Whenever adversity strikes the British people there are two kinds of reactions.  There is what has become known as the 'Dunkirk Spirit'.  Taking its name from one of the worst moments in World War Two, it has come to mean that whenever we are up against it, a certain dogged determination and courage comes to the fore.  We will not accept defeat and the best of our human nature prevails - not least in our service and care of others.  I have no doubt that during our current experience of the worst winter for many years there are countless experience of the worst winters for many years there are countless acts of selfless caring for others which at times borders on heroism.  There is something deep in the English psyche which brings out the best in people when we're in difficulties.  There is also a stoical acceptance of a situation over which we have no real control and which we must endure by putting the best face on it.  All this is part of our Englishness and it is an endearing quality.

 Sadly, there is the other reaction which in the past was restricted to complaining and moaning but which has increasingly manifested itself as 'blaming'.  We live increasingly in a 'blame' culture.  So this week, Andrew Neill on the 'Daily Politics' TV show attacked (quite viciously) the Director of the Met Office for initially predicting a mild winter and then failing to tell us what was really happening until it was too late.  Now there may be a case to answer but it seems that it's all due to what is known as the Arctic Oscillation (See the BBC weather site for an explanation).  Winds are behaving in a way that is unusual.  The Director of the Met Office cannot be blamed for that, surely.

The prevailing blame culture is paralysing our society in all sorts of ways.  There was a time when people, including shopkeepers, would clear their section of pavement of snow.  Now we don't do it because if someone perchance slips on our section of the pavement they might sue us.  So we blame the council for not doing it just as we blame them for not stockpiling loads of salt and not having enough gritting wagons.  We'd soon complain if our Council Tax went up to pay for vehicles which we used only a month or so each year.

The truth is, Mother Nature is the only culprit and whether we have damaged the atmosphere or not, she has a way of putting us in our place.  We might like to believe that humanity has total control of the planet but the truth is rather different.  We have to co-exist with Nature which we cannot tame.  We're not as in charge as we think.  A salutary lesson for us all.

I'm reminded of a story about a natural catastrophe which was likely to send huge tidal waves over the land.  Various religious groups went scurrying to their version of God, but the Jewish response was perhaps the best.  As the Protestants thumbed their Bibles and the Catholics said novenas on their rosary beads asking for miraculous deliverance, the Jews prayed, "Well Lord, it's going to be a little difficult living under twenty feet of water."  That feels a bit like the Dunkirk Spirit.  Maybe it's really about accepting that we're not in charge.  God is.