Every year the papers bleated about the inability of the elected administration and infrastructure to cope with snowfall, and every year it would all be forgotten as the sun came out and melted that same snow. Britain would just have to cope, as it always did. If a few hundred people suffered, then that was just their bad luck! The money could be far better spent on health and education – or on MP’s expenses!
However, the current storm was different. If the UK tottered after just one minor snow flurry, then it was no surprise that chaos reigned after one day of constant snowfall in blizzard conditions.
All travel was now virtually impossible. Road, rail, tube, sea and air. The UK was, in effect, cut off. Those who thought they could heroically struggle into work had long since discarded sledges and skis.
Many thousands of motorists were trapped in their vehicles and would certainly freeze to death when their fuel ran out, or they would die trying to walk home – as most motorists were wholly unprepared for such conditions. It didn’t matter how many times the authorities told people to prepare for the cold – they just didn’t listen and now many thousands were paying the ultimate price.
The emergency services were crippled. They were in exactly the same situation as everyone else. People involved in accidents died where they fell, since no help was ever coming because ambulances, fire tenders and police cars were stuck in traffic. 999 emergency calls soon went unanswered. Fires went unquenched and spread unchecked because there were no fire fighters available. Snow cannot extinguish a raging house blaze.
Hospitals and care homes for the elderly were cut off. As power failed, the patients froze. The elderly living home-alone stood no chance.
Supplies to shops were non-existent. Delivery trucks were stuck in the snow - the drivers inevitably freezing. Access to shopping centres was all but impossible as drifts soon blocked entrances – and exits!
The workplace was virtually empty and ineffective. Only a small percentage of determined but foolhardy people had reached work, and they were now struggling to survive or return home. Industry had ground to a standstill. Work had quickly taken second place to personal survival. Schools were closed and children who had managed to make it in were now trapped with beleaguered teaching staff.
The government was bewildered. As luck would have it parliament was dissolved pending a new administration. The PM was marooned in Downing Street with no way to help. His advisors were spread throughout the country facing their own personal crises. Help from abroad was impossible, as communications were just about gone.
Communications were indeed quickly breaking down. Across the country, power cables were breaking under the strain of wind and snow. Drifting snow was blocking ventilation outlets on masts around the countryside. As a consequence, communication masts – for TV, radio and mobile phones were ceasing to function. Moreover, of course, there was no one willing or able to repair them.
Power stations were also under pressure. Understaffed – routine maintenance was not being done, and slowly but surely the power output was being interrupted. The same applied at gas outlets. A few lucky people had LPG, but that would soon run out – or cease to function if it wasn’t propane, in the sub-zero conditions. Temperatures had dropped to minus ten degrees C. The primary problem was manpower. If people couldn’t travel to and from work, then essential maintenance and standard daily operations could not take place. Mechanical and electrical failures were bound to occur.
Even if people could travel – and largely many couldn’t care less about going to work – their priority was to ensure the safety of their own person and their own families.
Who could blame them?
What would you do?
Consequently, this was the situation just a day and a half into a violent and sustained snowstorm in the UK. What would the next few days bring? It was already a life and death scenario. Many had died already.
No power, no heat, no light, no water, no communications and no food.
And if the snow didn’t stop – perhaps no hope?
Day 22
Monday 5 January
Survivors?
Survivors?
There weren’t many. Many millions had died in the mainland UK and millions more in rural Northern Ireland and Eire. As a consequence, the bulk of the British population now lived abroad, spread out thinly around the world, but nonetheless, there were over five million of them. These included 3.5 million who had emigrated, and lived their lives primarily seeking the sun. The remaining two million were temporarily out of the country – on holiday, serving with the Armed Forces or on business.
So there was hope; there was the nucleus of a new nation, there was a future – however bleak it now appeared.
Survivors represented approaching ten percent of the UK population. The same percentages applied to Eire. However, the death rate in Southern Ireland was more than ninety percent, essentially due to the rural nature of the country. On mainland Britain, there were disparate groups of survivors. The Royal Family did very well. The Royal Protection Officers and staff at Sandringham had done a fantastic job of keeping the household functioning and preserving the royal personages. However, they had specific advantages which the vast majority of the general population did not. Fuel; food; water; determination; protection; common sense; specialist knowledge and luck. All of these elements were vital in the struggle to survive.
Most of the population had been caught ‘with their pants down’. The majority of people believed that the snow would probably stop after a day or two. Consequently, they treated the weather with the usual contempt, and as a result, many millions suffered a chilling fate.
On the streets, in vehicles, on public transport, at work, at home, in schools and in hospitals: people just froze to death or dehydrated because they were simply not equipped. Britain never is. Every winter, it's the same old story – snow equals pandemonium! Local and national infrastructure and services break down remarkably quickly – electricity, gas and communications are vital to the survival of humans in Arctic-like conditions. When these go, the population is lost.
