ForumGarden

BBC - London - Weather - The Big Freeze of 1963

The recent snow reminded me of this.... Who else has memories of 1963 ?

The difference between now and then was back In 1963, the snow just kept coming for weeks and weeks and weeks. The blizzards were so cold that In Essex, the sea froze. The thaw only began In March. Roads couldn't even be gritted because the roads were Impassable to get the grit through. Pipes froze and the electricity went down for weeks.

My memories are that I was so excited as a 5 year old seeing snow on Boxing day with no Idea what was about to come.

I remember one night my Father sat up until the small hours In front of the open fire thawing out after spending hours out In the fields helping local farmers dig sheep out.

There was one day where some of us managed to get to school but between 9 am and 3 pm so much snow fell, we were snowed In after the winds blew the snow Into 5 ft high banks around the building. My Father was one of the Dad's who got through and dug us out but I remember thinking what fun It was being carried home high on his shoulders.

Then Father announced he was going to his shed.... he emerged some time later with two wonderful wooden sleds for myself and my brother. Living on a steep hill, oh what fun we had.!!!!

Hoards of us kids would gather at Chanctonbury Ring to sled and hold races.

I can also remember laughing at local geese, ducks and swans who totally disorientated would wander up the High Street looking for their ponds after they got buried.

Chanctonbury Ring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Do you remember 1963 ?

My only solid memory from '63 was being released early from kindergarten for some unknown reason although it was clear the teachers were very upset about something. Then when I got home, my 16 year old sister was crying hysterically. I didn't understand till later that our president had been assassinated.

That was kind of a downer... sorry.

SnoozeAgain;1417229 wrote: That was kind of a downer... sorry.


No worries... I can remember my Mother crying on that day.

I remember it quite well, despite being just 7 years old. Its the deepest snow Ive ever experienced.

We lived in a post war prefab then. They were freezing at the best of times. I went to bed in my pyjamas and dressing gown with a large coat thrown over the bed clothes. I got dressed in the morning in front of the open oven with my clean vest and pants warming on the door.

Ice on the inside of the windows. The house was heated by paraffin heater. I still love the smell of paraffin

Attached files

Snowfire;1417240 wrote: I remember it quite well, despite being just 7 years old. Its the deepest snow Ive ever experienced.

We lived in a post war prefab then. They were freezing at the best of times. I went to bed in my pyjamas and dressing gown with a large coat thrown over the bed clothes. I got dressed in the morning in front of the open oven with my clean vest and pants warming on the door.

Ice on the inside of the windows. The house was heated by paraffin heater. I still love the smell of paraffin You brought back some memories there....

My Father sold out of Paraffin within weeks at his garage. We were lucky... living In the countryside we could raid the woods for wood and we had open fires.

I remember my parents closing my bedroom and I had to sleep with my brothers to keep warm... then we drove them mad by staying awake all night laughing and mucking about.

The prefab was actually a nice place to live. My Nan and Grandad thought they were a palace, it was so well equipped. A fitted kitchen with an immersion heater for the hot water and a gas Copper for washing the clothes. loads of cupboard space and a decent size garden. They were only a temporary stop gap to house people after the second world war, so lasted longer than were designed for. They are all gone now of course along with the large woods next to it. We moved out in 1967

Now I really feel old, I was working in 63, I don't remember the winter especially, but I have got more winters than you lot obviously.

I do remember the summer of 76.

I suddenly feel very young, wasn't even a twinkle back then.

I do remember the summer of 76 though.

Bruv;1417251 wrote: Now I really feel old, I was working in 63, I don't remember the winter especially, but I have got more winters than you lot obviously.

I do remember the summer of 76.
I remember 76 also...... the stand pipes and hose pipe bans.

1976 United Kingdom heat wave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I took my son down to the beach to have an adventure sleeping rough........after the longest dry spell since records began......it rained.

Bruv;1417255 wrote: I took my son down to the beach to have an adventure sleeping rough........after the longest dry spell since records began......it rained.


:wah:

I used to take my friends horses down to the beach for a swim that summer

Summer of 76. I was courting my, now, wife. Me and a couple of mates navigated the Chichester canal in an inflatable dinghy (the messing about on the beach type thing, not a proper one)

Got hideously sunburnt on Bognor Regis beach.

Snowfire;1417259 wrote: Summer of 76. I was courting my, now, wife. Me and a couple of mates navigated the Chichester canal in an inflatable dinghy (the messing about on the beach type thing, not a proper one)

Got hideously sunburnt on Bognor Regis beach.


Serves you right... Bognor's a s.hit hole... bet you went In the Butlins also while you were there :wah:

oscar;1417260 wrote: Serves you right... Bognor's a s.hit hole... bet you went In the Butlins also while you were there :wah:


I'd had enough of Butlins, Clacton as a kid. I was a soldier then. A barrack room was more comfortable than a Butlins chalet

I'v been to Butlins Bognor..........not in 76 though.

