Just for a little extra fun on the roads we have had a partial thaw, rain and then hailstones. I had to drive into town and back, which is not far, but there are bends and slopes all the way, just as the temperature took a nose dive this evening - OH BOY!!

All those extras such as intelligent braking seem to be almost superfluous when the guy in the showroom is using them to justify buying the car.

I was truly thankful to have them when the car started sliding sideways. All the salt and grit had been washed off the tarmac, coefficient of friction between tires and road approaching ZERO.

I selected second gear, oh so gently touched the accelerator, and found traction from somewhere just seconds before my pulse rate would have exceeded the design specifications.

I don't mind snow - but this weather is really not good at all.

Anne the Pleater