Do you remember the Long Way Round, with Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman? They travel across Europe and Asia on motorbikes, jump on a plane from Madagan in far east Russia to Anchorage, Alaska and then continue their merry way to New York.
There’s a bit where, his bike having been incorrectly stowed on the plane from Magadan to Anchorage, Ewan uses the lovely Scots’ word ‘skiting’. As in, ‘the bike was up there skiting around the hold’.
It’s been a frequent part of my verbiage since. ‘To skite’. Useful in many situations. Particularly useful when one spends a considerable amount of time skiting around the streets of Aberdeen following heavy snowfall…
On Saturday for example I skited up to Great Western Road, attempting to walk my partner to a pilates class – we were like Torvill and (Aber)Dean.
Coming from Ferryhill I nearly broke my neck on three separate occasions. After dropping her off I then bumped or crashed into a pal, who then nearly took a header himself.
Walking on I passed an old dear with a stick tottering over the ice, my heart in my mouth. She managed as she continued on beyond me, but it’s dreadful to think that folk are risking life and limb simply to pop to a shop.
The Long Way Round indeed – could have been a documentary about trying to get around Aberdeen on the ice. The state of the pavements in this weather is really nothing short of appalling – having lived in the city for nearly twenty years now I can’t quite believe how dreadful it has become, and all in weather we should be quite prepared for.
Snow and ice in Aberdeen leaves pavements like icerinks
It wasn’t always like this, surely? I lived in Woodside for many years, frequently walking to and from the city centre, in both bad and worse weather. To my memory most winters I was able to venture straight down Great Northern Road, then through the Berryden or via George Street and arrive in town unscathed, even in hard frost, most pavements being gritted. But, during the last 10 or 15 years of cost-saving council measures, unfortunately, all that changed.
The Beach Leisure Centre may have closed, but the annual expansion of the ice rink onto most of the city’s paving stones continues unabashed.
What was the Council’s advice on Facebook earlier this winter during the first heavy snowfall in mid-November? ‘Bide At Hame’ – if only it was that easy! People need to get out and about. And although older folk might be more at risk, and will take longer to recuperate, anyone could be injured, severely, in a bad fall on a slippery pavement.
Folk also shouldn’t have to choose. Why is the solution for people to ‘bide at hame’ when simple solutions are at hand – spend a bit more on gritting pavements so that people can have their freedom?
When I worked at Belmont Cinema there was nothing like packed ice on the streets to keep audiences at home. You’d think people would love a trip to see a film on a snowy day, but wrong.
Old folk don’t go out often – and not gritting pavements compounds that
Older folk don’t venture out as often, and not gritting pavements adequately compounds that. It’s a perfect example of why not spending on local infrastructure – even on what seems the more insignificant things – can have large consequences.
How many of those in Aberdeen’s packed ARI are there because of slips, trips and falls during the winter? More than necessary I would bet.
Of course, this is an issue that the councillors themselves realise all too well. Co-leader Ian Yuill wrote about it on his blog in 2017 when in opposition, identifying Great Western Road, Holburn Street and Broomhill Road as problem streets where ‘several people told me they felt trapped in their own homes’.
I was on all three of these streets over the weekend and it hasn’t improved one bit, aside from where residents have gritted and salted the paths themselves. As fantastic as it is to see communities getting out and doing the work themselves – our local grit box has been remarkably busy over the past week – I always feel they shouldn’t have to. There are those who can’t manage and this is where public services must intervene.
I can only hope that by next winter things have improved. Winters are long and dark enough without added risk for the people of Aberdeen. There have been worse winters than this one, and there will be worse to come in future I’m sure. The city should adequately prepare.
One more year of skiting by the seat of our pants just won’t do, and I’m sure a bit of salt, sand and a few hands will be cheaper than issuing bobsleighs to the taxpayers. It’s not too much to ask to want to be able to get around as normal.
Colin Farquhar works as a creative spaces manager and film programmer in the north-east culture sector
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