Avoid the litigation of a cut knee

Its snowing again ! How we used to delight in waking up, when young, to sense that overnight something special had happened. It was quiet somehow the normal surround sounds at the start of our day were muffled. We pulled back the curtain, yes,yes,yes its been snowing we were full of excitement to go out and play in it, to touch, to shape, to have games with it and of course the special one, would school be closed !!


I remember the severe winter of 1947 when everything came to a standstill. Being only seven I wasn't aware of the drama to livestock and transport. Of food and fuel supplies being in danger. Of all of us being in danger !!   I, and my pals had our sledges we had the fields even the roads were perfect as a toboggan course, from the main road down into the village it was compacted snow. Short pants brought chapped knees which certainly hurt as the blood forced its way back through the capillaries. 
There was a field, very steep, which meant we could get up quite a turn of speed before arriving in the stream that boarded the field. No Health & Safety, no worried mothers, no bureaucracy to lend a heavy hand with a new reel of laws to corset the people and protect them from themselves. We went out as soon as we could escape our parents and we stayed out until the light failed. What freedom we had in those days, especially if one were fortunate to live as I did in a village surrounded by fields and woodland. Trees to climb, animals to move around, farmers to help in their farm (we knew the children of the farmer) cleaning out the pig sty's, helping organise the cows into position at milking time, cleaning, feeding, forking the hay bales, following the threshing machine and gathering the hay into bundles, we were engrossed in a centuries old profession and we learned by being exposed to all aspects of rural living what living is all about.  Pity the poor kids today who would have to have a "risk assessment" before opening the gate. Experts to point out all the "cons" and not a word about the pros.    Avoid the litigation of a cut knee !!!