Snow blizzards causing chaos across Bolton
2:10pm Friday 18th January 2013 in News
SNOW blizzards have started in Bolton following forecasts of heavy snowfall.
Bolton Council gritters were out throughout the night preparing for treacherous conditions and have been drafted out to areas most impacted by the snow, including Belmont Road and Scout Road.
Parklee Community School in Wardour Street in Atherton has closed the nursery section due to a heating problem. Church Road Primary School in Smithills and St Mary's School in Horwich are both closing.
More schools across Bolton have closed after initially braving the elements.
University of Bolton closed at 12pm.
Yesterday Leverhulme Primary School in Breightmet made the decision not to open the school.
Buses have reported problems travelling across town. Maytree Travel has reported major disruption on the 570 service. Buses will not be stopping at estates in Great Lever or Sutton. Diversions will be made via Hulton Lane.
No problems have been reported on rail services.
The RSPCA has been forced to cancel a drop-in session on Tuesday due to the weather - appointments made by around 30 people have been cancelled.
Most of the country is affected by snow today, with those particularly at risk of snowfall and blizzards including parts of North West England, Wales and the West Midlands.
Snowfall is expected to take place today and on Monday.
Comments(30)
xxenigmaxx
says...
11:58am Fri 18 Jan 13
questionairre
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2:19pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Chrome1
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2:24pm Fri 18 Jan 13
marco999
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3:18pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Andy Higham
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4:49pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Where is this reporter? Definitely not in Bolton, theres barely enough snow to make a snowman. FFS get real, its winter, it snows (most years) and the powers that be can't cope, schools shutting etc. I bet our European neighbours are having a good laugh at us
JWD
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5:22pm Fri 18 Jan 13
127001
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5:29pm Fri 18 Jan 13
127001
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5:36pm Fri 18 Jan 13
This is what a 'blizzard' looks like;
http://severe-wx.pbw
orks.com/f/blizzard.
jpg
JohnR1
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6:00pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Rubester
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7:46pm Fri 18 Jan 13
JustBecause
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7:58pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Absolutely ridiculous reporting and shameful scaremongery by the weather forecasters.
p.rhanna
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8:34pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Anyway where are these Blizzard conditions?
Chaos.....Disruption
.....Panic Buying......
Sensational Headlines from the BN........YAWN.
The traffic flowed well
Main roads were clear.
"No point the truth getting in the way of a good story"
As they say!
Happy Sledging......!
P.Rhanna
Bolton Aquarium
I, Ludicrous
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9:39pm Fri 18 Jan 13
theworldsgonemad12
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10:01pm Fri 18 Jan 13
questionairre wrote:dead right....
When i was at school a very long time ago (it seems) when the snow arrived as it invariably always did around this time of the year, we just put our wellies on and trudged to school having a wail of a time throwing snowballs and making giant snowmen. When the school bell rang at the end of the day we did it all again in reverse. End of. Now they close the school the day before the snow arrives. And with all due respect, Leverhulme school children will need as much help with their education as possible.
i can remember walking to school in 15 inch of snow wearing "short pants " and business as usaul...
just shows what a total joke of a country we have become,,,, Bolton Today had an average of 2 inches in low areas .... Was that seriously Enough to close schools ... Absolute joke and headmasters/teachers that did ,,, be ashamed,, heard of Rocksalt?? it melts snow... so if your boiler wasnt working,, yeh can understand,, but Think about parents that do actually work ,, yes work,,, the expense and inconvenience this pathetic Call created. YOU ARE TODAYS JOKE OF BOLTONS SNOW "DUSTING "!!
its winter,, yes we get snow,, think You need to watch the "Frozen planet " on bbc catch up,, seriously watch it ,, guess what ,, people live in conditions daily in minus 40 deg with 10 ft of snow for 4 months of the year ,,some days the sun does'nt Even rise and they even have Bears too!! and for the saddo's that log on every hour as told to the met office as told to ...see how it changes always every hour ...Why.. guess what...they have loads of advetising banners they make loads of money from by scaring you into thinking its the end of the world.. ,,,, get it
Horwich Observer
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10:17pm Fri 18 Jan 13
Every other country that has snow manages to carry on with normal life.......useless!!
!!!!!
