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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To still want to go to London?

30 replies

Rosieeo · 01/12/2010 08:14

We're in Yorkshire and have had a huge amount of snow overnight, as I know the majority of the country has! It looks lovely and we're all off school, which is fab.

DH and I have plans to go to London this weekend. We're going on the train for a couple of nights and have been looking forward to it for ages. The children are staying with my parents.

It has been suggested to me by a friend that it would be very irresponsible of us to go to London given the weather and that fact that the kids are with my parents. I think that if the trains are running and the weather has calmed down a little here, then I still want to go.

What do you think? AIBU?

OP posts:
kreecherlivesupstairs · 01/12/2010 08:16

Go. It's not as if you are off to Siberia.

Lonnie · 01/12/2010 08:19

Go Weather is meant to ease off at the weekend Obviously reevaluate Friday once you know the immediate weather but apart from that just go and enjoy yourself

Original poster
Rosieeo · 01/12/2010 08:36

Thank you! I didn't think it sounded that negligent. Or dangerous, which was my friends concern.

OP posts:
PinkElephantsOnParade · 01/12/2010 08:40

I am near London and the snow is not bad at all here. It is quite bad in Kent and south parts of Surrey, but you would not be anywhere near that.

Also most odf the snow roun here should be gone by the weekend.

Go, I can't see any reason why not.

There is always someone telling you it is not safe to go off for the weekend in case the world comes to an end in your absence!

Ignore, go and have your well-earned break and let your DCs be spoiled rotten by their GPs! Grin

LLKH · 01/12/2010 10:09

I live in London and PinkElephants is absolutely right. The snow isn't bad here at all. In fact, it appears to be gone. So go to London. Enjoy yourselves.

MumNWLondon · 01/12/2010 10:11

I'm in London. Went to Liverpool for a couple of days Mon-Tues, trains are fine, hardly any snow here (NW London) and none at all in central London.

neepsntatties · 01/12/2010 10:28

Takes a lot to stop the trains and your children will be well looked after. See no reason at all not to go. Enjoy!

Blu · 01/12/2010 10:33

Central London is absolutely fine!
Very tricky in parts of the outskirts, though - 6" of snow in Streatham Hill, for example.

RunawayChristmasTree · 01/12/2010 10:40

Its London for Gods sake you are not emigrating, go and have a great time

Ryoko · 01/12/2010 10:43

We ain't got snow in North-West London, we got slush, I want snow.

Mammie81 · 01/12/2010 10:44

From Yorks you will presumably go into Kings Cross? Thats been fine - and you can get on the tube straight from there, again its all been fine! (Esp as the Victoria line is entirely enclosed and doesnt even go outside!)

Enjoy the trip, London is beautiful in the snow!

Original poster
Rosieeo · 01/12/2010 12:41

Thanks everyone. I'm not concerned at all about snow in London, the issue my friend mentioned was being unable to get back here! We've had - well, knocking on two foot over night. But the way I see it even if we struggled to get back the kids will be OK with their grandparents.

That's the part that my friend thought was irresponsible.

We do go into Kings Cross but are staying in South East London. Even so, I'm sure it will be fine. Really looking forward to it!

OP posts:
staranise · 01/12/2010 12:45

Very little snow here in central London though more expected tomorrow but London is often clearn when the rest of the country has bad weather. I'm sure most of it will have cleared by SUnday.

verytellytubby · 01/12/2010 12:46

I'm in North London and very little snow.

verytellytubby · 01/12/2010 12:47

Ignore your friends. Your kids are with your parents not left home alone.

RussetRingletsHeyer · 01/12/2010 12:53

I came back up to York last night from London - the East Coast mainline is running on an emergency timetable and it took 3 hours not 2, just expect it to be slow - but the trains are still running.

I don't think it would be negligent of you - it's not like you've left them in a snowdrift!

Kbear · 01/12/2010 12:55

I'm SE London and trains out to the suburbs aren't running that well and roads are pretty bad (although major routes are better now than yesterday). DH took 5 hours to get home from work yesterday (10 miles and dartford bridge).

Not trying to put you off but SE London got it worse than other parts of London so it depends where you're staying - your onward travel from Kings Cross might be trickier.

But if your childcare is solid and everyone's happy, come on down!!

Original poster
Rosieeo · 02/12/2010 08:45

Hi Lovely Londoners, got any new advice for me?

I know it snowed again last night and it's forecast to snow all day here, although we've had nothing like the massive snowfall we had on Tuesday night.

Things seem a little more chaotic than yesterday though! I know the trains are still running into Kings Cross, but the only other thing I can see are severe delays.

We're staying in Greenwich and I know we could avoid Southern and use the underground and DLR to get to Cutty Sark if we needed to.

What do you think? Still viable? The newspapers are just doom and gloom!

OP posts:
Simbacatlives · 02/12/2010 08:49

One if my staff took about 5 hours back from kings cross to Leeds last night. Some was delayed train before she got on then slow journey.

Train was very full- she had open 1st so got a seat but said itvwas chaotic.

I was there last weekend- delayed by 2 hours then overcrowded train.

I am going down on Sunday- expect the journey to be pretty crap.

shinybaubles · 02/12/2010 09:03

My sis works in North Greenwich she has no probs on public transport - DLR, jubilee line etc.

pottonista · 02/12/2010 09:17

I'm in SE London to - I've never seen so much snow in the capital! And it's still coming down.

OP, if you were travelling today I'd say you were nuts. Local overland is 'emergency timetable' and the Tube is pretty sketchy.

There are trains running though. If you or anyone with you has an iphone, download the National Rail Enquiries app - it updates pretty regularly, lets you plan journeys and has mostly reliable information about which trains are delayed, running or cancelled - there's also a 'Live departures' thing that lets you see what if anything is running from a particular station, and when.

pottonista · 02/12/2010 09:19

Oh, and: TWO FEET OF SNOW OVERNIGHT??? Shock

I thought SE24 had it tough, with four inches. Grin

bathbuns · 02/12/2010 09:32

What will it be like taking a taxi through central London today? Is that crazy?

Original poster
Rosieeo · 02/12/2010 09:35

I can cope with a slow journey rather than miss my jolly and would expect some delays. I thought that by Saturday it might be ok. Glad to hear the DLR etc are doing well and I'll certainly avoid Southern, it sounds like a nightmare!

Pottonista, I know! I've can honestly say that I've never seen anything like it in this country. I got DH to go and measure it in the garden where there are no drifts and it was just shy of 24 inches.

Right, am going to brave the car journey to Asda. This is the only time I've ever wanted a 4x4.

OP posts:
PinkElephantsOnParade · 02/12/2010 11:12

South of London is pretty bad today, but i don't think central London is too bad.

Conditions starting to improve a bit, I am just about to set out towards Leatherhead, wish me luck! Grin

Temperatures forecast to be up over the weekend so if you can get down here you should be OK over the weekend and for getting home.