The winters of 1947 and 1963

[Rob Jones]

I remember my Dad taking me out to see the HUGE snowdrifts which completely blocked the lanes around place we lived.
That was 1963. I doubt I will see anything again so bad in my lifetime.

[SONYJIM]

There were a couple of cold winters during the war.

During one of these the local pond froze over, so we made a slide across the widest ( and deepest ) part.
I can still remember watching as the heaviest girl in the village slid across to the middle and went through the ice.
The poor girl found herself standing in freezing water up to her waist. Meanwhile my cousin Ron was sliding across towards her and couldn't stop.

Noticing that the ice had broken, Ron took a flying leap and landed on her shoulders.

I can still see this poor girl wading out of the pond with Ron still on her back.

[PMG]

Funnily enough as I have been reading this there is a Britains Worst Weather progs on the telly and they have been showing avalanches in the Cairngorms and an inch of snow causing chaos in London!!!

Pauline

[Rob Jones]

Originally Posted by PMG

Funnily enough as I have been reading this there is a Britains Worst Weather progs on the telly and they have been showing avalanches in the Cairngorms and an inch of snow causing chaos in London!!!

Pauline

And to think that in the 1800's the Thames would freeze over!

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by PMG

Funnily enough as I have been reading this there is a Britains Worst Weather progs on the telly and they have been showing avalanches in the Cairngorms and an inch of snow causing chaos in London!!!

Pauline

An inch of snow?? Aye, we've certainly gone soft alright! I want some mega drifts!

Regards, Chris

[PMG]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

An inch of snow?? Aye, we've certainly gone soft alright! I want some mega drifts!

Regards, Chris

Be careful what you wish for Chris - tho it looks like they're getting it and our share in Northumberland


Pauline

[AngeTheHippy]

Oh yes, I remember '63. I was 9 yrs old at the time. We lived on a council estate in west London with a green out front. I disinctly remember just being able to see over the top of the snow, it lasted for AGES, my Dad used to say it started Boxing day and carried on and off until March. No one had double glazing in those days, the frost was on the INSIDE of the bedroom windows, making wonderful patterns on the panes. The snow easily blew under the back door, I can see it now, piled up. My Mother put a blanket against it to stop it's progress. The water pipes burst upstairs, a local bloke, handymay type, came out during the evening and helped me Dad stop the leaks. She still lives there...

Ange
x

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by PMG

Be careful what you wish for Chris - tho it looks like they're getting it and our share in Northumberland


Pauline

We had a nice little taste of winter here during the night last Friday and it carried on into Saturday morn. Nice windy blasts of snow we had and I sat by the window watching the show! Alas by Saturday dinner time the sun was shining and a thaw had set in.

Regards, Chris

[Amiguru]

As I said earlier in this thread, I remember the 1947 winter quite well but for those who never witnessed it, here are two clips from 'North East Tonight' which show just how it was:

YouTube - Winter 1947 - Newcastle (Part 1)

YouTube - Winter 1947 - Newcastle (Part 2)

Funny how nowadays it only takes about a centimetre of snow to cause havoc on the roads and rail!