Is it only a week ago that snow carpeted the SE of England? For many young children, this was the first real snowfall they’d ever seen, Those of us in the countryside gazed out of their windows with admiration for the Narnia landscapes that emerged within hours.
What is it about snow that makes people regress to their childhood, casting aside any inhibitions and inciting a sense of play?
Winter without snow feels grey, dull and miserable. Yes, there’s beauty in any weather, but it’s not quite the same as a landscape coated in white. Yet nature seems so fragile, too, as I’ve depicted in this painting. Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together.
The first snow is like the first love. Snow falling soundlessly in the middle of the night will always fill my heart with sweet clarity. There is something so peaceful about watching the snow fall. It’s like we’re all living in a snow globe and someone just gave us a real good shake!
On mornings when I felt weary after staying up late marking student essays, I used to play upbeat tracks in my car to energise myself for the timetabled day ahead. “A Kind of Magic” by Queen would change my mood dramatically as I drove through the school gates, remembering to lower the unsociable volume just in time!
This was a big song on Queen’s 1986 Magic tour which was the last with the original members, since Freddie Mercury would be diagnosed with Aids the following year and was too sick to tour after that. Remember the white slacks and yellow jacket combo, which became his signature look!