The cold has reached us, right down on the South coast, where last winter - when the whole coulntry was white over - we were a little brown dot right on the edge.

We even have about 6 inches of snow, but the worst thing is the ice on all the pavements and all the small roads.

Today when I went out I took my ski poles with the rubber 'feet' on which I use these days when it is slippery underfoot. I do not get much use of them, but when I do use them they really make all the difference to my remaining upright.

My daughter in law slipped on some steps and damaged her ankle, so I have been looking after my little grandson - he is most perplexed as he doesn't remember the snow from last winter and is too young to understand anything more than his garden has turned white and fluffy and very cold. He likes to go out and check on it from time to time.

My cat used to do something similar - but she would come back and complain that I had opened the wrong door, she wanted the one which opened onto the warm garden she remembered was there not long ago.

Anne