Winter 1963

kaz · Winter 1963

This article stresses the difference between winter now and 1963.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8446942.stm

bullcross

Just goes to show that the UK has been brainwashed with H&S and such like Kaz

Bazzer

School closed? Never!!!

Heads attitude was, "If I can get in, so can the Staff and Pupils".

Doors opened at 9am. if you were early you waited in the playground.
11.00 break was taken outside, as was lunch and afternoon break.
Toilets were outside and you prefered a thud rather than splash. Splash = jump up quick and hope botty never got wet.
We sat in class in scarfs, gloves, outdoor coats. Milk, 1/3pt. was drunk even if it was like sucking an ice lolly.

Seabird

Is that 'OUR' Christine quoted in the article???

I was at grammar school in Birmingham in 1963, and don't remember having any days off school, even though my school was about 10 miles and 2 bus rides away. you just got there by hook or by crook.

It was darned cold at home - we didn't have central heating, and the bedroom windows got frost on the inside, so I don't think I'd have been too keen to stay at home as a fire wasn't lit till the evening when everyone came home.

Digindeep

Baz and Seabird....how spot on you both are....

My last year at school '63'....(for beter or worse, I'll say no more

)

ClaireK

I was born during the big freeze so cant remember but i would say we are more inclined to take the easy option and just stay at home instead of getting on with dealing with the snow.

i can never rmember having anytime off from school due to bad weather or enything else. Even when part of my school got burnt down, we just moved into another classroom or library. Wouldn't happen now of course, H&S wouldn't allow it.

Claire

bullcross

The river Towy in Carmarthen is freezing over today and I think that is the 1st time since 1963

bodger

We moved to where Grandma Bodger lives now in 1962. The snow came quite late on in the winter as i recall and then it froze solid.
We had 12 foot drifts right the way across the road and down to the next village where the school was. We walked to school across the tops of the drifts. Everyday we would come to a shear cliff face and down below us working with spades would be gangs of men pulled off the dole and set to work. It wouldn't happen now.

It took them at least two weeks to clear the road.

As kids, we thought it was great and I well remember the old farmer next door telling us about the winter of 1948, when the drifts weren't 12 foot tall but actually went up to the eaves of the houses.

We went to school through out the winter of 62/63

Kids today don't know they're born

LynneA

I was born in the summer off 62, and was told that I wasn't taken out of the house for the whole of the 62/63 winter.

It has ocurred to me lately that being kept indoors, and babysat by a neighbour who smoked like a row of chimneys may have had some effect on my asthma.

Truth is, I like snow, but hate cold air. Aside of the usual wheezes, I've been getting spasms in my throat and chest in the cold air - indoors as well as out.

lizzie44

I was conceived during the winter of 1963!!! On Hogmanay to be precise!! We didnt have any central heating and I think mum and dad had a wee dram too many and a snuggle under the bedclothes..I was a surprise to say the least as my mum was in her 40's. There now i wonder will there be a baby boom this autumn?? Love Lizzie

Digindeep

Bazzer

Who needs contraception?

I don't. Scottie has a fool proof method.

NO!!!!!!

Christine

Bazzer

Now that looks chilly. I recall news items in previous years of people getting seriously injured or even killed by those sort of icicles dropping on them

horace

Thems some icicles pretty dangerous i would think

mrs tiggywinkle

I was 9 in 63 and remember playing in the snow. My father had a sheet metal works and made my brother and I sledges.....good idea BUT they were so heavy and virtually impossible to pull back up the hills or slopes!!!!!
The other thing I remember is WALKING across Lymm Dam. I.m sure H&S wouldnt let you do it today!!!!

lizzie44

Nice icicles. Or should I say nicicles??? Apparantly in some parts of Russia you are forced by law to remove your icicles in public areas as they have several deaths each year caused by falling ones. What a nasty way to go. Love Lizzie

petyar

That Beeb report brought back memories. I was working in London at the time and commuting from Andover - one of literally a handful. The trains were, of course, steam hauled and I don't remember once not being able to get to work; not on time perhaps but we did get through. The compartments in the carriages were freezing with ice on the inside of the windows. There was no heating because the steam from the engine which heated the train condensed in the pipe and then formed a plug of ice. At least the train back home had a bar to prop up against.

One day waiting for the train inthe morning the track men came along and shovelled the snow off the rails onto the platform, 5 minutes later the platform staff cleared the snow away by shovelling it back onto the rails!

sandrar

I was 3 in 63 , my sister had just been born and I can clearly remember trying to walk, legs stretched out, in the tracks of the pram. Living on Portland we missed most of the snow. The Blizzards of 1978 when I was working on a farm in North Devon was a completely different matter.

bodger

I've just found this snippit to add to this thread. It gives you youngsters just an idea as to how bad the winter of 63 was. On this day in 1963 Britain had its first frost free night since December 22nd of the previous year.

barraboy

dont remember much, as i was born September '63. probably my fault

debbie

I was born in November '63 - my parens had two rooms in a house with shared kitchen and bathroom and only a small gas fire in the lounge - I suppose they had to do something to keep warm!

Bazzer

Also in March 1963.

22 March - The Beatles release the album Please Please Me.
27 March - Chairmen of British Railways Dr Richard Beeching issues a report calling for huge cuts to the UK's rail network.

bodger

In my best Vicky Pollard accent " Yeah but, no but.. Bazzer we're talking about the winter of 63"

Bazzer

Felt sorry for the kids in Lower School.
Up to 4th. year they had to wear shorts.

bodger

WhatCameFirst

My parents and my two brothers, my sister and myself (all of 15 months old) moved from Cardiff to Surrey that winter. The new house (where I grew up) was at the top of a hill... There were two removal lorries and neither of them could get up the hill. So the whole lot of us, including the removal men had to stay in a hotel for two days!

I don't know how the hill was finally overcome, but we stayed there for 18 years.

bagzi

We were living in Dorset on a Farm 2 miles from the village School, we usually walked to School but having to first climb over an 8ft drift My Mother couldn't get My youngest sisters Pram over so had a couple of days at Home until the Tractor cleared a way. I clearly remember a Starling frozen upside-down in an Ash Tree!.

lizzie44

OOh er!! Thats 3 of us born between Sept - Nov 1963!!! Perhaps we ought to get together in 2013 for a big party. Love Lizzie