How many pictures of snowmen in the newspapers does it take to mask the disastrous state of the UK economy?

I don't like going out in snow and it worries me that old people might fall and get seriously hurt. However, I really loved seeing the photos of snowmen and news reports of children enjoying themselves in the way that we used to. Nothing can take away the seriousness of the current financial situation, but I was pleased that something else grabbed the headlines, even for a short while.