UK'S SNOW CHAOS

**Adrian II** · 02-07-2009, 14:13

Originally Posted by Husar

[..] last time I got to see two really fast trains passing by while I was waiting for 40 mins and they whirled up snow and it was just beautiful to watch and made me really, really happy, so it was worth the wait.

This is so true. Husar, I love you.

Originally Posted by LittleGrizzly

Had a wicked 2 days out in the snow, loads of snowball fighting today, it was great.

Attaboy!

Did you know that 15.000 British people called emergency services to complain about snowball-throwing?

Amid the general hysteria over a few inches of snow which is bad enough, this really takes the biscuit. What a bunch of wusses. I think you guys should scrap the 'Great' in Great Britain.

**LittleGrizzly** · 02-07-2009, 14:59

Did you know that 15.000 British people called emergency services to complain about snowball-throwing?

Grumpy sods no doubt!

In fairness we really aren't used to this much snow, worst for 18 years i heard... i think people need to lighten up and enjoy the snow, we don't get it often so make the most of it well its lasts...

My teacher actually refuses to use the term 'great britian' we are britian, not great!

**InsaneApache** · 02-07-2009, 15:44

We used to get snow like this a couple of times a year when I was a kid, nobody batted an eyelid. The trains ran, the buses ran, nobody stayed off work and all the schools opened. (Much to my dismay)

In fact my brothers and I had sledges in the outhouse that we got out every year. Towards the end of my schooling the headmaster would read the riot act about throwing snow(ice?)balls at people as, I quote, "You might take someones eye out with that!"

Nowt new there then.

I just wish my grumpy old man antenna was a bit more finely tuned and I'd had the gumption to report all those criminal teenagers chucking snow about.

I must pay more attention in future.

I forgot this. One of my first jobs was on a building site, sometimes it was that cold we had to scrap the shovels and use pickaxes to dig holes. It warmed you up anyway. One of the things we used to do was chuck snowball at each other, paying particular attention to the chargehand.

Except that for him we used to put little stones inside so that it smarted when it hit him.

One joke we pulled one particularly snowy day was when we hid his motorbike. He had to go into town for summat or other and we seized our chance. Getting the block and tackle we hooked up said motorcycle and raised it about 20 feet into the air and manoeuvred it into the branches of a tree. You should have seen his face when he got back! He wasn't a happy chappy. He started shouting at us, so we pelted him with (aggregate ridden) snowballs.

It took him yonks to get his bike out.

**LittleGrizzly** · 02-07-2009, 17:35

As long as you crush the snow tight enough you get a pretty hard 'ball' anyway, my one friend has an awesome throw on him, he's got a great aim and he gets a hell of a lot of power into it, the snowball will suddenly curl into you sharply building up speed throughout the curl, even with jeans on you can really feel it if he hits you in the leg...

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 02-08-2009, 01:48

I rather feel that misses the point, causing actual pain is not really what I call fun.

FYI, you can tell your teacher that "Britain" is geographically incorrect, because Britannia is the main island, "Greater Britannia" is the whole bunch, including Ireland really.Of course these days we don't usually point that last bit out.

**InsaneApache** · 02-08-2009, 11:19

The term Great Britain is used to differentiate between Brittany and the island to the north. Nothing to do with propaganda or jingoism.

Your teacher is an idiot who should know better. It's amazing that they let these cretins loose on kids. No wonder an A level is the equivalent of the 11+ these days.

**Adrian II** · 02-08-2009, 12:10

Originally Posted by InsaneApache

The term Great Britain is used to differentiate between Brittany and the island to the north. Nothing to do with propaganda or jingoism.

Nope. If you were right, it would be called Greater Britain. But then you never are.

Your teacher is an idiot who should know better. It's amazing that they let these cretins loose on kids. No wonder an A level is the equivalent of the 11+ these days.

And they call me grumpy.

Originally Posted by Philipvs Vallindervs Calicvla

I rather feel that misses the point, causing actual pain is not really what I call fun.

Are you a girl? Boys between age 5 and 18 are constantly testing their own limits as well as those of others, animals and inanimate objects. It's their way of exploring and conquering the physical world and building prowess. The best snowball fights I remember were those in high school when some of us were actually bleeding afterwards in class from the effect of 'iceballs' as we called them.

Ah, the good old days - before everybody got 'sentitive' about kids, animals, family values, smoking, fatty foods and all that bovine excrement.

**InsaneApache** · 02-08-2009, 13:52

Originally Posted by Adrian II

Nope. If you were right, it would be called Greater Britain. But then you never are.

I stand in awe at your intellectual prowess. Oh hang on...

Great Britain is the term used for the island containing the contiguous nations¹ of England, Scotland and Wales. Great Britain is used to distinguish Britain from Brittania Minor, or Brittany, in France

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/home/scotland/britain.html

It's not often you're right, however you're wrong again.

**Philippus Flavius Homovallumus** · 02-08-2009, 19:21

Originally Posted by Adrian II

Nope. If you were right, it would be called Greater Britain. But then you never are.And they call me grumpy.

Are you a girl? Boys between age 5 and 18 are constantly testing their own limits as well as those of others, animals and inanimate objects. It's their way of exploring and conquering the physical world and building prowess. The best snowball fights I remember were those in high school when some of us were actually bleeding afterwards in class from the effect of 'iceballs' as we called them.

Ah, the good old days - before everybody got 'sentitive' about kids, animals, family values, smoking, fatty foods and all that bovine excrement.

Turns out IA was right and I was wrong, oops. Actually, it would be "Brittania Maior" in Latin I believe, which is Greater Britain to go with Lesser Britain. Given that it has been about 1500 years since anyone said that in everyday conversation, however, it's not surprising it's been shortened really.

Oh, and I'm not a girl, I just don't like gratuitous violence, if I want to prove myself manly I shall chop down a tree.