s7gpt wrote:

interested in this but does it cover fuel expenses, dont mind my time but dont fancy paying the fuel costs on top

In Wessex 4x4 Response we work under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Local Authority and get 42p per mile.

Well done Doc....demonstrates that it is not about flashing lights and towing things but just doing our bit to help out the vulnerable and er..yes you do get to carry nurses about!  John
07 HSE Narvick Black
Land Rover Series One
Triumph Rocket 111 (sadly gone!)

Main roads and some side streets are clear now but some of this slush is likely to freeze which could cause further problems. In view of his side street, my brother-in-law needed a lift to work today and we went into Derby via Darley Abbey toll bridge. Heading down the hill towards the bridge, the road was still covered with compacted snow and was blocked by guess what?...

A BMW 1 series on low profile sports tyres For fu s sake! Why even attempt to go up a slippery snowy road in one of those without winter tyres? Nobody could get up or down as he was sideways on having skidded and sat there with his wheels spinning

I decided to go half on the kerb into the deeper snow to get past (easy for the FL2).

Good old RWD in snow  LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

Just to add to that..I'm sure that every stuck/wheel spinning car shown on the BBC news last night was a BMW!!!!

With all the news coverage I was expecting to see at least a foot of snow, all England gets is a couple of inches and the whole place is almost at a standstill. Don't get the same news coverage up here when we get 12 inches of snow, business as usual for us up here.

England must be the laughing stock of europe

Good work though Doc  ______________________
2011 Full Fat RR 4.4 TDV8
2012 FL2 SD4 Auto HSE
2013 Kawasaki Versys 650

Dave wrote:

England must be the laughing stock of europe

Dave wrote:

With all the news coverage I was expecting to see at least a foot of snow, all England gets is a couple of inches and the whole place is almost at a standstill. Don't get the same news coverage up here when we get 12 inches of snow, business as usual for us up here.

England must be the laughing stock of europe

Good work though Doc

I must say that part of this is due to motorists (some will not be on absolutely essential journeys) not getting home before it starts. The first light flakes came down at 3PM which the Met Office got bang on for a change. It soon got heavier and didn't let up until about 11PM. Despite the advanced forecasts, plenty were out on the roads mid blizzard at 8.30PM when I went out on call.

When will people learn?  LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

The Doctor wrote:

Dave wrote:

With all the news coverage I was expecting to see at least a foot of snow, all England gets is a couple of inches and the whole place is almost at a standstill. Don't get the same news coverage up here when we get 12 inches of snow, business as usual for us up here.

England must be the laughing stock of europe

Good work though Doc

I must say that part of this is due to motorists (some will not be on absolutely essential journeys) not getting home before it starts. The first light flakes came down at 3PM which the Met Office got bang on for a change. It soon got heavier and didn't let up until about 11PM. Despite the advanced forecasts, plenty were out on the roads mid blizzard at 8.30PM when I went out on call.

When will people learn?

I'm lucky, if i'm in the office (and I've gone in the BMW) I just look out of the window see a snow flake and say " this I'm working from home" and off I go" if i'm in the airport car park I just book into a hotel for the night, I suppose Mr and Mrs average can't leave work early and if they did it would still be mayhem, and lots have to get home for kids etc so it's not about learning its just circumstance. I suppose we all continue with the lemming like belief that our council taxes will keep the roads open and driveable....... 2009 GS Auto Zermatt Silver - Sold June 21 after 10 years of ownership

2016 Subaru Outback SE 2.0 diesel SE Premium Lineartronic Sold 2024 after 8 years and 80k miles . Best Car I ever owned !

2023 Toyota Hilux invincible X 2.8 Auto .

MartynB wrote:

I suppose we all continue with the lemming like belief that our council taxes will keep the roads open and driveable.......

That's if there are any council staff left after the current government is finished it's purge  2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker
2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

Got stuck in the usual school run mayhem this morning. Saw an opportunity to escape up a steep frozen snow covered track and took it. Not even the hint of wheelspin from my Freelander 2 much to the amazement of the BMW who didn't even try to follow me. To make me feel even better I did it on the standard fit Continental 4x4 Contact M&S All Season tyres.

simont wrote:

MartynB wrote:

I suppose we all continue with the lemming like belief that our council taxes will keep the roads open and driveable.......

That's if there are any council staff left after the current government is finished it's purge

Dave wrote:

England must be the laughing stock of europe

Yes it is - even the often mocked Italians make a better job of snow clearing and driving in snowy conditions

rchrdleigh wrote:

Got stuck in the usual school run mayhem this morning. Saw an opportunity to escape up a steep frozen snow covered track and took it. Not even the hint of wheelspin from my Freelander 2 much to the amazement of the BMW who didn't even try to follow me. To make me feel even better I did it on the standard fit Continental 4x4 Contact M&S All Season tyres.

What no 'Patented Groove'

Just shows what these great vehicles can do in good all-round kit  2002 Honda VFR800
2002 Toyota Celica 140 Silver (mid life crisis - again!)
2007 FL2 GS Manual Army Reconnaissance Green + freel2.com sticker
2004 Toyota Celica 140 Black - Gone
2000 Toyota Celica 140 Silver - Gone
1998 Toyota Celica ST Pearl Green - Gone
1996 Nissan Primera 1.6 - Gone
1994 Rover Montego 1.6 Auto - Gone

simont wrote:

What no 'Patented Groove'

Just shows what these great vehicles can do in good all-round kit

rchrdleigh wrote:

simont wrote:

What no 'Patented Groove'

Just shows what these great vehicles can do in good all-round kit

Exactly - just confirned my decision not to bother with Winter Tyres.

Had a good morning in an LRE D4 at Rockingam on Monday - still lots of snow and even on standard tyres it put hardly a foot wrong, except when it was deliberately put into a fail situation to see how we could recover. Simple, reverse back and try again with more power delivered and it sailed up second time round. Awesome or what?

I agree rchrdleigh. The M+S Wranglers were fine last winter and I was not prepared to shell out but as the forum is aware from a post a few months back, mine were free.

That said, I never disputed the supremacy of winter tyres when it comes to winter performance. They will stop the car sooner when braking and pulling away from standstill in snow is better I have found. Apparently, the rubber on normal tyres goes hard in cold temps and loses grip where winter tyres don't and they have a wider tread (some have a snow groove ) which self clears snow better.

An incident this morning convinced me I would not have stopped in time on M+S tyres. A Ford KA tried to stop at the junction but slid out into main road only a few yards in front which required an emergency stop. As soon as I braked I felt the judder from the brake pedal as the ABS struggled to cope. No snow just tarmac so it was black ice and I stopped just in time. Winter tyres helped no doubt  LL.B (Hons) - University of Derby
LOT (Lord of Time) - University of Gallifrey

The Doctor: I agree with all you are saying and if some nice person came along and offered me a set of winter tyres then i'd probably have taken them up on it, but they didn't. I'm off to Switzerland on Friday and will be interesting to see how I get on on OEM tyres. But, not had to use snow chains or socks on my Discovery(s) or Freelander (s) yet but they will be in the vehicle just in case.