Nevertheless, the boss had been insistent. Everyone was to turn in. Therefore, he wrapped up warmly and jumped into the car which was parked in the garage. He’d already cleared most of the snow away from the front of the electric garage doors and gate. He flicked the door remote control after the car engine started and the heating had kicked in. Perhaps a soft-top was not quite the right car for this journey, but the only other option was his partner’s Mini.
The doors moved up, the gates opened and he drove gingerly out of the driveway onto the road. The surface snow wasn’t too bad, enabling Stuart to make steady progress out of the village and onto the minor road towards Exeter.
There was no other traffic except for a farm tractor coming in the other direction. He had hooted his horn and waved excitedly but Stuart took no notice and kept on going. He was making good progress and was thinking that he only had another few days of this journey, and then he could move into his new flat in Colne, near Turf Moor, and start playing some real football. Maybe even an England cap beckoned!
Suddenly, he was forced to step sharply on the brakes. A large tree branch had fallen into the road and was blocking it completely. The car slid to a halt and he glanced in his rear view mirror to check if anything was behind him. There was nothing in sight, so he climbed out of the car and approached the branch, which was moderate in size, so he could easily move it to one side – which he did quickly. Stuart then returned to his car and continued his journey.
Sadly, Stuart would never make that move up to the north-west because as he manoeuvred round the next bend a huge branch – maybe even a small tree - had become uprooted and was lying in his path. This time Stuart’s reactions were not quite good enough. He pressed the brake pedal to the floor and steered into the skid, but this didn’t slow nor prevent his inescapable slide to doom. A length of branch came straight through the windscreen and took off his head before continuing up through the cloth of his soft-top.
There would never be an England cap for Stuart – nor, perhaps, for anyone else come to that.
Day 2 – Central London – 12 Noon
Quincey Roberts was now resigned to the fact that he was involved for the duration. He’d been anchoring the news bulletins at thirty minute intervals, and his small team were performing magnificently. He believed that they all realised the seriousness of the situation and despite the probable consequences, were going to stick dutifully to their task.
Information had been coming in from all over the UK, and Quincey’s team had been collating and disseminating all day. Even the Prime Ministers’ office had been on, in order to obtain as much first-hand information as possible. Clearly, they had been taken completely by surprise by the ferocity of the conditions. The PPS to the PM had been consulting with Quincey over advice to be given to the general public, and the TV presenter was happy to comply with the government’s wishes. There were major problems with staffing and news production at Sky and at the main BBC and ITV studios, so Quincey had suddenly been thrust into the limelight and was more or less fronting the information service to the entire UK. In addition, his crew were receiving support from various other news providers, and was now presenting weather updates as frequently as they could manage. However, outside broadcasts were non-existent due to the horrendous conditions prevailing just about everywhere.
Quincey was due to go on air in a few minutes when his producer stepped up and handed him a sheet of paper. Quincey stared at it in mild disbelief, but then stood up and walked over to his desk to present the twelve o’clock bulletin:
‘This is the news at noon, from London, with Quincey Roberts.
The arctic conditions throughout the UK continue to cause havoc and a few minutes ago the Prime Minister declared a State of Emergency.’
Quincey paused to let the audience absorb the information.
‘Further details of this dramatic development will follow when we have them, and I am informed that the Prime Minister’s office will be issuing a full statement at 2pm. Until then the general public should check the internet for further details. The website to refer to is shown at the bottom of this screen. You should also keep watching your television, as we shall endeavour to keep you abreast of exactly what’s happening – or rather NOT happening – up and down the country.
This bulletin will continue through until 1pm when we will broadcast details of the State of Emergency declared just a few minutes ago.
It is becoming clear that the ferocity of the snowfall has taken the entire country by complete surprise. It has been snowing continuously now for only eighteen hours and yet the blanket of snow extends to just about every part of England, Scotland, Wales and the east coast of Ireland. The United Kingdom is trapped in a weather system of unprecedented low pressure, and can expect these conditions to continue for at least another week – or perhaps even longer.
Details of the exact weather prognosis will follow at 12:30.’
Quincey continued his bulletin over a backdrop of scenes from around the country. He continued morosely, tired and haggard:
‘The over-riding problem has been that the snow started on Sunday evening, and by the time that people started out for work on Monday morning, there were nearly six inches of snow lying across parts of the nation. Workers found themselves in one of two situations – either they were trapped at home and couldn’t get to work – or the reverse, trapped at work and couldn’t get home. Consequently, the ‘national’ workplace is now manned by the nightshift, which is quickly becoming very cold and fatigued.
