As you can see from these two photographs, taken just 30 minutes apart, my drive from Cockfield to Darlington on Saturday morning, was an interesting one.

The first photo was taken on the road to Ingleton at 8.30am followed by the one taken in Gladstone street at 9.00am, and a distance of about 7 miles. Staff and customers in the shop found it hard to believe that I had just left 4ft snow drifts in Cockfield and I bet there were a few unsuspecting shopkeepers, who had staff living in Teesdale, wondering why they weren’t at work. I must admit, I’ve seen a difference in the weather at times, but never on that scale.

According to the Copley weather site, which I find as accurate as any, there’s no end in sight to this cold snap. Apparently we have had the snowiest winter since 1979 and the coldest March since 1962. The BBC weather site even mentions the risk of blizzards over the Easter weekend. And to think, this time last year, we were basking in 20c temperatures.

Oh well, lets hope for a long hot summer!!