As part of a Winterwatch programme they ran the 50 minute BBC film 'The Big Freeze'. A real reminder of just how hard that winter was. As a primary school kid in Sussex I remember the giant piles of drifted snow on the village road and then later the enormous icicles hanging from the bus shelter. My best mate's dad built a four seat sledge and we used it every day for what seemed liked weeks. Film starts about five minutes in.
I remember standing on the frozen Grand Union Canal, wearing my wellies, a school gaberdine Mac and a balaclava...I was a style icon even in those days...
We lived opposite a steep hill comprising of three arable fields; this was the first (and only) year that we could sledge from top to bottom without navigating narrow gaps in the hedges - we just went straight over the tops
(05-12-2020, 03:46 PM)Mike Costigan Wrote: We lived opposite a steep hill comprising of three arable fields; this was the first (and only) year that we could sledge from top to bottom without navigating narrow gaps in the hedges - we just went straight over the tops
I was working for a firm of heating engineers as the electrical and controls expert. My 1932 RP boiled each morning a few hundred yards down the road (I kept it outside), so I would stop and add more antifreeze on successive days until the boiling problem had stopped. We were called at work by many people who had no water because the underground mains had frozen despite being at a proper depth. The boss said 'couldn't we do something with a welding transformer?' so I was sent out with a pair of fitters to see what we could do. Generally we connected the primary to the main fuse of the incoming electrical supply, usually beefing up the fuse first; the secondary was connected by the stopcock in one house at one end and the other end to a similar position next door. The resulting short circuit routed from one house to the road, along the road and back to the second house, with a useful heating effect in the pipes giving a flow of water at both kitchen taps which had been opened. In most cases the water was full of scale and rust for some seconds followed by a clear flow and two satisfied customers. When we had done this twice I returned to the warm office and left the lads to it!
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth forever.
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Is there anything whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
Ivor, I was a similar style icon in winter. Germolene on your chapped legs where your welly tops rubbed them.Summer style was striped teeshirt, khaki shorts held up with a snake belt.
