Snow in Ware Hertfordshire in February 1991
Snow in Ware Hertfordshire in February 1991

A day inside on a bitterly cold day with temperatures of -12.5degC, the coldest for four years which freeze the river and justify the use of our sled for once as the girls play out in the snow and Daniel bends his car again.

The plumber still attends to finish the piping in the Utility area and Mr Morbey fits the Sky Movie decoder for Di. The Gulf ground war seems close.

Another bitterly-cold day today as each day seems to get colder with temperatures of -12.5degC, the coldest for four years. The river is quite frozen, but never freezes beside our spring water outlet or downstream where other spring water drains out into the flow. The papers and post came this morning and I was pleased to receive the printer cable that was preventing the use of this new portable machine. No school for Debbie and so she was soon outside in the snow playing with Della and the Law children.

** "Read More" BELOW for the complete story **

After breakfast, I went out to do the chores and took down the sled from the garage roof that had never been used since being purchased. Although out for a little while, I was soon back into my office, using the lap-top computer and getting the printer to work very well. Mr Porter, the plumber, came this morning and finished most of the piping in the new utility area, so that the old area was clear for the builders on Monday. I worked on this afternoon and then watched a film in the lounge with the family this evening before Debbie went off to a Youth Disco in the village hall. The chill of the weather is such that, without the window and door draft excluders (that were removed when the house was decorated this autumn), the central heating boiler has difficulty in keeping up with the job. We shall be glad when the weather warms up as I have so much to do outside and I am afraid of water pipes freezing outside here and at the boat and bungalow at Heronshaw.

A telephone call from Daniel today. He has bent his car again (this time around a sign at the university) and needs a loan to get it fixed during the National Savings withdrawal period. I always hear from him when he needs money! Mr Morbey also came round today and fitted the decoder to allow Diana to watch the "Sky Movie" satellite TV channel and so we shall have even more distractions to cope with. The news is all about the weather and the Gulf. Allied leaders are meeting to consider when to start the ground war and I do not think that it will be very long.