In pictures – Whitchurch wows as December rolls on

Take a step outside your door or a peep out of your window and the undeniable signs of Christmas are there for all to see.

The ground is peppered with frost while many parts of the country have also experienced their first taste of snow.

It is a curious time when the weather can hinder us but we still, at least part of us, expect as much from time time as it is all part of British life.

Questions like whether schools will be closed to the delight of children and annoyance of parents or whether roads wills be gritted in more rural parts of the countryside are never far away from our lips.

It has always been this way it would seem.

Perhaps this is one of the benefits or downfalls of living in a country with such temperate weather.

For British summers are never usually too hot, certainly compared to countries closer to the equator and our winters are never usually as bad as those countries closer to the poles.

As such the British approach to winter has always been rather haphazard.

This year we can at least expect more chaos and disruption with further industrial action planned by striking rail network staff.

This will of course cause chaos across the country, especially during the busiest times of the year when people are trying to shop for Christmas or return home to be reunited with their families for the big day.

However at least, unlike the weather, we have had fair warning and hopefully everyone is prepared.

Then again, this is Britain at wintertime so anything could happen and probably will.

A sun kissed start to the day in Wem. Picture by Brian Roberts.

Take a walk on the wild side. Picture by Brian Roberts.

Red skies in Higher Wych. Picture by Caroline Barrett.

A frosty view of Shropshire. Picture by Caroline Barrett.

The official bird of British wintertime. Picture by Steve Beech.

An icey garden scene. Picture by Lorraine Kritzinger.

A chilly Shropshire day. Picture by Steve Beech.

A frosty morning. Picture by Graham Curran.