Winter 1854-long post

[Simon G.]

Trains travelled dead slow and stop took forever...

Bit like at any other time of the year there then...

[kerryb]

I've just noticed the bit about the coal going up in price, it's good to see somethings never change, business taking advantage of the conditions.

And Newf no I don't remember 1963 - what happened?? 

Kerry

[Necromancer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1963_United_Kingdom_cold_wave

just a sample .... but they didnt close the schools   

[Pels.]

I was six in 1963 and I don't remember ever not being able to go to school! 

Lived on a farm at the time and was expected to trudge my way through! 

[ricky1]

Aw Poor old Pels

[DJFRENCH]

Likewise Pels , i was 8 and i can remmeber standing waiting for ages and ages in the snow (up to my thighs) for the bus then i had to walk about quite a way at the other end

and you still got told off for being late 


Dj

[Springbok]

Christmas 1963 OH , 2 small children and myself were in Purley Surrey.with family .OH standing by a Cable laying ship in Greenwich sailed Boxing Day as the snow descended.

I was left for 3 weeks attempting to get out of the sloping driveway.Eventually got out and got to Ashford Middx .Bunked up with parents and waited for another 3 weeks to get past Egham on our return to Cornwall.

On Windwhistle Ridge I followed in the ice ruts behind old style trucks , belching out exhaust smoke.In Exeter asked  RAC if I could go across Bodmin Moor and directed to go the long way round ... The whole of that winter was dire.

Certainly learned how to drive on ice though and have more than once slid around icy mountains in Europe.


Spring

[JAP]

Watching 'The Bill' tonight (still seeing ancient episodes here in Oz) and a character said the most important characteristic of Britishness was complaining about the weather 

I remember Cambridge in the very early 60s (60/61/62 or Jan 63 the only possibilities) when the place virtually ground to a halt with only the bus routes being kept open - and that using tip-trucks which went and tipped the snow in the Cam (snow ploughs - what are they?).

I've posted about 1814 weather comments by a minister in a Dartmouth, Devon parish register at:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,150304
He wrote:
"In January 1814 a very severe frost.  I skaited for several days on the Mill Pond in Dartsmouth.  The snow in many places very deep all over the country.  I walked over some drifts sixteen feet high in the Road from Townstal to Old Mill.  [signed] Robert Holdsworth"

JAP

[kerryb]

I don't remember 1963 for obvious reasons, ie I wasn't born then  but my sister reminded me the other day that during the hard winter's we had in the early 80s we skated on our local pond as it was completely frozen.

That must have been the same year a friend of mine disappeared into a snow drift on our way home one evening past the same pond.    I had to pull her out and I couldn't get to college for a week because the buses didn't run! 

Kerry