We needed to attend a wedding on the weekend before Christmas down in Sussex - a three hour drive away. The weather was not particularly encouraging but we were very keen to be there. We finally got to our hotel after nine hours driving through the ice and snow and we were very grateful that the hotel had left out some sandwiches when we arrived at 11.00pm.
There was further snow during the night and we got a phone call to say that the wedding had been postponed. The groom's father and two brothers had been unable to get to the venue from London so we started the long journey home. We needed a tow to get up the slight incline out of the hotel car park. Their 4x4 was unable to do the job so they got out a tractor to get us going.
Throughout the ensuing twelve hour journey we needed a further four tows and four 'pushes' to keep us moving. The Samaritan spirit of local people who used their four wheel drive vehicles to assist skating travellers up the local hills restored our faith in the unselfish humanity of the British people. At each slight incline there were cheerful local residents prepared to give up the warmth and security of their own homes to help passing strangers. There was a wonderful camaraderie on the snowbound roads.
The British may be a grumpy race but, give them a crisis, and a cheerful humour rises from their breasts for which my wife and I will be eternally grateful. To all those anonymous Captain Oates we can only say "Thank you".
