We asked for a grit bucket last winter so we could grit our roads, we live in an area of 20 bungalows.

WE asked for a grit bucket last winter so we could grit our roads – we live in an area of 20 bungalows.

The council dropped it off at the top of a sloping path. We had to use a kind of ‘Jack and Jill went up the hill’ system to use it and it turned out to be a lot of hard work.

When I saw an article in The Hunts Post about a scheme run by the county council to grit your own street (Ice and easy does it, November 30, 2011) I thought ‘What a wonderful idea’. Instead of going up and down with our bucket and spade we could use this little trolley. I was so impressed I mentioned it to the neighbours who were also impressed.

After much phoning around and being passed onto various departments, I hit a dead end. It seems nobody knew anything about it. Not even the council. I finished at Bury Parish Council and nice gentleman came to my home to speak with me. He was keen to hear about this scheme as he had not heard about it or seen the article. I was starting to think I had not and must have dreamt it.

By now, it was snowing and the route to our residents’ car park was like an ice rink.

The snow came and went. We got off lightly with one gentleman that fell quite heavily and had to be taken off to hospital.

We learnt afterwards the reason the gritting bucket was on the top of the slope: the car park belonged to Luminus and the council was not allowed to put it there.

When I enquired with the street reps and Luminus, no mention was made of this.

My joy at this wonderful idea had now fizzed out and I mentally made a note to try again next year.

Before the snow came this year, I went to the library archives to find this article so I would stand a chance of being believed that this scheme did exist. No joy. So I went along to The Hunts Post office. The ladies, after hearing this saga, flexed their muscles and brought out all the copies for 2011. I sat for a very long time looking through them and then a voice from their back office called ‘I think I have it’ and indeed she did.

Thank you Hunts Post and Cat for giving me my sanity back! It’s the end of January, the snow has come and gone again. No casualties this year and, who knows, if we are about next year the council will help us in their scheme.

And to the nice gentleman who came to see: I hope you start reading The Hunts Post!

CAROL CROSBIE

The Glebe

Bury