Conditions were very far from normal

Sir, – I refer to Graham Huband’s article in Business-Matters (The Courier, February 28) about the country grinding to a halt. In his opinion, it is all unnecessary.

Is a snowstorm in winter so extraordinary, he asks. Has he not noticed this is now spring?

He mentions the Scandinavian countries and Canada, who cope admirably with such conditions.

Yes, because they experience such weather on a regular basis.

How many people in this country would be willing to pay the extra money through their council tax just to have expensive machinery standing around in case it was needed.

I’m willing to bet, if he asked around, it would be very few.

He mentions the loss to the economy back in 2010, when the weather cost something like £1 billion per day.

A similar amount would be required to make an investment into the sort of machinery he would like to see provided.

Also, he writes as if this was a common occurrence.

We have lived in a rural part of Fife for more than 30 years and can honestly say that the wind which caused much of the drifting dumped the biggest load of snow I have seen around these parts in that time.

Although we were cut off for the best part of four days and cleared our half-mile of road by our own efforts, I salute the roads staff and emergency workers who worked tirelessly to help those affected.

Incidentally, I bet Graham Huband stays in a townhouse in the middle of Dundee. Sylvia McHardy. Endrigs, Kilmany, Cupar.

Picture: Steven Brown. Fife was one of many areas of the central belt which were hit hard by the severe weather. This car was parked in Cardenden.