BOLTON woke up on Tuesday morning, January 12, to a lovely covering of snow, making the world look clean, bright, with an added sense of "wonder". Children slipped and slid their way to school, motorists took added care driving to work or leisure, taking extra time, all to be expected in the "snowy season".

Tuesday is my area's collection day for refuse. The collectors arrive, in general between 1pm and 2pm, but "no sound" of the refuge lorry to be heard that day. My thoughts were still kindly as I took my bin in from the pavement around 4.30pm. I thought they would have been out on the gritting lorries, and be here tomorrow.

Wednesday "no show" and very little snow. The Bolton Evening News article told me around 4.3Opm that day when my paper was delivered, I'd now missed out on this week's collection, and it would be next Tuesday, January 19, when we heard"the mighty roar" of the refuge lorry round my area.

My immediate thoughts were - what happens if it snows next Tuesday, and every Tuesday after for the next two/three/four/five weeks? Therefore please could anyone help me to ensure that, in future, it snows on days in rotation, so I won't be left with another full bin till Tuesday, February 16?

A fully paid-up Council Tax Smithills Resident

(name and address supplied)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.