In addition, the government is almost non-existent. Parliament went into recess for the Christmas holidays on Friday and just about every MP has returned to his or her constituency. The very new Prime Minister has been selecting his cabinet, and MPs remain at home – awaiting a phone call. As a result, the Prime Minister’s office is manned by a skeleton staff which is desperately attempting to get a grip of the situation.
The freezing conditions have prevented the general population from getting to and from work. People are just not prepared for the blizzard-like circumstances that now prevail across the country.
Public transport has already ground to a halt. Of course, we all know that the UK cannot cope with even the lightest snowfall and the current conditions have not surprisingly brought infrastructure to a standstill.’
Quincey’s irony was not lost on his audience.
‘Let me just sum up. All airports – civil and military - in the UK are closed. No trains in the UK are running and many people are marooned in carriages, which have stopped where the snow has overwhelmed them. The Underground has halted with many thousands trapped within – as are all provincial Metro systems. All seaports are closed and no ferries are running. Many thousands of travellers are trapped at ports and airports across the UK.
Now we come to the roads. Just about all roads are now impassable.
There are literally tens of thousands of vehicles abandoned in snowdrifts and an equal number of drivers and passengers either trapped in their cars or trying to walk out. Emergency vehicles are in the same dire straits, and cannot reach the sites of the many accidents across the nation.
Sadly, we are getting reports of an increasing number of deaths. Many of these caused by drivers leaving their vehicles inadequately clad.
The snow continues to fall and the government is now becoming increasingly concerned about light and heating supplies plus, more importantly, the supply of fresh water.
This channel can only reinforce the government’s instructions.
DO NOT GO OUT INTO THE SNOW.
That means, DO NOT GO OUT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.’
He paused again for the full impact of the message to sink in.
‘Stay indoors and keep warm. Keep watching the television and listening to the radio for help and instructions. Those of you with internet access should stay on line and keep abreast of the situation.
Certainly, you cannot DRIVE. The roads are in gridlock. No public transpo
rt is running. We cannot even provide you with outside broadcasts from around the country, as conditions are just too bad. There will be no mail until further notice or home deliveries of any kind. Shops are generally not open.
If you are watching this at work, do not attempt to get home – unless you are adequately clothed and it is a reasonable distance to walk – probably less than a mile. The advice is to try to set up a central point at work, get together with colleagues, work together as a team to try and stay warm and kept fed. In addition, try to conserve drinking water. Energy expended to melt snow to drink is a waste of resources.
Clearly, there will be a surge in demand for gas and electricity. The government is requesting that the general population try to save as much power as possible. Families should congregate in as few rooms as possible – eat, live and sleep in one area if possible. Do not heat empty rooms. Go and turn off the radiators and shut the doors.
The government is recommending that all light industry shuts down to conserve energy. Shops should stay shut – except for food outlets. If your staff are at home, make sure that they stay there.
The government is also taking steps to keep power stations in working order, but cannot legislate for broken power lines and the inability of repair teams to reach and repair them.
The weather continues to deteriorate and the general population should now prepare itself for siege-like conditions. The situation is quickly turning into a desperate one. You should all be aware that everyone is affected by this crisis and any help you might expect is not going to come.
On that deeply worrying note, we now switch to the weather in detail.’
Day 2 – Central London – 2:00pm
‘There now follows a live broadcast by the Prime Minister from 10 Downing Street. This message will be broadcast simultaneously on all UK terrestrial and satellite television channels, radio stations and the internet.’
The Prime Minister raised his head and stared into the camera. He looked extremely anxious and his face was pale and drawn.
‘Good afternoon. I am speaking to you today as a result of the unprecedented snowstorms sweeping the country. As you may be aware, a State of Emergency has been declared, and is in effect for the entire mainland of the United Kingdom. This is the first time since 1974 that a government in the UK has had to invoke such powers granted under such a declaration. In essence, we need to take important and rapid steps to stem a serious threat to human welfare. I am advised that the current snowfall is set to continue for at least another week and, as a consequence, the State of Emergency will last a similar time period.
We need to implement emergency preparedness plans in order to bring relief to the population of the UK, and it may be that use of the Armed Forces will be necessary to assist the civil authorities.
Many of you will realise that the severity of the snowfall has caught the nation by complete surprise. Weather forecasters were unable to predict such a scenario as it is unprecedented, and has many of us stumped as to how such a weather system is possible at all. Nonetheless, it clearly is a reality and we must now react positively and cope with it.
For those of you still not aware, all public transport is at a standstill – that is by road, rail, sea and air. It is now virtually impossible to travel – except by foot. And this leads me onto my next major point.
