After all that wimpish fretting about snow casting doubt on my new-year trip to France, the journey turned out to be uneventful, unless torrential rain in Normandy counts as an event.
It did become rather cold but this was wrap-scarf-around-your-neck cold, nowhere near nippy enough to serve as a dress rehearsal for what awaited my return to the UK.
A northern English childhood should have prepared me better for snowy winters than for the sizzling Gulf heat. Yet I recall no real difficulty in adjusting to the need to move smartly between different air-conditioned environments (flat, car, office, hotel) in Abu Dhabi. It is remarkable how eight months of pleasant weather can make up for the extreme heat and humidity of summer.
So what was on my mind as I dug a frozen hand into my luggage for a fourth layer of clothing at Preston, Lancashire while waiting for the cross-Pennines train that would take me to an even chillier spot? I was reminiscing fondly about extreme heat and humidity.
If Preston station felt crowded, that may have been because Virgin had decided its Scotland-bound train, on which I had travelled from London, could safely proceed no farther. The extra huddles were of disgruntled passengers hoping to squeeze onto a train taking a different route.
I suppose I shall never know whether the four people nearest to me until Preston reached a family funeral on the Scottish borders.
By the time I arrived at my own destination, the town of Burnley, snow was lying shin-deep and climbing kneewards. I began to curse excessive devotion to duty; the people I'd arranged to meet called to say they had abandoned efforts to cover much shorter distances to join me.
With no sign of my booked cab, I sheltered from the blizzard in a mechanic's workshop. But Mohammad, the taxi driver, hadn't forgotten me; he'd simply been unable to enter the station car park, and unwilling to block the passable main road by stopping to wait. And he conscientiously returned once assured my train had made it.
Mohammad was cheerful, laughing off the conditions and brushing aside questions about how long his employers would be able to maintain a service.
As the messages from his controller grew gloomier, he kept on smiling, unfussily negotiating roads that seemed treacherous to a passenger's eye and sighing at warnings about the hilly roads to be avoided because lorries were getting stuck. His sole concession to the changed circumstances of getting around was to drop off and pick up at the entrances to snow-covered streets and car parks rather than risk not being able to get out again.
After trudging through the Lancashire snow for a day or more, it was back once again to the soft south. At least I'd be warm again. No such luck. On television, the snow flakes fluttering around London-based reporters' faces were not journalistic props. "Be careful when you reach London," said my wife. "We've got it now and our street is an ice rink."
@Email:crandall@thenational.ae
Company%20profile
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The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Stamp%20duty%20timeline
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CREW
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
Naga
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French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
How they line up for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari
3 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari
4 Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5 Kevin Magnussen, Haas
6 Romain Grosjean, Haas
7 Nico Hulkenberg, Renault
*8 Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull
9 Carlos Sainz, Renault
10 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
11 Fernando Alonso, McLaren
12 Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren
13 Sergio Perez, Force India
14 Lance Stroll, Williams
15 Esteban Ocon, Force India
16 Brendon Hartley, Toro Rosso
17 Marcus Ericsson, Sauber
18 Charles Leclerc, Sauber
19 Sergey Sirotkin, Williams
20 Pierre Gasly, Toro Rosso
* Daniel Ricciardo qualified fifth but had a three-place grid penalty for speeding in red flag conditions during practice
Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
