Winter Watch

[LoftyLottie]

Did any of you see it last night. A full length episode of Today from 1963!!! It makes our snowfall now look really insignificant - and to think I was in my teens then!!

[carolegif]

I watched it, wasn't it fascinating? That steam train just rammed its way through 8ft of snow, no trouble at all!
I was 16 at the time and remember it well, but I can't remember school closing, we had to walk at first - 3 miles, but the roads were soon cleared. OH's uncle was the local snow plough driver and he was called to go into work at 4am to make sure the roads were open for emergency vehicles!
Interesting that there were less colds and flu about that year!

[Bert]

The programme was called "Tonight". Cliff Michelmore used to end it (Monday to Thursday) with "And the next 'Tonight' will be tomorrow night." I don't know what he said on Fridays - probably "The next 'Tonight' will be on Monday night."
I was 14 and I remember piles of snow either side of the street with the middle clear for traffic. There was no talk of any schools being closed that I can remember. I had to walk about a mile to the station and catch a train. I'm pretty sure that it was late one day, but we were let off for being late into school.

[LoftyLottie]

I was 16 too Carole, and Bert, you were right - tt was called Tonight with the lovely Cliff Michelmore.
I remember going to get the bus every morning and waiting for ages for it to come. There were a few occasions when the bus didn't get through and we would walk home again, frozen stiff. It was our first year living in a village after moving to Bedfordshire from London. The schools didn't close, but, as you say, if we were late, we were excused.

[bensmum]

I watched it - remember that winter well. I was 8 and my dad used to work on the gritters and snow ploughs so I didn't see him for ages as he was at work so much trying to clear roads. We walked to school, don't think any of the children or staff lived very far away in those days unlike now.

[nungate]

I have vague recollections of that winter, I was only 6, but Best Beloved lived on a farm and he remembers being cut off for months and having to trek over fields to get to school and shops etc. The trek from the farm to the town would have been ok I suppose as it was downhill, it's the trek back I wouldn't have relished.

[Scylax]

Didn't need to see the television....we lived in a remote house in Somerset that winter. We had no water, no gas, for nearly 3 months. Then despite antifreeze the intense cold wrecked the engine block of my car. Gas was frozen in the pipes and had to pulled out by hand, in a pale grey ribbon.

Trains on the Cheddar Valley line could only run with snow-ploughs fitted. For weeks my young wife walked to work in Shepton Mallet 7 miles each way.

A pal of mine pulled a sledge piled with groceries to Priddy, which was isolated for weeks. A tough winter indeed.

[LoftyLottie]

It was good though to see a complete 1963 programme Scylax. I forgot how much television has changed. I feel like a part of history now - an old relic. I too remember it well, but being 16 at the time found it all good fun in general.

[woofgang]

strange things happen when it gets really cold

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfOOASEyVfM

[carolegif]

I also noticed that Ridley Scott was on the production team.

[Tizzi24]

I was 17 and I also remember the big freeze.

I used to love the Tonight programme with Cliff, Fyfe Robertson and Alan Whicker.

[anneasquith]

i saw bits of it. but i dont remember it being so bad.

[mushroom25]

I was 4 at the time but remember travelling back one evening from my grandparents house in Harrow Weald to home in Hillingdon - due to a points failure at Rayners Lane there were no trains, so us 3 kids were "sledged" 3 miles to Ruislip and a 98B bus home. I don't remember the cold, but I do remember the utterly clear sky and more stars than I could ever remember seeing.