Thanks, lads. You saved me the bother. I was trying to melt some of the sheet ice that is encasing the whole area so that I could at least get out of the back door! Still got an easterly gale and a minus temperature but it keeps raining and making more ice. I'm very popular with the local feathery dinosaur population owing to the increased distributing of my largesse this morning. Peanuts to me but life-saving for them! I blame brexit.