pea soupers

[pinksmartie]

am i right in thinking that pea soupers in 19th century london were called pea soupers because the smog was green like pea soup? (homework again lol)

[dot.hawkes]

no because it was thick dense fog and pea soup was the thickest of home made soups you could make.

[Golden Shred]

Dot has of course correctly described how the name came about. But pea soupers were not confined to the 19th century, the last really evil one commenced on 5 December 1952. During 4 days roughly 5000 people more than normal died in London. Everything stopped, buses, trains, taxi's cars etc etc. I was caught in it and ultimately had to walk from College in Brixton to Putney where I lived. It is six miles, I started at 2pm and arrived 1.30am next day. I remember it very well !!!

[jno]

glad to see you survived Golden Shred - must have been deeply unpleasant trying to breathe it when you were out that long. Was it true that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, or was that exaggeration?

[stanleyman]

I was only six in '52 but I can remember later smogs in Wandsworth that had a green tinge and a sulphurous smell. Most people used coal so it wasn't surprising.

[Golden Shred]

Those days were a different world, jno, and it was just one of those things. I had already survived the harsh winter of '39, losing two relatives on the Dunkirk beaches, the London Blitz, losing two more relatives in the bombings, three years in the services which had some rotten moments, being in London at times during the V1 and V2 raids, the anti climax of peace, and the harsh winter of '47 so the smog of '52 wasn't extraordinary. It had one blessing though, a bit slow to come, but nevertheless it did arrive, and that was that the '52 smog was the trigger that lead to the Clean Air Act of '63 which was to transform all city-dwellers lives.

[pinksmartie]

aw golden shred im sorry. that sounds really sad :(

[Golden Shred]

No, smartie, it was not at all sad. There were great friendships, great times. But I cannot explain in a way in which you would see it, it was a different world altogether. What is sad to me is now. I have outlived all my friends and family, my feet and knees are giving up and I can no longer manage the stairs, I am selling a much loved house in which I have lived 40 years to move to a small bungalow and the blasted doctor told me a fortnight ago that the very best I can hope for is another 10 years part of which will be in a home !!

[waimarie]

I was working in the London West End at the time of the big fogs of 'the late 1950's and used to cycle to work from Swiss Cottage through St,John's Wood, Baker Street, Selfdridge's and onwards. Occasionally I used to return through Regent's Park.

It's true, the fogs were so thick that on one occasion even I, on a bike, had trouble keeping sight of the kerb to the point where I had a row of cars following me all the way from Baker Street right up to Finchley Road where I turned right at the lights to Eton Avenue (you could do that in those days). I had to get off my bike and tell the car immediately following that I was leaving the main road, On foot I quided him across the lights until finding the kerb on the other side, and off they crept. I counted at least eight cars in the convoy !! It's worth mentioning how filthy these fogs were and they had a certain smell about them too. Is that what we call the 'good old days'??

[X111]

I remember the smog of 1952 to which Golden refers. I was trying to find my way back in my car to Paddington where I lived when another car fell in behind. He followed me for quite some time and then flashed lights, and, when I stopped, shouted "you've done enough, let me take the lead for a bit". I duly followed him for a while, suddenly he turned sharp left, went on for a bit then stopped. I let down my window to talk as he walked back to me "Excuse me old chap" he said "You are in my front garden".

[raysparx]

Hello Pink, I remember the peasoupers in London when I was a kid,in the1950s they were pretty awfull The thing that sticks out in my memory is you literally could not see anymore than about a metre in front of you, I went out early one morning,with my scarf wrapped arond my head and covering the mouth, I honestly only went about 10 metres from the front door,and I couldn't see a thing,I was really scared it took me ages to find my way back home,I think i must have knocked at about 5 houses before getting home, I think they were caused by a mixture of the weather,and smoke from all the coal fires,plus the coal fired power stations, but I stand to be corrected on the cause, hope tis gives you a little insight into them, take car,Ray

If you imagine the steam in a sauna and multiply it by about 50 you might have a bit of an idea what it was like but it also seemed to choke you as well !!

[jno]

fascinating guys/gals, I've enjoyed reading all these; hope you got what you wanted pinksmartie

[squiglebum53]

So pretty much the 1952 london smog was called pea-soupers as a metaphor? and people died 5000 more than usual? miserable stuff!