The winters of 1947 and 1963

[Maccattack]

My first memories probably reinforced by photos ( was 3yrs old) wearing a tea cosy on my head "helping" my Dad go to milk the goats , the snow drifts seemed huge and the stuff my Mum put on the washing line first froze solid and then got ripped to shreads by the arctic winds .
Malcolm Mac

[foxy mars]

I can just say remember the winter of 1963, being 7 years old. We had to go to school like it or not, would never happen in this day and age. The youngster's today have never really seen a real winter. My Mum still talks about the winter of 1947 and she would say that the snow never seem to stop. The trouble is nowadays, is that a couple of inches of snowfall and the road system comes to a stand-still. I suppose in 1947 and 1963, motor traffic was very light.

[shirl]

OK I don't remember 1947 (not around then) but 1963 and some of the winters in 1970s were what you called winters. We had snow here in Derbyshire that was still piled up at the side of the roads at Easter. I remember also going out looking at snow drifts (as you do) in the late 1970's, and on the tops near Hathersage there were drifts 12-15 foot high, a wall of snow. My dad used to work for Tarmac, and they were contracted out to the council with snow plough equipment, he loved it. Every farmer he "dug" out offered him a full english breakfast - most he managed was 4 in one day!

Not seen snow like that for a few years.

Shirl

[ChrisJB]

I've just bought a new book, 'Frozen in Time', by Ian McCaskill and Paul Hudson. It has some great pictures of these two wonderful sounding winters. As well as the bad one I remember, 'The Winter of Discontent' (1979).

Regards, Chris

[honeybee]

My mum tells me about the winter of 63. She lived near the river Avon and it was frozen solid and you could walk safely on it. She claims to be in a Heinz advert with her friends as this was filmed. Tomato soup or something..ring any bells?

[Blackbrook Eye]

I remember the 46/47 spell only vaguely as I was a little todler at the time but in 62/63 I was apprentice panel beater at Duple Motor Bodies at Loughborough, the whole of the heating system was frozen and the boiler shut down. Myself and the sheet metal worker apprentice were given the job of collecting some old 45 gallon oil drums and converting them into coke braziers by cutting vent holes in the bottoms and sides and welding short angle iron legs on them, these were then positioned at various points around the factory, and filled with coke from the boilerhouse, within minutes of them being lit the whole factory was full of choking smoke, so to help this smoke to clear, all the doors where opened making the whole exercise a bit of a sham as the icy wind just whistled through. The braziers, although not making a deal of difference to the general temperature, did at least give a bit of temporary relief if you stood close enough and coughed your heart out until you could at least feel the pain in your fingers again. After a few days of working in these conditions, the management made the magnanimus gesture of allowing anyone who wished, to take time off work. The deal was that although anyone taking the time off would not be paid, they would not be sacked for poor attendence, something that was severely frowned on in those days before the advent of 'yuppie flue' and self certification came to the rescue of our beleaguered workforce. Now most of the manufacturing has gone to people in warmer climes, we dont seem to have these little problems and I wonder what the people responsible for the smoking ban would have made of our coke fired braziers.

[wildflower]

I remember the winter of 63 it was brilliant we were snowed in up to the upstairs window sills and when we got out the house ..I was very happy with my sledge and building snowmen..No school for days !! And it was all so white and magical it would be lovely to have good snowfall again.not the meagre amounts we get now that are soon turned to slush..

[SONYJIM]

I well remember the winter of 1946/47.
Forecasting wasn't the work of computer art it is today so we were guided mostly by whether Grannies bunions were playing up.
We had no central heating unless you include one fire in the living room which was only fired up each day if it was cold enough.
I came downstairs early one morning and the cat wanted to go out.
Our back door opened outwards and it was stuck. Eventually I managed to force it open a few inches and all I could see was snow. It had been swept up against the door by the wind and the drift was about six feet deep.
I asked the cat if he still wanted to go out but he decided against it.
Everything was in chaos, no transport nobody knew what to do other than wait until it all melted.
My Dad said Hiter spent five years trying to beat this country and failed when all he needed to do was wait until it snowed and he could have walked in with no resistance.
Some of the other nice things I remember were watching the ice form on the windows whilst cuddling under about six blankets and an eiderdown ( about the equivilent of a modern duvet. This was so heavy everyone had the blood crushed out of their legs, and twisted toes.
Don't let anyone kid you that those were the good old days. Rationing was still in force and men never saw their house in the daylight for six months of the year.
From memory ( which is always suspect ) the people were nicer to each other which helps in an emergency.
All that snow actually happened in Southampton which normally only gets rain when the rest are under snow.