Don't forget to check on old folk that live alone folks, be a good neighbour.
steveG
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10:23pm Fri 18 Jan 13
theworldsgonemad12
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10:26pm Fri 18 Jan 13
theworldsgonemad12
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10:29pm Fri 18 Jan 13
steveG wrote:I agree steve... but dont count on ya wheelie bin being emptied for another fortnight mate,,,, if the schools can shut then thee bin man shall not risk life by collecting our waste .. one rule for one......
Hats off to the council.The main roads were perfect around Bolton and Wigan,certainly better managed than anytime over the last few years following snowfall.
p.rhanna
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1:36am Sat 19 Jan 13
may.wilkinson
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1:31pm Sat 19 Jan 13
Horwich Observer wrote:when i was young 50 odd years ago,we used to have bad winters ,i can remember having to walk from westhoughton to lostock junction in knee high snow down lostock lane to the mill ,do a days work and then walk home again,we had to go cos my mother needed the money ,people say they no money today but they still have days off,bring back the old winters and let it sort the men out from the boys
Why does this country have to stop functioning just because of a few inches of snow?
Every other country that has snow manages to carry on with normal life.......useless!!
!!!!!
Don't forget to check on old folk that live alone folks, be a good neighbour.
Denis Tuborg
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9:04pm Sat 19 Jan 13
theworldsgonemad12 wrote:@ theworldsgonemad12 you talk scathingly about " Thee (sic) bin men not risking life by collecting your waste" but how outraged would you be if The lazy Binmen came skidding through the front of your house in a 25 tonne bin wagon while you sat on your laptop bleating about the snow ? wind your neck in !!!! if your bin wasn't emptied due to adverse weather conditions the Binmen will take your excess waste the following week. but you should get used to not having your bin emptied everyweek because as from next May it will be emptied fornightly weather conditions permitting :-)
steveG wrote:I agree steve... but dont count on ya wheelie bin being emptied for another fortnight mate,,,, if the schools can shut then thee bin man shall not risk life by collecting our waste .. one rule for one......
Hats off to the council.The main roads were perfect around Bolton and Wigan,certainly better managed than anytime over the last few years following snowfall.
myfanwy7
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10:28pm Sat 19 Jan 13
JWD wrote:Nothing to do with teachers not wanting to come out in the snow - that's just silly.. Schools close because of health and safety fears and - sadly - people's readiness to sue if they think that there has been an incident that might just result in a payout via one of the many ambulance chasing law firms out there.
Primary school closures in a town like Bolton make me laugh. Why are they closing, when practically all the children live nearby and could easily walkk to school? The real reason that schools close is that the teachers don't want to come out in the snow... Where would the country be if all employees decided that they would stay at home because it's snowing?
BWFC71
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9:53pm Sun 20 Jan 13
Horwich Observer wrote:Incorrect!!!!!
Why does this country have to stop functioning just because of a few inches of snow?
Every other country that has snow manages to carry on with normal life.......useless!!
!!!!!
Don't forget to check on old folk that live alone folks, be a good neighbour.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT:
Netherlands at thsi current moment in time - Trains operating to an emergency winter timetables - i.e between my city and Amsterdam there are only 2 trains an hour instead of 6!!! Buses only operating local town services , and not all running, but inter urban services not running at all. Only 1 lane on the highways are clear and massive jams occurred both thursday Friday and will be the same tomorrow.
The same is also happening in Belgium, Luxembourg, Northern France.
It is not a Uniquely British problem!!!
SCHOOLS:
In England the primary schools no longer cater fpor the very micro local areeas and actually cater for the whole boroughs, since the catchment areas were disbanded by Labour over 10 years ago and as such children may not be in walking distance of thw school. Same also applies to seconday/high schools - and as such have to rely on public transport. If teh buses cannot operate, due to Health and Safety regulations, then the schools have to close early and get the children home the best they can - its not teh fault of teh school or the teachers. In The Netherlands schools cater very much for the micro0areas they are in and are often connected to secondary school which again are connected to the micro-areas. Due to this very few children come from further than 2km and as such very few school buses and easy walking distance - so schools can stay open at teh first sign of snow, unlike in England!!!
BWFC71
says...
9:55pm Sun 20 Jan 13
may.wilkinson wrote:And 50 years ago you didn't have Health and Safety that is ever present like it is nowadays!
Horwich Observer wrote:when i was young 50 odd years ago,we used to have bad winters ,i can remember having to walk from westhoughton to lostock junction in knee high snow down lostock lane to the mill ,do a days work and then walk home again,we had to go cos my mother needed the money ,people say they no money today but they still have days off,bring back the old winters and let it sort the men out from the boys
Why does this country have to stop functioning just because of a few inches of snow?
