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Winter 1962-63


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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.

I'd now like to Post up some mages taken from the Surrey County Weather Book and reproduced with the kind permission of Co-Author, Ian Currie:

                     1. -  image.thumb.png.2d4489d3137128c5d17b4bcf3d318e8d.png         2. - image.thumb.png.50d6d51e72752587dd69a653123e902b.png

 

                    3. - image.thumb.png.73d89e4f293779767982ba2f9de80517.png           4. - image.thumb.png.9c1b15c19b8a6d7e08f8e83a8761a8f5.png

                    5. - image.thumb.png.a53c40408f29b0cdeec168209bbe975e.png           6. - image.thumb.png.3829fbbac2e275009a0e2286b372d49b.png

                    7. - image.thumb.png.2d9a63684ebed015d574c9d1e1cfea3a.png          8. -  image.thumb.png.95e1c8e825a6a9c82201da0f11d61585.png  

1. - The Day it all began, Boxing Day 1962. This was the scene in Banstead. Rain/Sleet turned to Snow, as it moved into the S,E., after giving many parts of Scotland a White Christmas.

2. - Chelsham near Warlingham, in the North Downs. Jan.1963.

3. - A curtain of giant icicles, Lower Kingswood, South of Epsom. Jan.1963.

4. - The Thames frozen, at Shepperton Weir. Jan.1963.

5. - Horley, just North of Gatwick Airport. Jan.1963.

6. - Ice 6 Inches thick, on the Thames at Shepperton. Jan.1963.

7. - Warlingham. Jan.1963.

8. - The Surrey Mirror produced a Souvenir Card, on the frozen Earlswood Lakes. 24th Jan.1963.

Image 5 is very reminiscent of the scene that greeted me each Day, to and from Junior School in Hayes, just South of Bromley, Kent.

I can remember running up and down huge mounds of Snow, swept clear of driveways, by residents.

Again, I'd like to thank Ian Currie for giving me his kind permission for reproducing these images, from the Kent and Surrey County Weather Books.

Regards,

Tom.   :hi: 

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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
4 minutes ago, TomSE12 said:

I'd now like to Post up some mages taken from the Surrey County Weather Book and reproduced with the kind permission of Co-Author, Ian Currie

I have both the Surrey and Kent weather books.  They make for a great read indeed!

Edited by Don
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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
18 minutes ago, Don said:

I have that weather book and indeed makes for a great read!

Hi Don,

I've got both the Kent and Surrey Books, which Ian Currie kindly signed for me.

I've also been fortunate to see quite a few of his Talks on the Weather.

I've seen his one on Thames Frost Fairs four times, and I'm still not tired of it.

Ian's a smashing guy with an amazing memory, for notable Weather events.

Apologies to Mods, I know this has nothing to do with the 1962/63 Winter but it's a Youtube Clip of Ian Currie, performing his Talk on Thames Frost Fairs: 

 

I want a Jumper like that!! :oldsmile:

Regards,

Tom.   :hi:

 

Edited by TomSE12
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Posted
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
  • Location: Longden, Shropshire
2 hours ago, TomSE12 said:

Hi Don,

I've got both the Kent and Surrey Books, which Ian Currie kindly signed for me.

I've also been fortunate to see quite a few of his Talks on the Weather.

I've seen his one on Thames Frost Fairs four times, and I'm still not tired of it.

Ian's a smashing guy with an amazing memory, for notable Weather events.

Apologies to Mods, I know this has nothing to do with the 1962/63 Winter but it's a Youtube Clip of Ian Currie, performing his Talk on Thames Frost Fairs: 

 

I want a Jumper like that!! :oldsmile:

Regards,

Tom.   :hi:

 

Nice one!  I need to get the Hampshire and Isle of Wight weather book now, too!  However, there doesn’t seem to be one for Wiltshire?

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Posted
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, Snowy Weather
  • Location: Lee, London. SE12, 41 mts. 134.5 ft asl.

I would just like to Post up a few of my vague memories of the Winter of 1962/63.

My Father worked for the Southern Region of British Rail and was part of a "gang" that maintained Track and Bridges.

On Saturday 29th December, his "gang" were detailed to maintain some Track, around the London Bridge area.

The heavy Snow that fell on Boxing Day/27th was still on the ground and was soon to be given a substantial top-up. 

Below, is the Synoptic Chart for Midnight on the 30th December 1962, a few Hours after the onset of a ferocious Blizzard, that struck the South of the U.K.:

image.thumb.png.ca66f6bcc10c5a169cec25382c76aec1.png

Dad along with his "gang", had to abandon their work around late Evening, as heavy and drifting Snow made it impossible to continue. They then faced a long and freezing cold wait for a Train back home to Hayes, some 13 Miles to the S.S.E. The severe conditions started to cause major problems for the Southern Region Timetable.

