The winters of 1947 and 1963

[thunder]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

Mmmm. could we folk of today, cope with the likeness of a 1947 or 1963 winter. One word...standstill maddess.

Isn't that two words?

henrya

[Tringa]

I was 11 in the winter of '62/63 and lived in Chester le Street, Co. Durham.

As far as I recall we did not have a white Christmas. I think the snow started about Boxing Day. It did not snow everyday, but it must have been cold as the snow did not melt until, I think, early March. I remember ice on the inside of the windows.

As far as I remember school was unaffected and at the weekends we made huge snowballs and snowmen and went sledging.

Although I did not measure the temperature in 62/63 so it could have been very cold but, I still think the coldest I have experienced in England was in in the late 80s in London. Travel was disrupted and I had to walk the last mile or so to get home one day. In spite of lots of good clothing I was really cold. When I looked at the thermometer in the back garden it read -13C at 5pm, I have not seen anything close to that since.

[foxy mars]

I remember in the 1980, one night something like -17c. Mind I used to work in a deep freeze freezer in a cash and carry warehouse with tempertures between -25 -30c, that is cold.

[Kayleigh]

I remember walking to to school about 3 miles, knee deep in snow must have been 1969ish got to school wet through and frozen my legs were blue with cold and had to stay like that all day..
Kids of today dont know they are born lol

[foxy mars]

Yeah, you are right, Kayleigh. Today, if there is a ½" of snow, probably close the schools and roads, well. I think the kids of today are wrapped up in cottonwool, I remember my youngest sister saying about the 1979 winter. She said I can't go to school in that snow, it was only 1" deep. My mum made sure she went, like it or not.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

Yeah, you are right, Kayleigh. Today, if there is a ½" of snow, probably close the schools and roads, well. I think the kids of today are wrapped up in cottonwool, I remember my youngest sister saying about the 1979 winter. She said I can't go to school in that snow, it was only 1" deep. My mum made sure she went, like it or not.

I remember my son being sent home a couple of years ago as soon as he got to school on H+S grounds as it was dangerous for teachers to get into to school so the school had to close.
It was about an inch deep..

[Amiguru]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I remember my son being sent home a couple of years ago as soon as he got to school on H+S grounds as it was dangerous for teachers to get into to school so the school had to close.
It was about an inch deep..

It does make you laugh these days doesn't it? Any complainants about a mere dusting of snow should be made to sit and browse through this series of pictures:
TopFoto Gallery - The Winter of 1947
What's more, in those days everyone mucked in with a shovel and got on with life which was tough enough just after the war. No waiting around and wingeing if the gritters hadn't been

[foxy mars]

Yes, image 1040933 with the kids look very happy indeed. Them were real winters, ofcause I was only born another 8 years later.

[posie]

Possibly off-thread ,I know. I wonder if, in years to come, there will be a thread on WAB, asking if anyone remembers the weather you guys up North have had this year. No consolation, I know, but there will be loads of photos, which we haven't got on this thread.

[Paul mabbott]

Someone noted how transport grinds to a halt in UK whenever there's snow ... I wouldn't blame people today: even gritted roads on the hills are pretty tricky.
However, I got a mail from my son who's just returned to Berlin: temperatures have been consistently around -10C and the snow is much deeper than here ...... but public transport is unaffected .....