| SNOW MUCH FUN IN ABBOTS |
 The snow in Abbots Langley was some of the heaviest we have seen since the early 90s, and it was certainly a few days where it affected people in different ways. Children could be seen throwing snow balls and building snowmen on Manor House Gardens and South Way, while the workers of the village were snowed in and skidding all over the icy roads. The snow prevented plenty from getting to work, while many of those who could get to their place of employment, had to take the day off because their children’s school was closed, whether that be in Kings Langley, Abbots or neighbouring Watford. If you viewed the village from the middle of the High Street, it looked like a white sheet had been thrown over the area; it was certainly a Kodak moment. It was clearly a week where not only the younger members of the community came together, but also families too. There will be some great memories for parents building snowmen with their children, and at a time where global warming makes the weather so unpredictable, who knows when we will be able to create more memorable moments? There were also scenes of good Samaritans helping out their stranded neighbours. Janet Williams, of Gallows Hill Lane, contacted My Abbots News about her neighbour, who was helping local residents as they struggled on the village’s roads. She said: “A school bus broke down and this neighbour came out and gritted half the road so that the bus could move on and ease the traffic. It was just a nice scene to see everyone pulling together, with one lady making coffees for everyone and people chatting to neighbours they had never even met.” The snow did have its downsides, though, with a number of local authorities suffering in particular. Hertfordshire Highways are predicting over expenditure of around £1million because of the snow and frosty roads. There is still two months of the gritting season remaining, which runs between October and April, and with the cold weather expected to continue, a large overspend is almost unavoidable. Hertfordshire Constabulary were also busy during the poor weather, receiving 3,781 calls in one week after the adverse weather conditions – over 700 more than in an average week. From Monday 2 February to Sunday 8 February there was also a further 6,631 non-emergency calls from across the county. This is an additional 400 calls more than in an average week. There was also concern about anti-social behaviour in the area, which resulted in Herts Police having to issue a statement warning those who were anti-social could be charged. The main concern was that of snowballs being thrown at cars driving past, with the issue of driver’s views being obstructed. Despite the downsides reported above, the snow was a welcome distraction from school for many youngsters in the area. Chelsea , a Year 8 student at Rickmansworth School, joined her friends in enjoying the snow covered area while her school was closed. She said: “I’ve never seen snow like it, so me and my friends made the most of it, building snowmen and having snowball fights, it was a lot fun.” As you will see from our pictures, the snow, despite a nuisance to some, brings the young members of the community together. There were even scenes where local PCSOs were having some banter with the youngsters – that can’t be a bad thing now can it?
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