Members of the Lake District Ski Club were quick to take advantage of the snow on Raise, which was thigh-deep where it drifted, and their ski lift was promptly set up and used on successive days. “It was an absolutely fantastic surprise. The Lake District has had the only lift-assisted skiing in western Europe this week,”said a delighted club president Mike Sweeney. He added: “The lower chair at Glencoe (in Scotland) was taking people up to snow but they had no lift running after that, unlike us. I think there is the odd one in Finland but the Alpine resorts, which did open this winter during lockdown, will now have closed.