My first attempt at getting up the now very icy hill we live at the top of was a miserable failure. My initial run-up was broken by a Jaguar which had failed its run, and in having to slow to manoeuvre around it, I lost momentum.

A few hours later, when the road was once again empty and quiet, I took another long run up and just made it up in first gear, at far higher revs than my speed would account for, due to the tyres half-slipping all the way up.

The ice rink will only solidify overnight, and we are forecast more heavy snow by tomorrow evening. The car is staying put. I’m walking.