a friend of Essie's called Caragh.

We go there about 10am and went for (the compulsorary) coffee at a cafe there. As we sat and drank the snow started to come down. We hadn't realised snow was due but sat and enjoyed the beauty of the snow....

Having finished the drinks we set off for a half hour wander through the woods and the snow began to fall like never before!! So much so our tracks were covered as were the signs to show us the route through the woods! We took a detour off the beaten track and followed our noses (always dangerous!). After an hour or so of trekking through this mad forest we eventually found a route back (through streams, hills, felled trees etc). Sarah was wiped out toward the end so I shot off (leaving her in the hands of the kids) to get the car.

I drove the car up near to the bottom of where they all were but the pathways were slippy and icey all over and the car was all over the place. The only solution (I thought) was to belt it up a really steep hill in the car so there was no chance of slipping back!. I did this and got there (just!), packed the kids and Sarah into the car and slowly crept down the hill. The brakes were locking and the car was all over but we got to the end of the hill and out of the park. What an adventure....but...the adventure hadnt' started....

Getting the car to the garage was then the next task! The snow was seriously unreal by now but we needed to get the car fixed. I dropped the kids and Sarah off at a cafe in Coleford and took the car to the garage. As an aside by the way, I'd tried to change the wiper motor fuse twice so knew (thought) it wasn't that even though when I got to the garage the mechanic did the same as I did and.....bingo - the wipers all stated working....!!! Arggghh!! An hour to get to the garage for a 30 second job!! If we hadn't had needed to do this we wouldn't have met the adventure we were about to have!!!

After the garage I went back and met the family and had some lunch. When we came out the snow was about 4-5 inches deep. Why we hadn't watched how bad it was getting, I don't know!! We set off for home and increasingly realised we were in the middle of a massive snow storm - I exagerrate not!!

We headed back home through a place called Symonds Yat. If you know this place (as we sort of do) you'll know it hilly beyond belief, but, not knowing another way back we set off slowly with few other options really.

After going for 15 mins at 5-10 mph we hit the steepest hill on the planet (!) and tried to stop. The brakes locked and we started to slide...and slide.....fortunatley we nudged into the bank of the road (which stopped the car) and started to wonder what on earth to do!! 3 kids, a wide a car and no help until......

I looked in my rear window and guess what I saw??? A 4 x 4 landrover with winch on front and back!!!! Unreal!I got out and played pathetic and the bloke told me to hang on. He turned his jeep round, wrapped his tow rope round my tow bar and pulled me right up the hill!! It was a lot scarier than it sounds here I can tell you. He them shot off to help others!!! Bizzare!! My wife said he must have been an angel but I saw his face (and dodgy eyes!) and he wasn't!

We thought this would be the worst of it but, as the snow was still belting down we just kept going - slowly. It's easy to say to people to give up but if you are lost and don't have help nearby what do you do!!??

In the end it took us about 2 hours to get back home - climbing hills, sliding back half way down again, up again and back even further.....Essie, Caragh and (even Sarah) pushing me up where they could!! At one point I was going 30 mph and wasn't even moving!! Seriously!!!!

As I say trying to blog about it doesn't do it justice but yesterday is a day we shall all never forget!!!
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