And on this occasion, snow equalled Armageddon - Snowmageddon some called it! Even though it snowed for three weeks – a mere seven days would have been enough to bring the country to its knees.
Of course, there were survivors.
The fighters. The resourceful. The determined. The experienced. The lucky. The organised. The ruthless. The selfish.
The strong.
*******
Doris Ekins, a staff nurse working at a hospital in Southampton, survived.
After the shock of losing the patients in her care, she galvanised the remainder of the staff and patients in the hospital. Doris organised, encouraged and even bullied people into making an attempt to keep warm and fed. She utilised resources in the hospital kitchen to feed people – it was generally cold food but sufficient to sustain life. Doris buoyed morale and inspired patients and staff alike to keep going. Unsurprisingly, many of her new charges did not make it, but many did. After three weeks, they were cold, weak and hungry. But they were alive - thanks to Doris.
Graham Harman, police officer, and Keith Lomax, fire fighter, didn’t survive.
Like almost all personnel in the three rescue services, Graham and Keith were lost in the course of performing their duty. Selfless and courageous, these public servants were caught up in the disaster and gave their lives for others. They would be hard to replace. New Britain would need police officers above all other things in the weeks and years to come!
Sir Ian James MP survived.
He carried the staff and household in Downing Street through the crisis, using his ex-military training to cajole people into survival. Of course, he also had benefits which many didn’t. The resources stored in Downing Street for crises allowed him to maintain morale and hope. The newly elected Prime Minister had crumbled soon after he realised that his family had been lost in the snow. It clearly did not occur to him that every other
person in the bowels of Downing Street had also lost loved ones. Guilt and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness had broken his spirit. He was not the man to lead the nation to recovery and it was probably for the best that he had died by his own hand. Sir Ian James would be the man to drive the salvage operation to come.
Eric Faulkner didn’t survive.
Millions of people were trapped on the roads. Wholly inadequate anti-snow measures and horrendous, unprecedented conditions entombed motorists and passengers alike – on the road, railways and at sea. It was a ‘fait accomplis’ within the first forty-eight hours. The vast majority of casualties died at the wheel of their vehicles or very nearby as they made a futile attempt to reach safety.
Tamsin Urquart, venerable actress living alone; Pauline Quayle, housewife and mother, and Brenda Carter, OAP, also living without help, didn’t survive.
All three ventured out into the weather inadequately clothed, unprepared for the danger and without support. They didn’t last long because, like most Britons, they didn’t pay the weather enough respect. Living alone was almost a mandatory death sentence. With no one to support or advise, it was terribly difficult to cope with the unknown. The frail and elderly suffered beyond compare. Most died where they sat or lay, waiting for their carer to appear. Others, like Tamsin, Pauline and Brenda went out into the snow without knowledge or proper deference to its lethal dangers.
George Brayne, ex-RAF pilot, survived.
After young Chris Davies had disappeared into the snow to search for his family, George had lapsed into a depression fuelled by guilt and self-pity. He was distraught over the loss of Chris. The boy had obviously seen through George’s ruse concerning his bogus injury concocted to keep the lad from venturing out. The boy clearly felt betrayed by George, and had taken the rescue attempt into his own hands. It was impossible to fault the boy – George held himself totally responsible and was consumed with shame.
Nevertheless, after a couple of days, even though Chris didn’t return, George fell back into his old routine. He had supplies and fuel to last months and he was one of the more fortunate householders whose roof didn’t collapse. It was an old thatched roof, only recently strengthened with new thatch. It survived the snow, as George did. Whether or not he would survive the thaw was another question.
Pardeep Aluwahlia didn’t survive.
Pardeep was just unlucky. He mistakenly boarded a train destined for the shunting yards, and after escaping his mobile prison, he ran into a group of selfish, bigoted thugs who cared for nobody but themselves. Many, many innocent but naïve people suffered a similar fate. Scum does indeed rise to the surface in a muddy pond.
Naomi Old didn’t survive.
A teacher protecting the children for whom she was reluctantly responsible. However, there wasn’t a thought for herself - only concern for her young charges. Thousands of teachers found themselves in the impossible situation of being unable to abandon the children in their care in order to search out their own families. This was a clear demonstration of a wonderfully selfless, but ultimately futile, sacrifice.
Josh and Josie Drover survived.
Their extensive preparation and planning had paid off. They had stored enough logs in the garage attached to the side of the house, and their freezer contained enough food to last months. They confined themselves to a downstairs room, which became their living, cooking and sleeping area. It all smelled rather like a woodland campsite – smoky and a bit murky – but they became used to the conditions after a while. Even though their roof had partially caved in, Josh saw the whole episode as a sort of a challenge which had to be overcome. And in the end, they bested the weather and were still functioning when the sun came out – although they didn’t know it for a while because of the depth of the snow. Like many others in their situation – and there were quite a few – the greatest challenge was yet to come. The adventure was only really starting.
Jeff and Lyndsey Hyne survived.