Nobody, and I repeat, nobody should now leave shelter. Whether it be at home, work or a temporary refuge. If you are in a car, stay in it unless you feel confident about walking home or to sturdy shelter. Be advised – you will get no support or assistance to reach safety. The emergency services are completely overwhelmed and in many cases are trapped themselves.
I regret to state that the situation is becoming so serious that it will soon be a survival scenario. Every man, woman and child will have to fend for themselves. If the weather does not break soon the entire country is going to shut down.
It pains me to say this, but there is absolutely nothing that anybody can do. If it keeps snowing at this rate, then inside a week the snow will be four or five feet deep. I don’t need to explain in detail the implications of such a situation. This country is simply not equipped to deal with these conditions – and, quite frankly, few countries on earth could cope. The ferocity is irresistible.
I am sad to report that many thousands of people have already lost their lives – mostly frozen to death. A ferry has been reported lost, with all hands, in the Bristol Channel.
Perhaps this simple statement will underline the reality and gravity of the situation.
Panic is not an option. You cannot go out, so you cannot interact with your fellow man. However, I do encourage you to pool resources with your friends, neighbours and family. Get into small rooms and keep warm. Eat and sleep as a group. Do not waste energy or water. This advice is crucial. Refer to our government website for further detailed guidance on survival.
We are already receiving reports of downed power cables and blackouts. Gas is also another commodity with a limited supply. If you have bottled gas, try to prepare to use it. Temperatures are predicted to drop as low as minus twenty degrees C. Therefore use only Propane as Butane will freeze.
Water is a serious problem. If pipework starts to freeze or fail and water supplies dry up, then this would present a serious threat to human life. Of course, there is an abundance of snow to drink, but the issue there is that it takes electricity or gas to melt it. It's a decision that individual families will have to make. I do not recommend wasting energy by melting snow.
I cannot over emphasise the seriousness of the situation. My own family is trapped out there in the snow, so I can empathise with those of you in similar situations. However, I warn you. Going out into this weather will not help. You will only put yourself in severe danger.
In short, the country and its population is in an extremely precarious position. We are all in it together. Transport and rescue services are hamstrung. It is not physically possible to deal with this amount of bad weather on this scale. No country on earth could. Our neighbours in Europe are also suffering but not to the same degree that we are – so expect no assistance from them in the short term.
We are desperately trying to think of ways to keep essential services going, and will continue to do so in an effort to protect the population at large.
However, I am not confident that we will be entirely successful. If the snow doesn’t stop then we are all facing an extremely uncertain future.
I do not know whether I will be able to speak to you again, so I wish you all the very best of luck and may your God protect you.
Farewell and good luck.’
The Prime Minister looked up from his notes, a tear in his eye. Frustration was the cause. Frustration that in only two short weeks, he had gone from nowhere to the highest level in the land, and had now inherited Armageddon!
He stood up and walked from the Downing Street studio to his main office. His small team of aides and advisors, secretaries and staff sat round the cabinet table in silence. They had all watched the television link broadcast with abject dismay – all of them trapped at No 10 with no real hope of getting home to loved ones any time soon- if at all. The Prime Ministers speech did nothing to help the mood.
The PM sat down.
‘Any news of my family, Mike’.
He addressed his personal protection officer who had been trying for the last four hours to contact the PM’s family, who had gone out Christmas shopping in Knightsbridge.
‘I spoke to Patric Morris and he was desperately searching Harrods to try and locate them. However, conditions are bad. I’m surprised the shop was open at all. Hardly any staff in the place – but that's Fayed for you. He put out an address on the PA system but got no response. They weren’t in there. They must have slipped out and into somewhere else. Your wife still isn’t used to personal protection and the need to stay in touch. In short, they are in the snow somewhere. Patric is doing all he can. He hasn’t got any cold weather gear so it
's pretty tough….’
‘I don’t bloody well care. I not interested in excuses or lame explanations as to why your men are not doing their bloody job! Just find them and quick – get more men onto it. Now!’ snapped the PM, his voice rising to a crescendo.
The police officer looked shocked but nevertheless stood up and left the room.
‘Sir Ian, what next? In effect, we are imprisoned here at No10 whilst this blizzard rages outside. What can we do to help the population? Is there realistically anything to be done?’
Sir Ian James drew breath and stood up.
‘Sir, there is no point, no point at all in blaming yourself for this crisis. It is not your fault. It's nobody’s fault! If you want to blame someone, blame God – it's his act that is causing all this. All we can do is to keep liaising with the media and I suggest hourly bulletins via the studio. In the meantime, we need to make arrangements for the people in this room to be kept warm and safe. I suggest PC England takes charge of that task whilst we three, you the PPS and I, run the show as best we can. We can’t do much but we can try.’
Snow! The Series [Books 1-4] Page 12
