Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

After the snow, I suspect every other blog will about the weather this week, either carping on about how a few inches brings everything in the UK to a standstill, or how wonderful it is to have a day off.

I'm firmly with the latter. We've had a good six inches here in West London, falling all in one night, and it's the worst single snowfall for as long as I have lived here. So we can't be expected to gear up for it: the cost of all those snowploughs sitting doing nothing for years on end would be something to grumble about in its own right. And one day off every ten years is hardly a disaster (especially when most of us do loads of unpaid overtime). Clearly, places like hospitals have a torrid time, with ambulances struggling through snow-bound side roads, and wards being short-staffed just as there's a surge of broken bones and twisted ankles from people slipping over, but for the most part we catch up pretty quickly.

Actually, not everything did grind to a standstill, despite what the news media would have you believe: I travelled yesterday morning from Barry in South Wales back to Kensington, and the journey was pretty smooth: OK, my train from Cardiff was cancelled, but another one (from Swansea) turned up around the same time, and made it to London Paddington, taking only five minutes longer than usual. There was no District Line south, but by a combination of the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines I was still home in half an hour. The worst bit was the last few hundreds yards from the Underground station, as the pavements were snowy. But, as you can see from the photo, it did look glorious, and a succession of charmingly eccentric snowmen have been built in the gardens over the last 24 hours.

There were a few surprises in what kept going and what did not: the Heathrow Express was suspended, despite the rest of the Great Western main line working normally, and despite the fact that the Piccadilly Line - with its vulnerable ground-level electric rails - was operating normally through to Heathrow. Apparently, trains cancellations were caused as much by the fact the staff couldn't get to work, as by snow on the line.

Still, things around here seem to be back pretty much to normal, so roll on spring!

A new future for Warwick Road

One of my neighbours recently alerted me to the existence of an innocuous-sounding document entitled the "Warwick Road Planning Brief". Adopted by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea earlier this year, this is essentially a master plan for the redevelopment of what, in central London terms, is a huge site along the Warwick Road, between the Tesco on Cromwell Road and Kensington High Street, close to Kensington Olympia station.

It's quite interesting to read how the planners see the possible future of the site: although it is actually four separate parcels of land, the brief tries to foresee what it might look like if it was developed to a unified plan to create a sort of 'urban village' of over 600 homes.

The good news is that it is intended to be residential, with a few local shops, although quite what will happen now with the credit crunch in full swing is anybody's guess. One building which may or may not survive - and the plan says it would welcome its demolition and replacement - is the quirky Homebase store, opposite the Warwick Arms pub.

Of course, the southern end closest to Tesco has already been redeveloped; first came the new Tesco; then the huge bulk of the appropriately-named Warren House, adjacent to Homebase; and now the former petrol station between the two has been demolished, with a new building rising rapidly in its place. But from Warren House northwards, the west side of the road looks rather forlorn - though the faux-Eqyptian decoration on Homebase, which the brief rather generously describes as 'Post-modern', does provide a little light relief.

The brief envisages the demolition of all the buildings from Homebase northwards, from the huge Charles House on Kensington High Street to the derelict-looking old telephone exchange, and also Homebase itself. The only part I would be sad to see go is the Radnor Arms. Closed over two years ago, it is in a very forlorn condition now, but the adjacent lane is still cobbled, and it provides a small patch of historic interest along what otherwise feels a bit like an urban motorway.

Still, as I said, the current credit crunch and accompanying recession looks rather set to slow down the pace of new developments, which may be no bad thing: time for the brief to gain a wider audience, and for the locals to think about what they'd like to see along this site.

Torvill and Dean, eat your heart out...

One of the relatively new festive traditions in West London has become the annual Christmas Fair and Ice Rink, established in front of the Natural History Museum in Kensington. Situated on the corner of Cromwell Road and Exhibition Road, this has become a hugely popular seasonal attraction with families, office parties, students and tourists alike.

It’s busy throughout the day, but is especially popular in the evenings, when it is impressively floodlit. Ticketing ensures that the numbers are always manageable; skate hire, changing areas and a cloakroom are all included, and there are plenty of staff on hand to help out on the rink. Those skating range from budding Torvill and Deans to absolute beginners, mixing looks of terrified concentration with fun and laughter.

You don’t have to go skating, of course. There’s a viewing platform all the way around, which means that those, like me, for whom the prospect of ice skating is about attractive as colonic irrigation, can instead watch others enjoying themselves risking life and limb, all while drinking a lovely rum punch, thick hot chocolate or mulled wine. Yes, there’s an open-air bar (as well as one indoors) to bring life back into frost-bitten fingers.

As you might gather, I don’t skate. I fear it with a loathing verging on phobia. Not that I haven’t tried: Two eager friends dragged me onto the rink in Cardiff years ago - and then left me to it. After my fifth pathetic stagger around the edge, I was finally persuaded to let go and push for the other side. Uncontrolled, I headed instead for a roped off area. The rope quickly got the upper hand, sending me crashing to the ice and under the skates of a couple, sending them flying and receiving a small cut on my hand, which happened to sever a small artery.

Boy, does a small quantity of blood go a long, long way on ice. Literally. The rink soon began to resemble a huge raspberry ripple as other skaters spread the stuff around. Screams of delight? Not in my case. More like the Winter Olympics meets the Texas Chain Saw Massacre...

Matters were not helped by the hysterical giggles of a group of eight years old girls, who were happily viewing my plight while skating backwards – yes, backwards – around the rink. In great contrast, the panicking staff didn't know whether to whisk me to casualty or clean up the rapidly spreading island of blood first, since it was clearly beginning to deter other would-be punters. Fortunately, the ice rink happened to be close to the old Royal Infirmary, so I managed to get there under my own steam, appropriately bandaged.

Happily, the scene at South Kensington is rather jollier. The children are expert, there are plenty of foreigners (and staff) who know what they are doing, and only the office parties look out of place, wobbling around in their party finery and heavy overcoats. No carnage here, but shrieks of laughter. It’s not cheap, mind – family tickets start at £30, children at £7.50 and adults at £10.50, depending on what time of day you go, but then again, it’s only once a year.

For those who want something less energetic, the Christmas fair offers over thirty stalls, selling a range of Christmas decorations, jewellery, ceramics, toys and other items. This year, for the first time, there is also a food court. Although prices are a little high, the quality on offer is pretty good, and you could always just browse, and sample some food and mulled wine instead.

The museum also offers innovative packages for school children, combining trips to the ice rink with a visit to selected galleries, where they can learn about animals that live in polar conditions. Clever, eh? And tuition is also available for those who want to learn to skate. Just don’t expect me to try...

Now, who’s for a mulled wine?

The Christmas Fair runs until January 6th and the Rink until January 20th.