As with Josh and Josie, the Hynes adapted their situation to meet the circumstances. They were pro-active and positive. They made quick decisions and took courageous action, using everything at their disposal to aid their survival. They made some mistakes, but overall showed remarkable fortitude in near-impossible circumstances. In some ways, they were fortunate to be on their own – future investigations would show that pairs of individuals fared better, on balance, than in groups.
Helga Inkerwicz didn’t survive.
Helga died because she, also, was utterly alone. Like many vagrants and homeless people at the very depths of society, they had no-one to turn to. Nobody missed them.
Patric and Joanie Silver survived.
After their appalling experience on the campsite in Brighton, they sheltered in a house nearby for several days, but eventually they ran short of the means to carry on. They needed an alternative – but alternatives were scarce. There had been nearly two weeks of continuous snow, and all practicable shelter had either been taken or was submerged. Patric concluded that they would be forced to seek help. But, where would they find it? The only viable source of protection appeared to be one of the supermarkets which were being run as co-operatives. They were violent, he knew by harsh experience, but what other possibility presented itself?
They avoided the Sainsbury which spawned the attack on the campsite, and travelled farther afield. It took them all day, but eventually they found a Tesco on the edge of Brighton, built on a retail park. They approached cautiously, but were intercepted about fifty metres from the entrance. Two men, armed with clubs, stopped and questioned their intent. Patric explained their circumstances and after a short delay, the couple were escorted into the store.
After doffing their outer clothing, they were shown into a side office where five people, four men and one woman, sat behind a desk. The ensuing thirty minutes were harrowing. The committee explained that every waif and stray that came within reach of the supermarket were subject to a summary interrogation. The country was in a state of disarray approaching Martial Law and resources were limited, so it was fast becoming the survival of the most ruthless. They explained that their co-operative was selective and only people who could contribute to a ‘new post-snow Britain’ were admitted. The ‘committee’ which made the decisions, although unelected, sat in judgement of all applicants. The successful remained and were required to abide by the dreadful draconian system running in the co-operative. The unsuccessful hopefuls were cast back out into an icy car park. It was tantamount to murder.
Patric and Joanie were shocked but managed to hide their alarm. They fielded questions about their background, former life and qualifications. The board were impressed by Patric’s police experience and his knowledge of the law. This understanding would be useful in any post-snow society. However, when it came to Joanie, they were less enthralled. She had been dismissed as a ‘mere mother and housewife’, who had trained as a sports masseuse. The woman was not over-impressed with her qualifications but eventually, after some discussion, it was decided that her medical knowledge might be useful in the future. In any case, Patric made it quite clear that he wasn’t staying without her!
So, Patric and Joanie were admitted to the collective. However, right of entry was a double-edged sword. The conditions inside the supermarket were indeed austere and punishments for infractions of the many rules and regulations were harsh and immediate. They were allocated bedding and a sleeping area, and quickly introduced themselves to the other ‘‘inmates’’ – as Joanie called them. Food was served with strict rationing and duties were allocated on a daily work sheet. Everybody contributed to the welfare of the group, but nobody was really happy or secure. Most of the ‘‘inmates’’ had relatives in the outside world, but attempts to rescue them were forbidden. No one leaving was allowed to return. Unrest bubbled under the surface, but nobody did anything to prejudice his or her place in the co-operative. It was a probable death sentence to venture outside.
So, Patric and Joanie played
the game, kept their heads down, and as a result survived until the snow stopped falling. The situation changed dramatically when the sun came out!
Victoria Walker, the postal worker, didn’t survive.
She was just unlucky. Like many others just doing their jobs that first morning, she fell foul of the weather. It was nobody’s fault, but not one person noticed or even had the time to care.
Mike Scaiffe and his family survived.
The secret of their success was family and the mutual support it provided. Of course, Mike organised and ran the house with a military precision, without which they would have all perished. Food, fuel and water were not really an issue, as the pub had plentiful stocks of all three. Mike kept everyone occupied and entertained, which helped to keep morale high. He also realised that the roof was a weak point, and managed to ensure that it remained intact. It was a classic success story and was proof that survival in atrocious conditions was possible, if the correct approach was quickly and efficiently adopted. Surely there were others like him?
Quincey Roberts didn’t survive.
Quincey, like many media workers, selflessly remained at his desk in order to try to source and broadcast information to the masses. However, the snowfall was just too heavy, and the failure of the electricity supply and communication masts soon negated all of his efforts. By then it was far too late to reach safety.
The Royal Family survived.
This was mainly because they had been safely ensconced in Sandringham for the Christmas holidays when the snow started. In addition, a large household staff and police presence, copious supplies of food and fuel, and a family used to self-discipline contributed enormously. It would be essential to the stability of the country for the Head of State to be firmly in place when recovery began. It would give everyone a point of focus, and the continuity was crucial. Strong leadership would be critical to Britain’s ability to make progress in a very uncertain future.
Snow! The Series [Books 1-4] Page 44
