THERE are many things which people love about Blackburn, but not many of us would say the weather.

But for a group of Indian nurses brought to the town by health bosses to fill vacancies, Blackburn will forever be the place where they saw snow for the first time.

The recent snow covering may have brought the town to a virtual standstill and left many of us slipping and sliding, but for the 19-strong group, the experience was unforgettable.

And for one brave nurse, who came to chilly Blackburn from Kuwait, the cold weather is the biggest bonus for him, after coping with temperatures of 55 degrees before.

Shinu Joy, who came to Blackburn from India via a six month stay in Bristol, said: "Last week was the first time I saw snow in my whole life. It was wonderful.

"I was going for a walk, and the snow started falling and I just couldn't believe it. I kept on walking, and got back really late."

Daniel Roajesh, who came from South India to work for the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS trust seven months ago as an endoscopy nurse, said: "It is very different here to India. I have seen snow for the first time in my life, which was wonderful, but I am freezing every day.

"It is only cold outside though, not inside. Inside the hospital it is nice and warm."

Varghese Thomas, who has come from Kuwait with his wife and young son, said: "I had had friends who had come over here and they told me I would feel better if I did.

"It is so hot in Kuwait, you just cannot go outside your air conditioned room, and you can only drive if you have air conditioning in your car.

"I love this climate, it is so much better."

Lygy Poulouse, who is working in gastroenterology ward C4 after coming from India, said: "The people here are very nice and I like everything about being here. The snow was wonderful. I was very excited when I saw it for the first time."

She added: "My family thinks I am especially lucky to have got this, because I am living in a Christian country, and before it was hard as a Christian in India."

The nurses are from the first and second phases of an overseas recruitment campaign by the trust, which has seen it bring over 17 nurses from India and Spain in May, followed by another 19 from India in November.

Both groups have had full training, and are found accommodation by the trust, but have still had some major adjustments to make, including lifestyle, new technology, language barriers and home sickness.

Christo Thomas, who has been working in the cardiology department after coming from India in May, said: "I have left lots of family there, my parents and brothers and sisters, and I had never been to Europe before.

"But, apart from the cold, I am loving it here and I am not feeling loneliness. I also came to learn about the modern technology and there is lots of it here."

Margaret Iluyomade, who came from Nigeria, where she had retired as chief matron of midwifery, said coping with the patient's speech was the hardest aspect.

"They all speak so quickly, you have to give it your full attention, so that you can understand them. "

Nasim Alchotar, from Pakistan, added: "I am learning every day, but we all speak English when we are together, so we are learning."

Varghese added that one of the most important cultural factors for them had been Coronation Street.

"We haven't used Coronation Street to learn the accent, but we have had to get to know it, because all the staff talk about it all the time.

"I have had to watch it a few times, to find out what they are talking about."

The trust receives at least one inquiry about overseas recruitment a week, but has no plans to repeat the scheme.

Yvonne Jump, nurse manager, said: "We have offered them all a two year contract, which we hope they will fulfill. It was all tied in with us struggling to recruit, because there just aren't enough nurses. "

Jenny Grimes, international support co-ordinator, said with just one out of 36 nurses returning home, the scheme was very successful.