Every other country that has snow manages to carry on with normal life.......useless!!
!!!!!
Don't forget to check on old folk that live alone folks, be a good neighbour.
berushka
says...
11:30am Mon 21 Jan 13
Andy Higham wrote:You are dead right!!! We have over a metre (3 feet 3 inches) of snow outside our home, and my son, who has a broken leg, clears it away each morning just so that we can get the car out of the garage and down our drive. Then we do it all again when we return home. Life just goes on, but we wear warmer clothing and, as is the law, all cars have winter tyres fitted. Nothing shuts down!
Blizzard !!!????
Where is this reporter? Definitely not in Bolton, theres barely enough snow to make a snowman. FFS get real, its winter, it snows (most years) and the powers that be can't cope, schools shutting etc. I bet our European neighbours are having a good laugh at us
boltoncity
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12:47pm Mon 21 Jan 13
myfanwy7 wrote:spot on comment
JWD wrote:Nothing to do with teachers not wanting to come out in the snow - that's just silly.. Schools close because of health and safety fears and - sadly - people's readiness to sue if they think that there has been an incident that might just result in a payout via one of the many ambulance chasing law firms out there.
Primary school closures in a town like Bolton make me laugh. Why are they closing, when practically all the children live nearby and could easily walkk to school? The real reason that schools close is that the teachers don't want to come out in the snow... Where would the country be if all employees decided that they would stay at home because it's snowing?
ohboltonweloveu
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7:44pm Mon 21 Jan 13
Denis Tuborg wrote:i think denis is a binman or council worker,,,, seems very passionate about the world stopping for 2 inch of snow ! enjoy another day off !!!
theworldsgonemad12 wrote:@ theworldsgonemad12 you talk scathingly about " Thee (sic) bin men not risking life by collecting your waste" but how outraged would you be if The lazy Binmen came skidding through the front of your house in a 25 tonne bin wagon while you sat on your laptop bleating about the snow ? wind your neck in !!!! if your bin wasn't emptied due to adverse weather conditions the Binmen will take your excess waste the following week. but you should get used to not having your bin emptied everyweek because as from next May it will be emptied fornightly weather conditions permitting :-)
steveG wrote:I agree steve... but dont count on ya wheelie bin being emptied for another fortnight mate,,,, if the schools can shut then thee bin man shall not risk life by collecting our waste .. one rule for one......
Hats off to the council.The main roads were perfect around Bolton and Wigan,certainly better managed than anytime over the last few years following snowfall.
ohboltonweloveu
says...
8:13pm Mon 21 Jan 13
with bin arsonists ,- fire call outs , rats , fly tipping .......
for anyone how has not yet used " the food waste box" ( £146,453 on the new food waste collection equipment, which includes £28,160 for 32,000 caddies, £21,393 for 40,000 rolls of special biodegradable bin liners, and £96,900 for 34,000 on-street food bins.)
IT MAKES A SUPER LITTLE GRIT BIN FOR YOUR DOORSTEP !!!!
remember grit bins denis ,?? the days we had on every street corner ?? could stop that 25 ton bin cart crashing thru house...lol
judyben
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10:20pm Tue 22 Jan 13
myfanwy7 wrote:Absolutely right. We had a gang of teachers went in to help clear the grounds at my last school.one winter . Despite this we still closed. Believe me there is too much learning missed that has to be caught up in a school day . The vast majority of teachers I know would prefer to be at work .We have to do risk assessments for everything and whilst we have always had a duty of care to the children we teach ,this is a relatively recent development .In case of any comments about short hours and long holidays I will add that,most teachers I know work long hours into the evening, and sometimes night,most of Sunday and are in school in the holidays.
JWD wrote:Nothing to do with teachers not wanting to come out in the snow - that's just silly.. Schools close because of health and safety fears and - sadly - people's readiness to sue if they think that there has been an incident that might just result in a payout via one of the many ambulance chasing law firms out there.
Primary school closures in a town like Bolton make me laugh. Why are they closing, when practically all the children live nearby and could easily walkk to school? The real reason that schools close is that the teachers don't want to come out in the snow... Where would the country be if all employees decided that they would stay at home because it's snowing?
boltonnut says...
11:45am Fri 18 Jan 13