Snow Day: good or bad?
By Catherine Woods, published 1 year ago in Archive.
One in five workers didn’t make it into work yesterday (a conservative estimate if ever I heard one) and the Times reports that the so-called Snow Day has cost the economy £3bn.
A lot of the media coverage of the inclement weather has asked how a great city such as London can be so severely disrupted by a dusting of the white stuff. Other European cities deal with much more snow effortlessly.
Did we really need such disruption at such a cost when we’re in the grips of a recession?
Or was it just what the doctor ordered?
I worked from home yesterday (with the blinds open so I could see the lovely snow falling). When I ventured out for a look at the area under a blanket of white, I was delighted to also see so many smiling faces. Smiles are rare in the hustle and bustle of London at the best of times, let alone when everyone’s concerned about the economy and the future.
My verdict: who cares if it cost the economy £3bn (and let’s face it, it’s not as if that’s ‘real’ money). Yesterday was a great day.
Do you agree? Was the morale boost the snow provided worth the cost of shutting down your business for a day? Did you have a good or bad day? Let us know what you think, below or on the forum.
3 comments.
Alice 1 year ago.
I'm completely with you! being a student i admittedly had reason to be joyous seeing as my school was closed and the snow therefore didn't really have a negative effect on my life. However, I doubt Britain is suddenly going to see a sudden dramtatic slump in the economy, and (as reported by the Sun) I'm sure that '2000' new jobs losses will not be evoked because of one day's chaos. Besides, even if the snow does result in Britain's economy having to tighten it's belt by a further inch - the feeling of excitedness and happiness in the air yesterday can not be given a price tag.
alex kemsley 1 year ago.
It was such a relief that for once this year i could watch the news without hearing about doom and gloom of a recession. Instead they could talk about the doom and gloom of snow, which for most of us was nothing of the sort.
Catherine George 1 year ago.
I couldn't agree more Woods and may I just say I really enjoy reading your articles, I'm an avid fan. Unfortunately I could still make it into work from Angel to Soho so I was rather glum as I stomped and slid through the snow to work without the chance to enjoy its pure beauty. Maybe next week...