Toby Ganger

Our first full day back at work in almost two weeks and already certain work colleagues have been drafted into a government contingency plan to ensure our transport system doesn't grind to a halt during the next snowstorm.

Forget more snowploughs, more gritters and more personnel to operate them. Forget spending more money on forecasting and communication systems. No, what Scotland's Transport Minister has decided to do is to issue us all with good quality wooden sleds like this one. Every household will be issued with one along with a sturdy young offender or two to pull them around. Two birds with one stone, job done.

I was asked if I wanted to best test pilot on this prototype but declined. I wanted one with go faster stripes and sat nav.

Our fellow blipper here has told me this isn't actually a sled but more of a toboggan and the title of this entry is a reference to this. Years ago my daughter was watching some winter sports on TV and was fascinated by the lycra clad tobogganists flying down some death defying icy run and declared she wouldn't fancy being "one of those toby gangers". She's never been allowed to forget it.