General wonderings

In between travelling, I wonder.

This morning it snowed in Bristol, in November!!!! Just wait, soon our trains will come to a halt, schools will close for the day and people won't be able to get to work. We don't cope well with extremes in weather. Piccies to follow.

Todays wonder is whether there are lollipop people in other countries. I passed 4 lollipop people on my way to work and wonder whether they are still required to help children cross the road and whether they are a UK only phenomenon. I remember my school lollipop lady, everyone loved her. They stand on the side of the road in the luminous yellow coats and big lollipop and help children across the road. My wondering has lead me to google and here are my findings :)

• In 2004, Lollipop men and ladies are celebrating 50 years of their craft.
  
• There are now around 30,000 lollipop people across the country.
  
• The School Crossing Patrol Act was introduced in the winter of 1953,
  
• In 1953 797 children were killed on the roads and in 2002 the number was 179.
  
• In 2001 School Crossing Patrols were given the authority to help adults cross the road
  
• The UK's longest serving School Crossing Patrol has been working as an SCP for 41 years.
  

So, if anybody reads this and is based in a country other than the UK, do let me know if you have lollipop people. By the way, I think the politcally correct name for them is School Crossing Patrol people.