February freeze shuts schools

HUNDREDS of children got a day off school thanks to snow.

Residents of Henley and South Oxfordshire woke on Friday morning to find three or four centimetres had fallen during the night.

While some people slipped and slithered to work on foot and in cars, many others took the day off.

Every school in Henley closed for the day, as did Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge School in Sonning Common, The Henley College and many primary schools in the surrounding villages.

Dozens of children and families went sledging on Drawback Hill in Harpsden and enjoyed snowball fights. One family built an igloo.

Rail services between Twyford and Henley were running as normal but there were some problems on the roads.

The A4130 was partially blocked after a lorry overturned at the B481 roundabout and bus company Arriva was forced to cancel all its 800 and 850 routes because the vehciles were stuck at its High Wycombe depot.

Some homes in Goring reportedly lost power. Rowers at Leander Club in Henley were unable to go out on the river so confined their training to the club gym.

Almost every sports fixture at the weekend was postponed due to pitches being covered in snow and ice. These including the Henley Hawks’ game against Taunton Titans at Dry Leas and the matches involving teams from Henley Hockey Club and Henley Town Football Club.

After two cold but sunny days at the weekend, there was rain on Sunday night which melted most of the lying snow and the rest of this week remained comparatively mild.