Let it Snow!

It has been promised for the last few weeks, and with an overnight flurry of the white stuff descending on the majority of the UK, it looks like our prayers have been finally answered.

Yes, the snow has arrived. And with it, comes the flight cancellations, road accidents and numerous days off from school and work. A nightmare, some might say?

But honestly, every year the same thing happens. It snows, the nation goes crazy and we soon start to moan about the snow before it has even settled. Why? So it might cause a few problems here and there. It might mean you miss a concert, a train ride back home or mean you are stuck inside for the next few days, but does it really matter?

Personally, I love the sense of chaos the snow brings with it every year. You can guarantee, that by February, Britain is bracing itself for a coating of Snow, so thick it is going to ruin everything. Yet we never seem to truly grasp the snow by its horns. It still manages, without fail, to wipe us of our salt supplies, and ruin the public transport system.

But who cares! For kids, it is magnificent. No school, no work; just lots of snowball fights, snowangels and snowmen! And for even bigger kids, like myself, it is a chance to reminisce over your childhood, as you re-create the Spanish Civil War outside in the snow.

For everyone else though, it is a nightmare. Blocked roads, empty shops, a cold house, the prospect of spending 3 days stuck with your children. Damn you blasted weather! Every year is the same. On one side, you have those who love it. And on the other, you have those who despise it.

Which begs the question, what are the real benefits of the snow? According to a recent article in The Sun, the snow provides a £100 million boost to the High Street, as maniacal mums descend on the supermarkets. According to the paper, the amount of goods bought on the High Street last week was up 200% compared to other weeks. Marks & Spencers reported a 95% rise in coat sales, up on a year ago, and Debenhams reports a 40% rise in the number of high tog duvets being sold.

So as temperatures hit -11c, it seems the snow can bring benefits to the nation. And in these dire times of economic struggle, surely we all deserve a day off once in a blue moon, to enjoy mother nature and relive your youth. Let it snow Britain, let is snow!