‘I’LL believe it when I see it’, was the general mindset of people across the Post area who heard of the forecasts of snow last week, but when the snow did hit, it showed how fantastic local communities come together in times of need.

Just after Thursday lunchtime, rain turned into sleet, and sleet turned into snow — thick snow, which was coming down fast. As people attempted to get home, conditions got worse, and hundreds of people were left stranded on the A30, some being stuck for up to six hours or more, and with roads into some towns coming to a complete standstill.

With many school closures announced during the morning or as the snow began to fall, some staff and students were unlucky at Callywith College, Bodmin, and were forced to stay the night at the school. Fortunately, the generous team at Asda in Bodmin soon arrived with supplies including bedding and food.

And the generosity didn’t stop there.

As people were updated via social media on the ever-worsening conditions of the roads and countryside, people found themselves stranded in their cars, unable to get home.

This is when the heroes of the community really stood in force.

With Camelford at a standstill, town councillors Claire Hewlett and Stephen Bond arranged for Clease Hall to be opened up for those who needed to get warm.

Cllr Hewlett, also deputy mayor of Camelford, told the Post: “The speed of it was just astonishing. At around four o’clock I started getting phone calls from people saying that they were out in the cold and needed somewhere to go. The town council has a fledgling emergency plan, so I contacted Steve Bond, who is leading the plan, and we agreed to open up the hall.

“It was just somewhere that was warm, where people could get a cup of tea and a biscuit. Co-op very kindly came up and provided biscuits and provisions. Peggy Ellison, who leads the Brownies, and is an all-round amazing person, came and opened up the hall for us and we had around ten to eleven people in there at one stage, including a young family with a baby.”

While people kept warm in Clease Hall, John Gilbert, the town council’s maintenance officer, had a team gritting the roads.

Cllr Hewlett added: “It went reasonably well. This was the first trial of the emergency plan, which will be discussed further at the annual parish meeting on March 7, at 7pm. We will be discussing the plan and asking people to sign up as volunteers, so that’s anyone who has a 4x4, has first aid experience, and things like that.

“Our primary concern was the family with the baby, because they were obviously very vulnerable,” Cllr Hewlett continued. “We closed at around 9.30pm, and our local PCSO took the family in his car to Helstone, as they knew a family up there. We also had another lady driving a bus that was put up by someone in the town offering a room.

“I always say this, but Camelford do things like this really well, everyone’s always helping each other. It really is a lovely community. I must say a big thank you to John Gilbert and his team, the Co-op for their provisions, Peggy, for opening up the hall, our PCSO and Steve Bond.”

Meanwhile, a group got together to start towing vehicles through the worst of the snow in Camelford. Matt Allan, who went along to help, said: “Myself, my wife Sam, and friends Tina and Paul Callcut and Rebecca Toy and Dan Holman, set out from home at Beechwood Drive in Camelford, with kids in tow, to help in the town where we could.

“We saw farmers towing vehicles and clearing the snow with their tractors, and we heard a local lad wearing a Marines hoodie saying his house is open and for people to please pop in to warm up and have a coffee. We saw Army Cadets helping where they could — one of them was a local lad, Ian Hughes. Our friend Rebecca made a couple of phone calls to find out about emergency shelter. We soon started to spread the word in town that Clease Hall had been opened and was offering a warm, safe place to go. We all went there and met a delivery driver trying to get to Plymouth and a family who were stuck in the area on holiday.”

Matt added: “It’s when times are tough you realise how lucky we are to live in such a friendly, caring community!”

On Friday morning, Ross Morris from Camelford announced on social media that his partner’s waters had broken, and their estate where they lived was too dangerous to attempt the drive out. Ross appealed for a 4x4 driver to drive them to Treliske.

He later told the Post: “We arrived safely with the paramedics, who did get stuck in Mount Camel car park but we made it!”

Claire Misson, who runs the Crafty Otter Cafe at Otterham Station, shut up shop for the day on Thursday, but later opened her doors to people as she noticed the number of people abandoning cars or becoming stuck in the snow outside.

