I am sure we are all glad to see that the snow and, particularly, the ice have disappeared (for the time being, anyway).

The weather has certainly been severe in recent weeks – and the repercussions continue.

Many people who were injured after slipping on ice went along to the accident and emergency department, only to find themselves waiting hours to be seen by a doctor.

But, instead of moaning about waiting times and a lack of medical staff, I think we should take some time to thank those who have been out there trying to help people, despite what the weather threw at them.

So, to all the hospital staff, including those who may not walk about with a stethoscope or a nurse’s uniform on, thank you for keeping going.

I lost count of the number of ambulances that were making their way in and out of Erskine and Bishopton over the last fortnight – and I was grateful we had dedicated staff waiting to treat those in need.

There may not be any snow or ice lying about this week but, to the council staff who were out all hours trying to clear the roads for us to use, thank you.

Yes, some of us may not have seen grit bins refilled or gritter lorries down our streets but they were out on the main roads, trying to do their best.

In amongst all the chaos the snow and ice were causing, daily routines were trying to be adhered to – for instance, the refuse trucks were still trying to collect and empty our waste bins.

Of course, some people didn’t make it easy for them, as cars were parked on both sides of the road.

I was also called by a resident who told me the binmen (and it was men) were trying to do their best but the black ice was so slippy that they were losing their footing with just about every step they took.

So, to the refuse staff, thank you for doing your very best on our behalf.