Winter Adventures

The weather we’ve had this winter should probably be described as ‘unpredictable’. This winter was my twelfth winter working for East Riding of Yorkshire Council as a winter operative and it’s been a mixed bag really. I missed the first couple of months of the season due to illness, so my first run out in my gritter didn’t happen until mid December.

From then until now its been a varied diet of freezing roads, Hoare frost, snow drifts and warm sunny days. Some of the drivers have wracked up a lot of hours at times trying to keep the East Riding road network useable during the adverse weather.

I always really enjoy being apart of the Winter Team. It’s a job that really does give a lot of satisfaction knowing that you're using your skills to help your local community.

This week is the last week that the drivers are on call for winter duties, so after Sunday, our summer off can officially begin. There is still work to be done though. Winter Services is an all year round job, with several very hard working people who will start to prepare everything for next winter.

I will look forward to getting back into it when the new driver training begins, and also when we start the season anew in October.

Until then, I’m sure I will have plenty to keep me busy.