[ChrisJB]

Cheers for that Jim. Whilst they may not've been the good old days, I'd certainly like at least one 47er in my lifetime, with perhaps a 63er thrown in for good measure.

As a kid in 1979, I remember the 'Winter of Discontent' fondly (the innocence of childhood eh, I remember the power cuts as well), but it sounds quite tame compared to the first two.

Regards, Chris

[SONYJIM]

Yes Chris, so would I. Even at 75 I still ( slightly secretly ) look forward to it snowing.
There's something magic about snow, providing you don't have to drive in it.

Another fairly bad winter was 1953/4. My father sent me a copy of the local Echo which showed New Forest ponies up to their bellies in snow.

It never bothered me. I was in Singapore doing my National Service in 90 to 100 degrees, but even then I thought "Lucky Sods".

Not having fridges and freezers, winter was the only time when the butter lasted more than two days without becoming a putrid liquid.
Imagine what would happen today if the electricity went off for say a couple of weeks

[Hoppingmad]

This is really interesting Jim. My parents remember both winters very well and I know they would agree with you that time were certainly harder then. Both of their homes were without central heating - not like now of course.

I have always loved the snow and wish we could have a winter like that again. I know it is hard to drive in - particularly with so many cars on the road - but it is so beautiful.

In Essex we rarely get snow and if it happens this year I would advise all to avoid the M11. Two inches of it and you could be on there for 10 hours!

Debbie

[SONYJIM]

I think that due to the much warmer winters that now seem to be the norm, any day on which snow falls for more than 10 minutes should be declared a public holiday.
What about the cost I hear the employers scream.
Well, If it's too dangerous in this day and age for kids to play conkers, then surely it's much too dangerous to travel to school or go to work.

[ChrisJB]

At high school in the early 1980s, we seemed to get sent home at least once every winter if the snow got bad. I wonder, if we got snow like that again, work would send me home? Chance would be a fine thing.

Regards, Chris

[lol geoff]

I remember the winter of '63 and it was I can't say that I'd like another one like that. I can remember lots of dead birds under the trees, burst pipes and people falling over every where. Walking to school was allright apart from the gap between the top of your wellies and the bottom of your short trousers let in a bit of a draft. Woollen gloves were fine untill they got soaked making snowmen and having snowball fights, and I can still remember the smell as loads of them dried on the old cast iron classroom radiators. Even sports weren't cancelled, if you couldn't see the markings of the rugby or football pitches we just spent the lesson running round the field perimeter. Sometimes the delivery of coke wouldn't arrive and we'd all have to sit there with all our hats, scarves, coats and gloves on and you haven't lived if you haven't drunk frozen milk. The only time I can remember school being disrupted was when we could go home early was when there was thick fog.

[Feather]

My Dad told us of how in '47 they had to bore a tunnel to the outside loo! In, I think '78, we had a heavy snowfall lasting several days. When walking down a usually busy lane the tops of the lamp posts only came to knee level ~ several cars were apparently buried below. I've gone very cold just thinking about it, must get some thermals, I must be old enough now!

[snowdrop]

1947, ugh a winter of searching for exra coats to put on the bed.
Frozen water pipes, at one stage we had to melt snow to make warming cuppa's and the outside toilet cystern frozen solid despite the oil lamp sited on a ledge and placed as close as possible.
Dangerous icicles, some longer than a foot, and snow so deep it was impossible to push a handcart to the coalyard for much needed fuel.
Gravediggers unable to get their spades in the iron-hard ground, my own father who passed away at that time, luckily, (wrong word ) died in hospital, or else we would have had to put him in the outhouse to wait for burial.
Trams bravely trying to make their way along the tracks only to be brought to a halt by drifts.
Oh it was awful. I for one am glad of all the gizmo's and gadgets around today .. and the easy life I have now in comparison to those days. So good luck to the youngsters, enjoy todays benefits and lets hope you never have to cope the way we did.

