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A flurry of snow came out of nowhere just as the kids were getting ready for school. The dashed into the garden and tried to make snowmen and snowballs out of the thin layer of virgin slush, but to no avail.
It was time to leave for school, but they were reluctant to stop playing amongst the thick snowflakes falling around them. Ernie said he wasn't going to school today. I somehow managed to get them back inside.
Phoebe asked what would happen if they got snowed in. Ernie lay on the floor, screaming and terrified. How the hell did I get them into the car? With great difficulty, but somehow.
Both of them were either on or past the point of tears. The snow was still falling and they couldn't play in it and feared getting trapped in it. The flurry of snowy feathers turned into specks of white dandruff.
"I hate you daddy," asserted Phoebe. I had ruined her life. This was their one chance to play in the snow and I had deprived them of it.
This is my one full day with the kids out of 9 or 10 days so it's nice to be openly despised.
I pointed out that nothing had really settled and that in any case the snow might return, which it did, but I was still in the doghouse. Should I have just let them enjoy themselves at home? Should I have said, "Yeah, take the day off so we can enjoy this!"? Could I ever be one of those fun dads who just chose to break the rules when he felt like it?
They got to school and it was still snowing and I thought they might resist going in, but they went straight to their pegs and hung up their stuff. Hopefully the teachers might let them have a quick play in the slush before lessons.
I took the dog for a walk in nearby Letchworth where I was delighted to chance across the UK's first roundabout. We are so lucky to have this landmark within just a few miles of our house. I was surprised that there weren't more tourists there.
We had driven round this roundabout a few weeks ago and Catie was correctly amused by the fact that the sign proclaims that this is the UK's first roundabout and that is was built "circa 1909". You'd think they would know the date for definite. It's a big deal. The first UK roundabout. Do the records not show the first time it was opened for business. It's not like it's from Anglo-Saxon times. It's only approximately 116 years ago. If they go to the library they can check the local newspapers and almost certainly find the date. Or look at town council records. It's like they wanted the sign, but couldn't be bothered to do the homework. It's from about 1909, surely that's enough for everyone.
The surprising thing about the UK's first roundabout is that it's in quite a quiet and leafy part of Letchworth, not the kind of place that you'd imagine would need traffic to be organised. But hats off to the people of roughly 1909 for having the foresight to put this in. I wonder if they realised what they started.
I spent most of the rest of the day podcasting with authors remotely. I did three RHLSTP Book Clubs for the next three Fridays and though it was another unrelenting schedule I thoroughly enjoyed them all. Work is less frustrating when you know what you're doing and Steve Punt, Robert Ross and Jonathan Freedland were all terrific guests. We covered the life of Terry Jones, how being a real life Traitor is more risky than the TV show makes out and having Eric Idle's face, but I am not telling you who talked about which subject.
