1963 the big freeze

[Dave Mann]

If anybody watched BBC 4 at 2000 tonight, 1963 the big freeze, it showed the Thames frozen over and a box saloon driving on it. I wonder who the owner/driver was.

[Peter Naulls]

I think the newsreel it was taken from names him, either that or I have seen it in a book somewhere.

[Mike Costigan]

His name was Charles Easter:


  1963 Charles Easter crosses the Thames at Oxford.jpg (Size: 71.43 KB / Downloads: 914)

[Hugh Barnes]

David Bignall of the Cambridge Club, also drove his Box Saloon 'Gloriana' along the River Cam in Cambridge... Sadly, not caught on film

[Duncan Grimmond]

What a gas that must have been!
I was 12/13 at the time and my strongest memory is of warming up a penny on a radiator and taking it outside those if a frozen puddle would re-freeze around it. If yes we could go skating on the lakes in Rowntree's Park. Happy days which gave me a taste for outdoor skating, much nicer than an ice-rink.

[Robert Leigh]

May I correct you, Hugh. Glyn Hughes was Gloriana's owner and it was he who drove on the Cam. Subsequently he sold the car to me and I sold it to Dave Bignell who eventually sold it to Alan Martin. There is a Cambridge Daily News now (Cambridge News) picture of Glyn's exploit.

[Hugh Barnes]

Of course, you are quite correct. I thought about it after I posted, David would have been too young at the time... I tried to find the newspaper photo yesterday, but failed to track it down... I should keep looking..

[JohnD]

I was sent a video around 10 years ago from Tom Abernethy driving his cup model on a frozen Lake of Menteith, just outside Stirling. I will try and find it over the weekend,

[JonE]

This 1963 film 'Snow' short was put up for an Academy Award... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl4pJwcE7JI

[Dave Mann]

The diners on the train have the benefit of a steam locomotive pulling them, the dining car looks nice and warm. During the big freeze I traveled from London to Manchester on a diesel hauled express with ice on the inside of the carriage window, there was no heating.