RICK JACKSON: My inner child will only be satisfied when the white stuff finally arrives

As I write these words I have no idea what the weather is going to be like on Thursday, but hopefully it’s snowing.

My phone has been going barmy with notifications about snow warnings from all the weather outlets I follow, including our dear old Met Office.

Tinges of excitement faded as warnings were dropped, then mounted again as an orange warning for snow was issued. Could it really happen?

I’m one of those strange people who get excited by this prospect, as I do Christmas and birthdays.

It brings out my inner child, something that’s not that difficult to do.

I get giddy with excitement at the thought of going out in my wellies, with virgin snow crunching beneath my feet.

The world seems almost soundproof as the white stuff somehow deadens all noises and birds feel it’s far too cold to sing.

I’m fed up with hearing how badly Kent has been affected. Bring it our way, we can take it, we’ve been preparing for the past five years.

What also adds to the excitement is this will be the first snow my children have seen and we’ve been getting them excited too, showing them episodes of Peppa Pig in the snow.

I’ve seen photos on social media of heavy snowfall in the Cote D’Azur. Seeing La Croisette in Cannes covered in snow was bizarre, we walked it many a time on holiday in 30C.

Then seeing Rome struggling to cope under the amount of snow, the Colosseum covered in the blanket of the stuff, was amazing.

I remember walking around it with Sarah when it was 40C and we thought we were going to faint.

How unfair it is that these places with guaranteed hot summers are having snow too. We have drab grey winters and soggy summers.

I’m hoping my words don’t come back and bite me on the bum. How awful would be it be getting stuck at 5am trying to drive up Titchfield Hill?

That will teach me to behave like a five-year-old.

DRUNKEN DANCING TO BLACK LACE – THE PERFECT PARTY!

Saturday night will live long in my memory as we threw a surprise 70th birthday party for my father-in-law, Wade.

As I Gotta Feeling from Black Eyed Peas blasted out, he was shocked to see a pub full of people, some he’d not seen in more than 40 years.

That’s what I call a surprise 70th!

I provided the music and rediscovered an old favourite. Every song of theirs had the dancefloor full.

From Agadoo to I Am The Music Man and Do The Conga, the place was buzzing.

So if you are ever DJ-ing at a gig, put some Black Lace on.

Make sure they are pretty plastered first, this certainly helps.

CAN’T WE JUST SHUT UP AND GET ON WITH IT?

So the anti-Brexit bus came to Portsmouth.

Can’t we just shut up with this Brexit moaning and get on with leaving the EU lock, stock, and barrel?

I voted to remain, but I feel that because the majority wanted to leave, this is what we must do.

No customs union with EU rules – we are either in or out.

The US has already said a trade deal with them will be dead in the water if we join any new EU customs union.

We have to be brave, take the initial hit from the EU and see how they want to trade with us after we sign fantastic unlimited deals with the rest of the world.