WELL, we are into January, nearly February, and there are still people walking around in T shirts and shorts! And a new one, winter jackets and shorts! Is it a macho thing?

They have not obviously been subjected to real cold, hypothermia and frostbite as I have courtesy of the East German border mid winter.

I only had mild frostbite, fingers and toes, but then I am not daft enough to walk around in shorts in winter!

I can tell the numpties where they don't want frostbite.

Last year we had the Beast from the East. It was not a beast. It was freak weather from Siberia and silly talk of heroes for clearing snow?

Some on it is just something that has to be done, nothing heroic about it.

I have done it every year for as long as I can remember. The real heroes in all that was the female bus driver who kept her nerve and avoided an horrific crash, and of course our police and emergency services.

The press and media are a bit free with the word hero, footballers and other sports people are not heroes either.

The fact is that this country gets caught on the hop every year. How do the people of Siberia manage, then Alaska and the Scandinavian countries?

Because they are prepared to take it in their stride.

Just now the rest of Europe is getting battered with snow, Austria in particular. Make no mistake we are next!

I hope this Government heads the signs and gets prepared instead of boring us all to death with Brexit talks. Brexit this and Brexit that, a sure cure for insomnia.

BILL BISHOP,

Ballingry.