Eventually, Dad caught a "Milk Train" back to Hayes, around 5 AM.

But the Train could get no further than Elmers End (One stop short of Hayes). By this time, Snow was drifting up on to Platform level and the line was blocked. Dad then faced a 3 and a half Mile walk, back to our home in Hayes.

Dad said that with Snow drifting up to his knees, the walk was a very arduous one and took him around 4 Hours. Dad said he was totally exhausted by the time he arrived home and "frozen solid".

Some 16 Years later and virtually to the Hour, the South of the U.K.was struck by another ferocious blizzard, also courtesy of a "Channel Low":

image.thumb.png.de9b9f99dfd493e3a8555e63a6461cf5.png

Regards,

Tom.  :hi: 

Edited by TomSE12
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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam

Unfortunately considering the age of the thread, a lot of the links are broken now.

From December 1962 Guardian/Observer

3rd Dec U1DNiap.jpeg  4th Dec HoaLnPJ.jpeg 5th Dec NrKa373.jpegmFOKA2R.jpeg

 

6th DecgdMps9x.jpegtN6hLgc.jpeg   7th Dec bq7kp8m.jpegpzHyk7j.jpeg 8th Dec gIyzY5m.jpegTKLCeF8.jpeg

 

 

10th Dec 8tyyEw3.jpeg  11th Dec 1DCqT14.jpeg  12th Dec IZdFwQj.jpeg 

 

13th Dec LWnRR9F.jpegTX9fBRV.jpeg   14th Dec CT4I0Xk.jpeg  15th Dec fAHdDj9.jpeg

 

17th Dec MnZFmBR.jpegaF59stY.jpegU0NfCzp.jpeg  18th Dec FnqZ49k.jpeg

 

19th Dec njE2a2F.jpegcOOgqPh.jpeg  

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire

V informative as usual Weather-history, thank you. The smog of the first week of Dec 1962 should not be forgotten. I was at grammar school in Surrey at the time, and I recall the Headmaster sending the whole school home early one afternoon because of the smog. Except my class got forgotten at the far end of the school building, and it was only when the Head appeared to see what all the noise was about that we discovered that everyone else had long since gone home. We were not best pleased! What a winter! 

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Posted
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold winters and cool summers.
  • Location: Islington, C. London.

At this point I’m praying for. 62/63 redux… maybe a little more severe than that though Woild be genuinely interesting to see how the country in today’s day and age as well as the current generation would cope with such a winter. Most people born after Feb. 1991 haven’t really ever lived through a severe winter all the way through to that extreme level, apart from Dec. 2010, but that was only one month. 

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Posted
  • Location: London
  • Location: London
16 hours ago, LetItSnow! said:

At this point I’m praying for. 62/63 redux… maybe a little more severe than that though Woild be genuinely interesting to see how the country in today’s day and age as well as the current generation would cope with such a winter. Most people born after Feb. 1991 haven’t really ever lived through a severe winter all the way through to that extreme level, apart from Dec. 2010, but that was only one month. 

Like  A Face Like Thunder has mentioned, as much as I would love a winter like 62/63, the affects of it would be close to devastating. A 1987, or 1991 would be doable, but any snowy spell that lasted for 3-6 weeks would most definitely grind the Southern regions to a halt. Heating bills would go through the roof, and many would die from the impact of severe cold. 

Like I said, I would love a bitter spell of winter, but even last year, I was reminded just how cold it felt, even with smaller amounts of snow, or just dry cold periods. If we experience a winter with many weeks below 0c, I don't think many people below the age of 25, would be able to handle it. Age is not necessarily a marker, and some younger folk have experienced harsh winters abroad, and some would argue December 2010 was pretty bad. It was very cold, and I for one wouldn't have wanted to be homeless or living on the breadline during that time.

Edited by Sunny76
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Posted
  • Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
  • Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
On 05/09/2021 at 19:54, LetItSnow! said:

At this point I’m praying for. 62/63 redux… maybe a little more severe than that though Woild be genuinely interesting to see how the country in today’s day and age as well as the current generation would cope with such a winter. Most people born after Feb. 1991 haven’t really ever lived through a severe winter all the way through to that extreme level, apart from Dec. 2010, but that was only one month. 

Nobody born after Feb. 1963 has lived through a winter like that either! 

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Posted
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold winters and cool summers.
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
28 minutes ago, AderynCoch said:

Nobody born after Feb. 1963 has lived through a winter like that either! 