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by snowdrop

1947,
Oh it was awful. I for one am glad of all the gizmo's and gadgets around today .. and the easy life I have now in comparison to those days. So good luck to the youngsters, enjoy todays benefits and lets hope you never have to cope the way we did.

It certainly sounds grim. But I'll continue to long for a 1947er in my lifetime. I'd probably be crying like a baby after a week of it, but come the spring thaw, I'd like to think I'd come out of it a better person!

Anyway, I love all the memories. Thank you all.

Regards, Chris

[sanderling]

Like quite a few others I have read on this thread, I too was ten years old in 63 and in those days most houses had solid fuel heating i.e. coal and coke fires. This was normally delivered by lorries but when the snow came it was so deep and could not be cleared off the roads so they just became solid ice and even salt/ gritting lorries could not get round. Our house ran low on fuel so, pulling my toboggan I went with my mother down to the station where the coal depot was and we got a sack of coke which I pulled on the toboggan back uphill up our road to our house. Most houses were freezing cold inside with ice all on the inside of the windows.

[snowhound]

Being so fascinated by snow, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all these threads regarding the harsh winters of 1947 and 1963. I too would love to experience such a thing but may change my opinion after a week of such an experience! We have just moved into a new house and the guy who owned the place before us had positioned all the radiators in the wrong place (not under the windows!) so the house takes an eternity to get only slightly warm. By next winter we will hopefully have them all properly positioned, along with a lovely big log-burning fire. I have been really cold this past week so I can just imagine the hardship experienced by people during those two cold winters, and they would have been far colder than what I am experiencing! We went and bought a fan heater this evening to help warm the house up more quickly. Still, I would love to experience some good snow - it looks so magical. And at least there is some great thermal underwear out there these days! Once again, so interesting reading all these great posts and to learn about your individual experiences & memories.

Snowhound,
Wiltshire

[Seajay]

I can't remember the actual snow in 1947 but I can remember my Dad carrying me along the street through the floods presumably when it all melted.

As regards Eeyore saying his Mum told him about a buried train I've just received my 'The Broons and Oor Wullie Annual, The Golden Years 1946 to 1956' and lo and behold in there is, quote: The winter of 1946-47 was described by many as the worst in living memory. Huge blizzards cut off villages and the whole country ground to a halt. Scotland was particularly badly affected (it shows a photograph of a train with the engine funnel just visible). Two hundred men were needed to dig it out of the snow'. Your Mum was right Eeyore.

1963 I remember well! There was not much snow in lLincoln (there had only been a sprinkling) but if you looked on the branches of the trees and telephone and pylon wires it looked as though about two inches had fallen. That was the frost! Day after day after day, frost upon frost upon frost, thicker and thicker it became! Huge icicles hanging everywhere and water pipes all frozen. I spent that winter hauling a surveying chain around mapping Washinborough village for the Ordnance Survey - or helping the surveyor (he wanted someone off the dole queue good at maths and muggins here got the job!) This was followed by work on a farm on the Fens the ground and your body frozen solid! Remember it - I'd sooner forget it!
Were times better then? People were much closer then in the years after the war even though times were hard. Nowadays it seems to be the opposite. Times are easy which of course is great but there is no closeness and sense of identity which is so very sad.

[SONYJIM]

One of the best things about 1947 was Trams!. Every major route through the town was covered and although they were draughty and cold they gave a fantastic service compared with today's pathetic attempts at public transport.
My Dad and I would run down the road in the early morning and if we had just missed a tram there would be another along in about five minutes. Yes, five minutes.
If you put your ear against the lampost you could hear the next tram coming.

Sometimes it got a bit comical when the driver had to get out and change the points, and with an extremely long pole swing the arm over from one power line to another.

They were not really affected by snow because they had bars along the front which pushed it out of the way.They didn't seem to get the "wrong kind of snow" that we now suffer from.
The only alternative to trams was a bicycle. Every morning with large numbers of men heading for the docks on their bikes, you could hear the screams when they got the front wheel in the tram line and flew across the road on their face. It always buckled the front wheel so you had to carry the bike to work the carry it home again.
It was essential that you got to work at all costs. No work, no pay, and probably laid off the next day as a punishment.
Ah, the good old days.

