Colchester RSS Feed


Send Us News

Snow causes travel chaos

9:22am Wednesday 6th January 2010

More stories about: A12, A120, Buses, First


WINTRY weather has brought misery to the roads again.

Snow that started falling overnight continued through the morning rush hour, causing long tailbacks on all major roads.

Minor accidents and abandoned vehicles added to the delays.

Essex County Council's fleet of grittters were out through the night to try and keep the roads clear.

Weather Reports:

Local Weather

BBC Weather report for Colchester


Related links


More Colchester stories

Your Say YourColchester

pingu, colchester says...
11:18am Wed 6 Jan 10

My god, a bit of snow and its gridlock. Other towns have snow and deal with it. Colchester comes to a standstill.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Voter99, England says...
11:48am Wed 6 Jan 10

Welcome to Colchester

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

NeilTB, colchester says...
2:22pm Wed 6 Jan 10

perhaps people should just take the advice and stay at home and off the roads....

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Taximan01, Colchester says...
2:54pm Wed 6 Jan 10

I wish I could afford to :0( Wouldn't it be great to be 10 again :0)

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Andy Hamilton, Lexden says...
2:58pm Wed 6 Jan 10

Just in time I bought a replacement plastic snow shovel. Already cleared drive and pavement outside house twice. It is still coming down and looks like turning to ice overnight.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Rick Deckard, Colchester says...
3:15pm Wed 6 Jan 10

pingu wrote:
My god, a bit of snow and its gridlock. Other towns have snow and deal with it. Colchester comes to a standstill.
This weather must be great for you penguins (or are you not the real "Pingu?")

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Smouldering Ewok, Colchester says...
4:18pm Wed 6 Jan 10

Really? Snow causing chaos?
Can't say i noticed.
This story must be for the blind and for people that live in houses with no windows.
Everywhere i have been today has been chaotic all due to the white stuff.
A better story would be how conifer needles have ice melting qualities and can be used as a substitute when the grit runs out.
Tip of the day: Don't use hot water to clear paths, it will freeze quicker than cold water.
Stay safe out there.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

PROOFREADER, COLCHESTER says...
4:00pm Thu 7 Jan 10

"Snow causing travel chaos", that really is stating the obvious.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

BillBill, Colchester says...
5:12pm Sat 9 Jan 10

PROOFREADER wrote:
"Snow causing travel chaos", that really is stating the obvious.
Erm, if we are being pedantic (as Proofreader tends to be), it is not stating the obvious. Snow need not cause travel chaos. If you mean the story is stating the obvious, then a headline like "crime figures up" or "crime figures down" would be similarly obvious, but accurate, as it has to be one or the other. Snow causes travel chaos is a legitmately descriptive phrase giving cause, subject and effect. So there!

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

corporate, Harwich says...
12:29pm Mon 11 Jan 10

Actually, Bill, it would seem your statement is equally as 'pedantic' as that of Proofreader's (and now mine)! There exists only truth and falsehood, so the headline could say either 'Snow isn't causing travel chaos', or that 'Snow is causing travel chaos'. Clearly, the former would be a foolhardy statement, even if we accept that snow does not necessarily have to cause problems; thus, the headline is appropriate and correct, and is the most 'obvious' headline you would expect to read. It is also truthful, and will always remain so, to some degree, whereas 'Snow doesn't cause chaos' is always going to be based on a negative value, one which cannot be proven

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Rick Deckard, Colchester says...
1:17pm Mon 11 Jan 10

Proofreader, BillBill, Corporate I think that you are spending too much time indoors.

It has stopped snowing so you may all now go outside and witness the chaos that is not being cuased by the snow that isn't falling.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

romantic, Colchester says...
5:30pm Mon 11 Jan 10

Of course, the real headline (non-headline) is that "People cause travel chaos". Motosrists, and I am one myself, need to bear in mind that it may take longer to get around and accept that fact before leaving. That doesn't mean "just accept things as they are" with regard to gritting, but it does make for a far less stressful life if you start from the basis that individuals, organisations, governments and the human race are rarely perfect and do not always foresee what will happen!

In an ideal world, the stocking up of grit would have been done from March to the winter, and every council would have enough in (and enough gritting lorries, and people to operate them) to make every road ice-free at all times. Do we stock up ready for the once-in-30 years event? Ideally, yes. Do we build a storage site 10 times as big for this grit? Ideally, yes. Does the council send a team to every path, lane and cul-de-sac in the county to grit and clear them of snow every day? Ideally, yes.

Accept that it's not an ideal world, set out a bit earlier, drive a bit more slowly; be prepared for the car in front to suddenly skid/stop/go out of control. As a cyclist at times, this is the only way to view cars - 1½ ton lumps of metal driven by morons! Normally, it's not true, my legs bear witness to the fact that it sometimes is true!

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

corporate, Harwich says...
10:26pm Mon 11 Jan 10

I admit I couldn't get to work at the weekend, due to the ice formed by people who tried - and failed - to get their skidding cars from point A to point B. Thanks to them, I was iced-in, and resorted to playing the ski-jump game on the Wii. Now, there's irony for you. On the plus side, I spent valuable time with my beautiful wife, so it wasn't all bad.

Report this post »    Register/Sign In »

Comments are closed on this article.

COLCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, NORMAN WAY CAR HITS BUS ON BOURNE ROAD WHICH PUSHES IT INTO ANOTHER CAR. Picture by SEANA HUGHES THE A12 ON WEDNESDAY MORNING SNOW ON WEDNESDAY: AVENUE OF REMEMBRANCE

COLCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, NORMAN WAY

CAR HITS BUS ON BOURNE ROAD WHICH PUSHES IT INTO ANOTHER CAR. Picture by SEANA HUGHES

THE A12 ON WEDNESDAY MORNING

SNOW ON THE AVENUE OF REMEMBRANCE





Local Advertisers

Local Information

Enter your postcode, town or place name

House prices »   Schools »   Crime »   Hospitals »