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My first memory of snow was in 1947 and of my uncle coming to dig us out of our house.We (like lots of others then) had no telephone so he'd just stomped through the deep snow to find us. I always like the smell of snow as it reminds me of when I was a child being lifted through the open sash-window.....of course then it was fun!
But the winter of 1962-63 was very harsh and freezing cold.No central heating then!
My OH was a bricklayer and all the building sites in our area of the North East of England were absolutely frozen solid,and all the workers were laid off for over two months.
We had been married nine months and although I was working we found it difficult to cope,no government help then,so thank goodness for my in laws.
Snow can be beautiful to look at but can bring big problems,can't it? :-(
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We went to stay with my grandparents in The New Forest as always for Christmas 1962. The snow began on Boxing Day and went on for days and weeks.
After a week or so my Dad walked miles to Ringwood and then somehow got to Bournemouth and caught a train back to Surbiton.
We finally got back home early February, the other children in the road had made huge snowmen and igloos.
My sister was born at home on February 28th, the midwife was called, we didn't have a phone but a neighbour did, but she couldn't ride her bike because there was still too much snow on the roads. Dad went to collect her and by the time they got back home my sister had been delivered by our next door neighbour who had been called upon to sit with Mum.
I don't remember going to school in it but I do remember pea souper smogs where we had to feel our way along hedges. That wasn't in the snow though.
We moved house on March 14th, to " The Country " and an unfinished brand new house which was still a building site as the builders hadn't been able to go near it for weeks. The heating didn't work properly, we got dressed in bed and there were always beautiful ferny patterns on the insides of the windows.
Oh and chilblains, I had forgotten about them, horrible.
My Dad promptly went down with flu which turned into double pneumonia.
Poor Mum, what a lot to put up with and to top it all I absolutely hated my new school. M
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I remember the 1963 snow very well.
There was no chance of any vehicles getting thro the village for days.snow was well above my wellies:) and didn't we have fun .lol
School was shut cos the teachers lived 3 miles away!
Dad couldn't go to work,tho he tried,it would have been a 6 mile journey!!
We had no central heating,but we kept warm:) Plenty of coal in the coal shed.
I don't know who took the photo ,but I have one of myself and my friend up to our knees in snow in the main street.
The 1987/8 was worst for us ,we'd married and moved to a higher area,the snow covered our front and back doors and we had to get out thro the window..The snow was up to the top of our drive gates and deeper in places whwere it had drifted.
The car was by the front door on the driveway and was totally invisable.
Hubby and I had to walk to work, the snow had frozen and we were walking level with the tops of cars.
I had to go to work as I worked for the DSS and lived within 2 miles. I didn't mind as there were peeps that needed their benefits sorting and could be without money (they weren't computerised then) downhiill wasn't too bad, but homeward treck uphill was exhausting..one step forwards two steps back!!!!
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Oh no, skiing holiday would never be my choice, I would rather stay at home lol
I don't know Gawcott very well at all, we didn't visit much as Dad didn't have a car and couldn't afford all the fares. It is very pretty tho, very chocolate-box prettiness.
Lizx
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