We woke up to find a layer of snow on the Friday morning here in Chepstow. I did not have to go to work that day, so I was quite pleased I did not have to go out in it. Around here snow does not last long, so I was thinking by tomorrow when I have to go to work it will be all gone.

Saturday morning was worse, snow knee high and I had to walk to work, it was a case of lifting your leg out swing it sideways and forward for each step, not a lot of fun in that, I was nearing 50 years at the time.

I worked at St Lawrence Hospital on the engineering maintenance staff. The Hospital Engineer lived in the country on the outskirts of Newport towards Cardiff - he had no chance of getting to work.

I contacted him by telephone - the situation was grim, fuel oil for the boilers was getting very low and a delivery was due, but we had to conserve fuel this was done by turning all but essential heating off. The other problem was the access road for the oil tanker - there was two of us and what must have been 100 yards of deep snow to clear.

The Engineer instructed me to muster whatever help I could get to clear the snow. I contacted the Council and they promised to send a digger. I also contacted the Army Apprentices College at Beachley - they sent about 20 soldiers.

To my amazement when they arrived, the Head Porter tried to take charge of them by say he wanted a path cut here and another there so everything was easy for him and his porters. I made him see it my way in an heated exchange, and they the set about clearing the road for the fuel tanker.

The soldiers made a terrific difference and, lo and behold, the digger turned up to clear the last few yards, just like they do in the movies. The timing was magic - the fuel tanker arrived to save the day as the last of the snow was cleared.

Meanwhile back home we had a wedding to go to! It had been delayed by 2 hours, so the was still time to be there. Everyone turned in their wellies - they were all lined up by the church door, the bride and groom both arrived in the cab of a digger, hanging on as best they could.

After the ceremony, I have this lasting memory of confetti stuck to the sides of wet wellies. Because other arrangements were cancelled the reception was at someones house which was another trek of about a mile, mostly up hill.

Tony Kings - December 2007