What this photo doesn't show is that the roads to each side of the premises are very steep and this morning were totally ungritted and very icy. As I was late and tired, I turned up one of them without thinking. I managed to park and go in for my meeting but trying to depart, I found I was going nowhere. Or worse I was inching backwards down the icy slope towards the red Fiesta parked behind me. I tried putting cardboard down under the wheels but all this did was attract the attention of an idle youth who threw a snowball at me. I was forced to go, cap in hand, back into the Shine building to beg for some of their grit. Better than grit they sent me an angel, who seemed to be disguised as Badly Drawn Boy, in any case he had a shovel and was prepared to come and chip out the ice from beneath my wheels. After some effort on his part I managed to get the car moving forwards but only for 6 inches before it became stuck on the next patch of ice. The Badly Drawn Angel didn't seem to relish the prospect of digging out the entire road so suggested that if I could get the car away from the Fiesta then it might be best to let it slide bac`1kwards down the hill and then he would keep an eye out for me whilst I reversed into the main road. I didn't fancy this plan as there were parked cars on either side of the road but there didn't seem to be any other option. So that is what I did, slowly, gripping the wheel with utmost concentration, until the blessed relief of a flat gritted road was reached. We take normal, safe roads far too much for granted, you know.
So to this morning's angel/good samaritan/ caretaker at Shine: thank you.
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