[WesDonze]

I can remember 1963 - was 10 then - and it seemed to be frosty for ages - plenty of snow going to school in Suffolk.
My dad wasa lorry driver and I remember him telling me the snow was piled up above the cab of his lorry in many places.

[woodlandwanderer]

I too was around through both winters - just. I was born in the middle of the 1947 winter, in Lancashire. That night was so wild that the top blew off Darwen Tower; I think it was about 30 years before they finally got it back on.
In 1963 the problem was not a masive amount of snow, but what we had stayed for weeks because of the arctic temperatures. I remember it was very dirty everywhere in the towns as the snow rapidly turned from white to dirty ice. In the countryside a lot of animals and birds died from lack of food and water.
In 1979 I was living in the Yorkshire Dales. We had snow on three separate occasions, Dec/January, February and again in March. The remote villages had to be dug out with JCBs and snow cutters and my 10 mile journey to work was a nightmare. Great for photography though.

Christine

[epops]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Well, I was only two months old and there was very little spare in the way of clothing, bedding or fuel! I remember it well - it probably accounts for why, when roving, I always head south rather than north!

One of the points brought up by this, of course, is that in days gone by, even in the 1960s, MOST people travelled by foot, bike or public transport and, though the weather was more severe, managed to cope. Now most people travel by car and can't cope! Progress, eh?
As you say, whingers ....

if we get 1/2 inch of snow down here and the place comes to a halt

[therealbobbo]

We went to the cinema,In Farnham,on boxing night,1962,it was a cold,foggy night,and at 14,i wasn't keen on weather forecasts!
When we came out,at about 10.15,there was 3" of snow,and it was comming down hard.The man who took us, managed to get us home,on the top of a big hill,but he daren't drive home,he lived at the bottom,and his van was there for 2 months!
We spent the rest of the holiday,toboganning,and walking in the snow.We had a boxer,who must have eaten a ton of snow,every day,and had to be let out every hour,at night,go out for a pee,and more snow.As he was my dog,it fell to me!
I did a paper round,all through it,and the papers were never late,I still do one now,and they're always late!I did lose a few short cuts,though,'cos of the tracks I left!
My brother and sister went to the local secondary school,and were sent home,every other day,boiler broke down,pipes burst,one day,the gate was frozen,and wouldn't open.I went 5 miles to the grammar school,and never missed a minute!What peeved me,was that I shared a good tobogan,with my brother,and he would be on it all day,then I would come home,hoping for a go,and the little tic would dissappear with it,till it was time to go in,so I took his bike,which was much better than mine,and buried it in snow,where it stayed for a month.ha ha
Life went back to normal,in March,it was ok,we didn't have central heating,the only thing that made active kids cold,was if You got wet,usually by laying in the snow,or snowballing in gloves!we had a coal fire,and at bed time,we were tucked in tight,and that was when i was glad he was my dog,we kept each other warm.
I remember,as well,comming home from work,one afternoon,in 1988 or 9,and when I came past Frensham big pond,there was a car on the ice,so When I got home,I went straight out with kids and dog,and had a wonderfull hour,on the ice.Someone had cout some ice out,for the ducks,there must have been a million,on a square of water,about 10 yards wide,they'de used chainsaws,and tyhe ice was over a foot thick.
That was the night I nearly died,in the middle of the night,we woke to the sound of water,and attached to the back of our house,was a brick built shed,now our utility room.We then had the luxury of 2 loos!when I tracked the noise down,it was from the outside loo.it was -12,that night,and the tap at the bottom of the pipe,had broken,and water was sprayingeverywhere.We also had electricity out there,so I dived in,turned it off,and it held,but i got soaked,in my tee shirt and pants.I was frozen,i remember getting as far as the back door,then i leant against the wall,I was as happy as Larry,and warm as toast!Then,the back door opened,and I was dragged inside,and i lived to tell the tale!I also remember a white chritmas,in 1968,another time,bobbo