The shock of the cold

Winter weather traditionally inspires giddy childlike enthusiasm, as can be seen on Bracknell's slopes (video) - and this has been replicated on the blogopshere too.

Ceramix notes the generally mild winter to date, but gets excited by his rapidly falling thermometer which bottomed out at -8 degrees Celcius and takes a few snaps of the snow.

Up on the downs Adrian Hollister turns killjoy with a warning to the public to take care, as 3inches of snow will mean ice on the roads. But down in the Kennet valley the canal froze over, and all the enjoyment is lost as it's turning to slush already.

In less rural areas of the county John Redwood MP attempts to reassure panickers about keeping the roads open for business, while Cllr Ricky Duveen is more placid in his concern at the disruption to ordinary people - although you can guess which of the two expects someone else to do the work, and who is prepared to put their own back into sorting it out.

Labour voices are celebrating winning government funding 'which will help save lives' by allowing vulnerable people 'to keep warm' during the winter months.

This is despite acknowledging the 'cold snap' is unlikely to last, and using the funds to initiate a campaign to set up a council telephone line to target advice at those whose health may be affected by cold, with small grants available 'only in extreme cases' (a follow-up on the level of take-up may be informative).

However The Porridge Lady provides a much simpler, more direct and quicker answer with a recipe for feisty ginger porridge to heat up your mornings and beat the cold.

Cllr Sarah Hacker also provides details of RBC's winter plan, as RBC teams up with homelessness charity Launchpad Reading to comply with the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP). This is to ensure extra help is available for people without permanent accomodation, having not yet fulfilled a promise to increase the number of beds in the town's hostels from 200 to 224.

Elsewhere Mark Thompson looks at the state of debate on social media about climate change - concluding that the clash of opposing dogmatic beliefs are prevailing over scientific fact and this is proving unhelpful.

Meanwhile Jane Brocket is baffled by backwards attitudes to cold weather of the British. She suggests it is 'old-fashioned' to exist in a perpetual state of unpreparedness, and the annual shock of winter is simply unnecessary.

Not something Elizabeth Thomas suffers from - after escaping the 'ominously' heavy snowclouds she enjoyed a 'magical' evening in front of a roaring fire watching the snow through her bay window with her family.

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