MANEA: ""I'm no hero

HOW surprised I was to read that my snow clearing antics were to escalate to me being dubbed a Hero. Don t get me wrong, I accept the grateful residents appreciation of my efforts but I am some what embarrassed by the title Hero. I was born and breed in

HOW surprised I was to read that my snow clearing antics were to escalate to me being dubbed a Hero.

Don't get me wrong, I accept the grateful residents appreciation of my efforts but I am some what embarrassed by the title Hero.

I was born and breed in the village and have generally accepted that the village which can only be described as being "out in the sticks" has always suffered when extreme weather comes upon us.

The B roads that link us with neighbouring towns never get gritted, until the major A roads have been dealt with, and I appreciate as to why that has always been the case . People in the village have always had to do there bit to help keep the roads and paths open in bad weather conditions and "every little helps" as the recent snow falls caused many problems .

However, after saying that I can remember in the 80,s we suffered far more snow than recently and on the worst day of the snow fall, I was snow ploughing with a loader tractor across the fen roads and at times clearing drifts a metre high in places.

At around midnight my brother phoned from Huntingdon as he was trying to get back to Manea with an articulated lorry and I then went out to meet him with the tractor and chain to help tow him back home.

As far as I am concerned to help in bad weather has never been a problem and something I have done for many years but a hero - well I am not.

I suppose you could say I'm snow hero.

PAUL FOX

Via email