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Kindness of strangers: Leo drove us home in a blizzard, and his parting words have stayed with me

The Guardian UK Sunday 09 August 2026, 15:00 UTC By Amrit Atwal as told to Katie Cunningham 1 min read
Key Points

The roads were so treacherous that what should have been a five-minute drive took 40 minutes. My mum didn’t speak much English, so I did the talkingRead more in the kindness of strangers seriesI was graduating from university the same day Storm Goretti was due to hit Birmingham. The forecast was for snow – and lots of it – so I decided to get the bus in, rather than risk driving and having to leave my car behind in a snowstorm.

The roads were so treacherous that what should have been a five-minute drive took 40 minutes. My mum didn’t speak much English, so I did the talking

I was graduating from university the same day Storm Goretti was due to hit Birmingham. The forecast was for snow – and lots of it – so I decided to get the bus in, rather than risk driving and having to leave my car behind in a snowstorm. Joining me was my mum.

We successfully attended the ceremony and managed to get on a bus back home but as the snow worsened, it broke down a kilometre from my house. The whole bus emptied and we were forced to walk through the blizzard. It was like The Day After Tomorrow out there. Tough conditions for anyone, but my mum, who was in her late 60s, was struggling to take even a few steps.

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Leo (PERSON) Storm Goretti (PERSON) Birmingham (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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