I have had worse holidays.

I had just graduated from high school in '76. I worked at a drive-thru fried chicken place and tried to get to the beach as often as possible. I think I got something like $1.50 an hour.

SnoozeAgain;1417266 wrote: I had just graduated from high school in '76. I worked at a drive-thru fried chicken place and tried to get to the beach as often as possible. I think I got something like $1.50 an hour. My dream job.... fried chicken !!! Yum yum yum

76 I was a year In to my apprenticeship with Ladbrookes ( horse racing )... I took home £13 after tax.

SnoozeAgain;1417228 wrote: My only solid memory from '63 was being released early from kindergarten for some unknown reason although it was clear the teachers were very upset about something. Then when I got home, my 16 year old sister was crying hysterically. I didn't understand till later that our president had been assassinated.


I remember that day well, will never forget it. From the horrible to the sublime, I also remember this is the year I first heard the Beatles.

I remember '63 well (and '66 was near as bad). The big freeze lasted well nigh four months and was the final nail in the coffin of commercial carrying on the canals.

As you say, no central heating in those days and Jack Frost paid a nightly visit to the inside of the bedroom windows. Schools remained open despite snow drifts you couldn't see over - if you couldn't drive through the snow you'd walk.

As for '76, I was touring the continent by motorbike with friends during the heatwave. There was no way you could wear protective clothing in that heat and, most of the time, we were just wearing shorts and trainers - well painful when you're hit on the body by a bumblebee doing over the ton.

Bryn Mawr;1417314 wrote: I remember '63 well (and '66 was near as bad). The big freeze lasted well nigh four months and was the final nail in the coffin of commercial carrying on the canals.

As you say, no central heating in those days and Jack Frost paid a nightly visit to the inside of the bedroom windows. Schools remained open despite snow drifts you couldn't see over - if you couldn't drive through the snow you'd walk.

As for '76, I was touring the continent by motorbike with friends during the heatwave. There was no way you could wear protective clothing in that heat and, most of the time, we were just wearing shorts and trainers - well painful when you're hit on the body by a bumblebee doing over the ton.


You just reminded me.... summer of 76 I did most of my apprenticeship in Worthing..... well known for seaweed ... I had a tiny Honda 125 motorcycle... like you, In that heat you couldn't wear protective clothing and the coast road was alive with flies from the seaweed... very often, I'd arrive for work pebble dashed.

oscar;1417319 wrote: You just reminded me.... summer of 76 I did most of my apprenticeship in Worthing..... well known for seaweed ... I had a tiny Honda 125 motorcycle... like you, In that heat you couldn't wear protective clothing and the coast road was alive with flies from the seaweed... very often, I'd arrive for work pebble dashed.


Just don't smile whilst riding

SnoozeAgain;1417228 wrote: My only solid memory from '63 was being released early from kindergarten for some unknown reason although it was clear the teachers were very upset about something. Then when I got home, my 16 year old sister was crying hysterically. I didn't understand till later that our president had been assassinated.


I remember being lined up outside to be dismissed early. The older kids were yelling at us because we were all excited at this unplanned free time. I lived in virginia at the time....

1963...

According to one excerpt from my diary, "January 21, 1963 Dear Diary Coldest struggle to school in my history.....-14 degrees."

I remember. I was all of 12 1/2 years old. There was no school bus service at that time from my house to school. My mom didn't drive and my dad had already left for work. The school was a good mile if not a little more from home. Snow and ice on the roads in Chicago.. Those were the days before girls were allowed to wear pants to school. So I wore my dress with slacks underneath. My brother was sick so I had trek to school alone that day. I also wore a scarf around the lower half of my face. But it was blowing and biting cold. I almost got to school when a mother driving her children had pity on me and drove me the last little bit to school. I must have been a sight because the teachers were so sympathetic when they saw me in the hallway. "Diana, you walked all the way to school in this weather?" I just shrugged and smiled politely. And, ofcourse, I had to slide those pants off. :wah:

Wow, you've kept your diaries! How great is that! AFTR, you are one fascinating woman!

AnneBoleyn;1417522 wrote: Wow, you've kept your diaries! How great is that! AFTR, you are one fascinating woman!


:) I really only have the one diary. My first entry was on October 28th, 1961 just noting the diary was given to me by an aunt and uncle. It is a small heart-shaped notebook with a cartoon of a teen-age girl holding the diary and the words "Dear Diary" and Bobbi Sox on the front cover. :wah: I'm holding it my hand right now.

On July 8, 1963, I noted going to the movies to see "The Longest Day" with my father and brother only. I remember feeling special and kind of grown up. My father was "daddy' then.