While not as severe in the records, reports show that 1978/1979 was an especially rough one to deal with. 

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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne
On 07/01/2007 at 13:03, Blitzen said:

What an enjoyable read John! I certainly don't think that people  up to my armpits.in general would cope nowadays with those conditions at all well. Having experienced a winter like that must have made you compare each subsequent winter against those of '63 and as we know none have! I look forward to your 1947 story if and when you can find the time.

Regards,

Blitzen.

I remember walking to School with snow up to my armpits in 47, but then I was only five. I have posted my memories of the 62-63 winter at Larkhill on another occasion

Edited by knocker
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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
2 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

Like  A Face Like Thunder has mentioned, as much as I would love a winter like 62/63, the affects of it would be close to devastating. A 1987, or 1991 would be doable, but any snowy spell that lasted for 3-6 weeks would most definitely grind the Southern regions to a halt. Heating bills would go through the roof, and many would die from the impact of severe cold. 

Like I said, I would love a bitter spell of winter, but even last year, I was reminded just how cold it felt, even with smaller amounts of snow, or just dry cold periods. If we experience a winter with many weeks below 0c, I don't think many people below the age of 25, would be able to handle it. Age is not necessarily a marker, and some younger folk have experienced harsh winters abroad, and some would argue December 2010 was pretty bad. It was very cold, and I for one wouldn't have wanted to be homeless or living on the breadline during that time.

Can you imagine this scenario from S London / Surrey in early Jan 1963 replicated now? I shudder to think what the consequences would be 

snow 1963 2 (2).jpg

snow 1963.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Cheshire
  • Location: Cheshire
3 hours ago, LetItSnow! said:

While not as severe in the records, reports show that 1978/1979 was an especially rough one to deal with. 

The winter of 1978/9 was indeed less severe than 1962/3 but it actually lasted a lot longer, with heavy snow falling from New Year's Eve 1978 and settling snow falling near my home on the edge of the North Downs on 1st May 1979. It was also the 'Winter of Discontent' which did it for PM James Callaghan and led to Margaret Thatcher becoming PM just as the winter finally relented. So yes, the winter of 1978/9 was an especially rough one to deal with. 

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Posted
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold winters and cool summers.
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
28 minutes ago, A Face like Thunder said:

The winter of 1978/9 was indeed less severe than 1962/3 but it actually lasted a lot longer, with heavy snow falling from New Year's Eve 1978 and settling snow falling near my home on the edge of the North Downs on 1st May 1979. It was also the 'Winter of Discontent' which did it for PM James Callaghan and led to Margaret Thatcher becoming PM just as the winter finally relented. So yes, the winter of 1978/9 was an especially rough one to deal with. 

Interesting compared to spring 1963 which was actually quite mild. Particularly March and April

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Posted
  • Location: Irlam
  • Location: Irlam
46 minutes ago, A Face like Thunder said:

The winter of 1978/9 was indeed less severe than 1962/3 but it actually lasted a lot longer, with heavy snow falling from New Year's Eve 1978 and settling snow falling near my home on the edge of the North Downs on 1st May 1979. It was also the 'Winter of Discontent' which did it for PM James Callaghan and led to Margaret Thatcher becoming PM just as the winter finally relented. So yes, the winter of 1978/9 was an especially rough one to deal with. 

You could argue 1978-79 was worse in one way to 1962-63 because  there was more low pressure involved and the changes were more disruptive. I wasn't around in 1962-63 but did people begin to adapt more to the conditions later in that  winter? That would have been difficult in a winter where there were regular breaks in the cold pattern, if even short lived. 

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Posted
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
  • Weather Preferences: Cold winters and cool summers.
  • Location: Islington, C. London.
22 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

You could argue 1978-79 was worse in one way to 1962-63 because  there was more low pressure involved and the changes were more disruptive. I wasn't around in 1962-63 but did people begin to adapt more to the conditions later in that  winter? That would have been difficult in a winter where there were regular breaks in the cold pattern, if even short lived. 

What's reflective of the very low pressure dominated, snowy winter is that while most cold winters are drier than average, 1978/1979 was a much wetter than average winter. This was mostly down to a very wet December, but January and February had more "rainfall" than you would assume cold months would. Jan. 1979, despite averaging sub-zero, has an EWP of 89.6mm and Feb. 1979, 72.8mm. Spring 1979 was also very wet as well as cold. I believe I read it ranks in the upper echelons of very wet springs in the 20th century. March and May were particularly wet. Overall, Dec. 1978 through May, 1979 looks like an incredibly hard time for the weather. June/July, 1979 must have been a Godsend in comparison, despite not being overly special in the record books.

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