Whilst the UK is considerably smaller than Spain, the weather can vary from region to region, you cannot speak for the UK as a whole, or for all councils. Here we haven't seen a flake of snow, pavements have been gritted (again yesterday) and the weather hasn't stopped me from doing anything I normally do. Meanwhile, up in Scotland and on the east coast....

You know what I'm really missing at the moment. Being outside! In Spain even at this time of the year we are out and about more often than not and only a week before we left we were eating lunch on the patio. In the UK, it's just too cold to even wander about

Yes, but it's warm inside, tucked up in your double glazed, cavity wall insulated, centrally heated, carpeted little house! Reading this and other forums of Brits in Spain huddling around gas heaters, wood burners, burning bleedin' ground olive stones, my heart goes out to them! Anyway, you're getting soft. it was 6º here yesterday and much the same today. Yesterday was lovely here walking in the sun, not at all cold.

Nit-picking? Where did I say ALL of the UK?

Look again at some of the sentences I put:
Now I've not given an exact percentage, but from all the news and weather reports, various parts have been hit by the cold weather. We were promised milder weather by Christmas Day, but I'm sure the forecasters wouldn't guarantee for ALL the UK.

Anyway, good luck to all those travelling at this time. I've nearly slipped over several times on the footpaths outside my home, and I keep hearing news reports of roads closed, trains cancelled etc. Obviously it's not universally bad, but take care out there all travellers!

The Beeb seem to have the worst areas affected here:

"Icy conditions cause travel chaos"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8427781.stm

The good news is that the days are now getting longer.

The bad news is that Santa's sledge is stuck in a 12 mile tail-back on the M25.

I walked for three hours on Sunday through the fields here in the UK - the sun was bright and the sky was blue. It was about two degrees max. but once you get walking, it's fine.

You big softee

And you thought it was only on Spanish streets where you had to be careful of marrauding bulls:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/w...ds/8428843.stm

Ok, so it was only 1 bullock, but they still had to close several streets. I wouldn't have fancied confronting it!

No...it's lovely and warm walking in the snow if you are wrapped up properly with decent footwear. I am loving it

That´s the thing about the UK weather that drove me mad. More sunny days in winter than summer.

Our house is cavity wall insulated,the hugest fire etc.

Tiled floors,marble worktops make it colder but cosy when the fire burns after we have finished outside for the day

We'll get the last laugh come springtime

cos

the UK will probably have similar temperatures to the usual UK average and we'll be looking forward to our unbearable ones in the summertime.

But at the end of the day I know where I'd rather be.

I have to agree - the long spells of grey days seem to be more prevalent when you are expecting sun!

The joke is that the grey summer days were damn depressing, but the sunny ones were too, because I knew that the grey would be back very soon.

Thats what I like about you Bill, always positive....