Couple marooned by blizzards at Tockholes (From Blackburn Citizen)

Couple marooned by blizzards at Tockholes

2:59pm Tuesday 29th January 2013 in Darwen By Jessica Cree, Education reporter

Janice Crewdson with some of the remaining snow

A COUPLE were trapped in their home for five days after drifting snow created a seven foot blockade in their lane.

Janice and Jack Crewdson, who live just off Weasel Lane, Tockholes, started to run out of fresh food yesterday as the snow failed to melt in freezing temperatures and biting winds.

The pair, who have fallow deer, chickens and black swans on their land, which is 1,000 ft above sea level, said they had begun to worry when the snow started coming down so fast.

Mrs Crewdson said: “The recent snow started on Friday lunchtime but we had had snow before then as well.

“We had been struggling up and down the lane so we went out to stock up.

“We did not think it would last this long.

“It was pretty scary. The snow was drifting and it felt like the windows were going to go.”

The 61-year-old who runs Hair by Janet and Team in Revidge Road, Blackburn, said she had not been able to make it into work since before the snow started.

She said that because Mr Crewdson, a 74-year-old sculptor and painter, had a heart condition.

“She was worried about how the emergency services would be able to get to them if he was taken ill.

The grandmother, who also has and four cats and four Alaskan malamute dogs, said: “You should not look on the gloomy side, but I was thinking where a helicopter would be able to land.

“The fresh food had started going, but I have a freezer full of food.

“I am not bothered about myself, it is my animals.

“On the Friday morning, it was very icy and we went to get all the animal feed, but I still did not get enough.

“The cats were down to their last pouch of food.”