Claire said: “We have recently had to close permanently due to health reasons and I’m unable to run it on my own and currently not in a position to take on any staff. But I was up at the cafe sorting a few bits out when the skies opened and the snow didn’t stop. The road became gridlocked, so myself and Ayla Skinner, who was there with me at the time, took a walk to see exactly what was going on and realised the true extent of how many people were stranded!

“So we headed back to the cafe and opened with minimal supplies to provide warmth, tea, coffee and hot food for stranded drivers until 11pm-ish. We would have stayed open all night for people to keep warm and sleep if it was needed.”

Modestly, Claire was keen to highlight the work of local farmers and drivers who dedicated their nights to towing vehicles and rescuing stranded drivers.

She added: “The true heroes of the day and night were all the local farmers and local people out in the tractors and 4x4 trucks helping to clear the road and getting people where they needed to be!”

In Launceston, snow was also causing havoc. Launceston College announced on Thursday morning that school buses would be leaving the college site at 1pm due to forecasts of heavy snow. Following the early decision to close, the college received heaps of praise from parents and local people for putting the safety of their staff and students first.

A spokesperson said: “Launceston College was delighted and relieved that all students and staff were able to make their journey home prior to the anticipated heavy snowfall. Mr Jackson, CEO, and Mr Maywood, principal, had communicated very early on Thursday regarding the Met Office weather forecast for the day. By 9am it was clear heavy snow was over 95% likely for between 2pm and 4pm — our normal home journey time. Nearly half of the 1,290 students require bus or coach transport to outlying villages.

“After consulting with county transport, to ensure coaches could arrive early, and a planning meeting to consider possible linked consequences, and where all office telephones were switched to become numerous ‘reception’ phones — the decision to leave at 1pm was made, and then communicated simultaneously to all students, staff and parents by email and text.

“Between 12.30pm and 1pm, students met with their tutors to check with parents, by mobile or teacher phone, that safe return could be made home or to a friend’s or relative’s. By 1.30pm all students had left the college site and only very local staff remained for a time to support any possible questions or needs.

“At 7pm on Thursday evening it became clear that countywide weather and transport issues, and below zero temperatures, would affect the safety of students and staff on Friday — and so after a leadership consultation the decision to close on Friday was made. Photographs taken by the site manager and posted on the college’s Facebook page suggest this was a wise decision.”

Across the town, numerous businesses and private homes welcomed people in from the cold. Homeleigh Garden Centre opened its doors to the public for hot drinks and safety out of the weather, and people began opening their homes up to those who needed shelter. One such woman was Julie Jasper, who said: “I took in a man from Bude who was coming back on the bus from Plymouth, but could go no further. By the time he got to me he was extremely cold with no coat and has a severe medical condition. I was also then made aware of another couple from Tintagel who needed somewhere, so we put the couple in our twin room and made a cosy bed in the front room for our Portuguese guest.

“We had no hesitation in doing this as I would like to think we all want to help people. Our guests slept so well, we had to wake them with the smell of a cooked breakfast! They were very lovely people and have become friends, and I would do it all again if needed.”

On Thursday evening, with snow settled and ice covering the roads, carers at Westcountry Home Care in Launceston found themselves with little option in getting to their service-users across the area.

Treen Lovell at Westcountry Home Care said: “It was Thursday evening when our carers were really struggling. A local man, Andy Williams, came and rescued lots of us, and the Environment Agency also provided vehicles, and took us where we needed to go.”

There were around nine or ten carers who needed to access homes across the Launceston area, and Mr Williams and drivers from the Environment Agency proved to be real saviours as they transported the carers to those who needed them during the dangerous conditions, in Land Rovers and trucks.

“There were groups of us who went out in a truck, so two or three went out in a vehicle,” Treen added. “This is the second time they helped, as they helped us last year when we got hit by snow too.

“They were absolutely amazing. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to get out to people. They took us as far as Middlewood, North Petherwin, Egloskerry and Kelly near Lifton. They got us where we needed to be and we’re very grateful.”

Is there anyone you would like to thank after the torrential weather last week? Write a letter to [email protected] to give recognition of a local hero in your community.