Snow and snow chains

We have now had no post for over a week, with the postman not even venturing as far as the top of the drive. This means a pick-up in the town, although getting out is an issue. We have not only to live here and get all our supplies, we have to get our children to school and significantly we have to bring the occasional customer in to record.Although the C2033 has now been gritted, there was a freeze last night so we'll see the conditions tomorrow for driving.

Snow chains and cleats arrived in the post. Has Christmas come early? YOu would think so from the flury of excitement and unwrapping. Phil set to with his chains and we soon got them on, after a few moments' doubt. The best way is that Phil reads the instructions and I grovel on the floor and do all the threading through. Circumstances make me a foot soldier for physical operations although it's not a role that I usually get cast in! The idea is to put on the chains and tighten, then drive and stop to draw in the slack, like tights for the RAF engineer (sorry that'll only mean something to those who've worked on a chilly airfield)
The snow chains went on, the car set out. A nice easy trip up the icy track he said on the 'phone.
You have to take them off when there's no snow, and you're driving direct on the road, so after a few minutes I had a call. He had taken them off and somehow wrapped them round the rear wheel.
The skype was running in the kitchen down to his father and so he watched on as I "alerted the emergency services"./ Next minute he'd freed off the wheel and went on his way to get provisions for Mum and Dad and pick up our school-bound children (sorry kids, you have to live in Llanfyllin when it snows, without the X-box!)

Returning down the track  last night (I haven't seen the kids for a couple of days) he travelled down the track at an uncontrolled 20mph until he put hill descent in action. I will have to go up and grit the critical stretch again today. I will use the cleats.

Talking of cleats, they're very good so far and I recommend them if you fall over easily in the snow and ice, or have to go where you don't want to. The cheapest by far are the AA ones at about £6.00, and if you go to the AA website you can order them with next day delivery. So if I don't fall over today go ahead to this address:

http://shop.theaa.com/store/other/aa-snow-ice-grips

It has to be right, particularly if this is going to become the norm.