Ten Essential Features Of TV Snow Coverage

1. Car slides across snowy road to halt across or on pavement.

2. Another car (or maybe the same one!) starts but can't get anywhere unless three or four people are filmed, "spontaneously" giving it a push.

3. Someone fruitlessly digging the snow away from their wheels with surprisingly large (and probably provided by the TV crews) shovel.

4. Someone falling over (usually in comic manner)

5. Children, and some adults, sliding down a snowy hill.

6. A frail pensioner negotiating a snow covered pavement, shopping basket (empty) held tightly in hand.

7. A snug reporter, sunk up to his/her knees in snow 'describing the scene', and commencing their description by saying "...well Bill (or whoever) here in xxxx its been snowing for x hours and..."

8. Soundbites from interviewees of the "well it started last night and kept on snowing" and "it took me seven hours to travel an eighth of a mile" variety.

9. Suggestions that we do not venture out of our homes "unless the journey is absolutely necessary". Listen, if I think its necessary, its necessary, no need to tell me.

10. Smug weathermen and women with a twinkle in their eye suggesting "its here for a while yet" and that we'll (stop Mothering me!) need to "...wrap up warm".

Posted By: Martin Peters, Nov 29, 14:09:59