HEAVY snow had a dramatic effect on the two counties, with several inches of the white stuff making life treacherous for residents in villages and rural areas.

However, many people made the most of the wintry weather and had fun.

Photographers John Anyon, Roy Booker, Geoff Stewart, Terry Lampitt, James Maggs and Graham Lindup were out and about to capture the scenes.

Hallow was one of the worst affected villages in Worcestershire, with reports of nine inches of snow on the ground and treacherous roads.

City councillor Aubrey Tarbuck, who lives in Moseley Road, said: "I've got eight or nine inches of snow on my lawn. It's been the worst snow in Hallow since 1981.

"I was living here then and temperatures went down to below minus 20 at night. The roads are pretty slippery and I've heard people in the village talking about cars shunting into each other. The whole village is covered in the stuff."

Sledging and making snowmen were popular on the Malvern Hills, particularly on the Black Hill and West of England slopes.

Ian Rowat, director of the Malvern Hills Conservators, said: "There are a few people out walking and a few sledging. Our car parks are a bit slippery. It would be nice if the snow thawed in the car parks and stayed on the hills."

A spokesman for the King's Head pub, High Street, Upton-upon-Severn, said it had been busier than usual because many people were off work due to the snow.

He said: "It's just one of those things - people don't go to work so they go to the pub."

Drivers had taken heed of advice from police and were staying away from the main roads in Pershore, leaving the town deserted.

Station Road and High Street were eerily silent during the day after warnings went out for motorists to stay home unless the journey was vital.

Resident Stanley Parr, aged 71, of Paddock Close, said: "We've had three inches of snow in Pershore, which is dripping and slowly melting.

"I looked outside and there are no cars around at all. The main road is totally deserted. You cannot see anybody around. Common sense has prevailed and people have stayed at home."

Postmen in Kempsey caused a stir by doing their deliveries in their shorts - despite the snow. Chris Worton, aged 56, who lives in the village and Matthew Price, aged 27, of Regina Close, Lower Wick, Worcester have been doing their deliveries all winter in their shorts as part of a bet.

Graham Mason, aged 69, who lives in Main Road, Kempsey, said: "I was amazed when I saw him.

"It got a few laughs and there was somebody snowballing him. What a brave chap," he added. Beverly Abbs, of Ellsdon Rise, Kempsey, said: "The main roads in Kempsey seem ok, but the side roads are treacherous."

Evesham Town Council said roads in the town were "pretty poor" and were turning to slush by lunchtime, slowing down traffic to a slow crawl.

A spokesman for the council said: "Everyone is going about their normal business in the town, but much slower than usual - cars are having to crawl very slowly because of the road surfaces."

In Hereford gritters had to make a detour to clear up a road leading to a church when they heard mourners going to a funeral would have difficulty reaching it.

Staff who were clearing the roads between Hereford and Abergavenny detoured to St Andrew's Church on the A465 Allensmore main road to make sure that people could attend safely.

Canon Maureen Palmer said: "The action of the men from the gritter lorry is a real act of kindness for all of us."

The torrid weather stretched right to the edges of the county with about five inches of snow reported in Bredon. Adrian Hardman, of Oak Lane, said: "We've had around five inches of snow in Bredon, which has left some of the minor roads pretty dicey to say the least."

John Cook, deputy mayor of Droitwich Town Council, criticised drivers for their irresponsible behaviour after many of them failed to clear their windscreens, back windows and windscreen wipers.

He said: "A lot of the side roads are impassable. I saw a woman in a 4x4 who hadn't cleaned her headlights or her rear window.

"What has disgusted me is that people have been driving their cars without clearing their headlights.

"They know the bad weather is here but some of them are driving their car with snow all over it and have not even attempted to clear it off."

Numbers 20, 19, 20A and 157 bus services in Droitwich, run by MHF Travel Limited, were running with slight delays.

Meanwhile, medical students showed their bare-faced cheek when they built a snowman outside the Lenchford Inn in Shrawley, near Worcester, and then posed nude for a photograph.

The mobile library in Stourport-on-Severn could not go out because of the weather but the library itself, based in the county buildings in Worcester Street, opened as normal yesterday.

John Greaves, landlord of The Bell at Pensax, said: "There were no cars on the roads in the morning to break up the snow and get the salt from the gritters to work so it has been pretty awkward."

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