First of all, I would also like to add my good wishes to all on the list for a very Happy Christmas and the hope that the New Year will bring you peace and happiness. As for the cold winters of 1947 & 1962, I shall remember them always. Maybe not so much of 1947 as I was 5 years old, but the memories of my lovely Dad taking me tobogganing on the Novers always makes me smile. He had fashioned a sled from left over bits of wood and used the metal strips for the old orange boxes (remember those?) to make the runners. What wasn't so nice was the cold, damp feet from the "wellies" even though there were two pairs of my Nan's knitted socks on my feet. The agony when Mum was trying to warm me up when we got home. 1962 was when I was a new Mum in Bridgwater and trying to get around with a baby in a pram. It was fun for a while, but the novelty wore off quickly! Best wishes and keep warm! Patricia A, Almonte, ON, Canada - where it looks doubtful if we will have what is truly a White Christmas, meaning that it has to snow on Christmas Day! ________________________________ From: Josephine Jeremiah <jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com> To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Sent: Mon, December 20, 2010 11:04:33 AM Subject: [B&S] Memories of 1947 - A Winters Hell (was Snowy weather, early 1980s, 1962-3 and 1947) On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:48:02 -0000, liverpud <liverpud-49@rogers.com> wrote: > I do remember 1947 as we were still in Liverpool. What fun we had > especially making those slippery slides. Don't think it lasted too long > though. Hi Edna and Listers, The snowy weather in 1947 lasted from the end of January to the middle of March. There is some interesting information about the situation in the Bristol area on a page entitled Memories of 1947 - A Winters Hell: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/3538507778/ Josephine --
You and I have similar memories Patricia though being a little older than you I can recall 1947 well. I was at school at Cheddar Grove on Bedminster Down and we made news in the Bristol Evening Post that winter. Our teacher, a Mrs Richards who was close on retiring age, was the only member of staff who turned up on one particularly bad morning having walked from the far flung reaches of Knowle to make sure there was someone in the school to receive any children who turned up - devotion to duty! For me the winter of 1962/63 was quite a nightmare experience as I, like you, was a new Mum, just moved to Gloucester so I had no network of family or friends but was on my own with this tiny baby, husband working away and unable to get home, pipes frozen and no such luxury as central heating, a telephone or TV. My lifeline was a little battery powered transistor radio which I used to listen to each evening just to keep up to date with the countrywide situation. I can remember hearing reports of food being dropped by helicopter to remote communities, especially powdered baby milk supplies. I suppose that particularly sticks in my mind because running out of milk for my baby was my biggest worry. It seemed that winter would never end and the joy of spring was really special that year. With those memories still very vivid I count my blessings and find the present conditions easily bearable with all the modern conveniences to cushion us againgst the worst weather though of course I feel sorry for the very old and vulnerable who are suffering and the homeless who have only a doorway for shelter at night. Happy Christmas to all listers, I may be a lurker but I am grateful to you all for the help and information I pick up from your postings. Janet ----- Original Message ---- From: Patricia A <smadap@rogers.com> To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Sent: Tue, 21 December, 2010 5:15:16 Subject: Re: [B&S] Memories of 1947 - A Winters Hell (was Snowy weather, early 1980s, 1962-3 and 1947) First of all, I would also like to add my good wishes to all on the list for a very Happy Christmas and the hope that the New Year will bring you peace and happiness. As for the cold winters of 1947 & 1962, I shall remember them always. Maybe not so much of 1947 as I was 5 years old, but the memories of my lovely Dad taking me tobogganing on the Novers always makes me smile. He had fashioned a sled from left over bits of wood and used the metal strips for the old orange boxes (remember those?) to make the runners. What wasn't so nice was the cold, damp feet from the "wellies" even though there were two pairs of my Nan's knitted socks on my feet. The agony when Mum was trying to warm me up when we got home. 1962 was when I was a new Mum in Bridgwater and trying to get around with a baby in a pram. It was fun for a while, but the novelty wore off quickly! Best wishes and keep warm! Patricia A, Almonte, ON, Canada - where it looks doubtful if we will have what is truly a White Christmas, meaning that it has to snow on Christmas Day! ________________________________ From: Josephine Jeremiah <jojeremiah@dsl.pipex.com> To: bristol_and_somerset@rootsweb.com Sent: Mon, December 20, 2010 11:04:33 AM Subject: [B&S] Memories of 1947 - A Winters Hell (was Snowy weather, early 1980s, 1962-3 and 1947) On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:48:02 -0000, liverpud <liverpud-49@rogers.com> wrote: > I do remember 1947 as we were still in Liverpool. What fun we had > especially making those slippery slides. Don't think it lasted too long > though. Hi Edna and Listers, The snowy weather in 1947 lasted from the end of January to the middle of March. There is some interesting information about the situation in the Bristol area on a page entitled Memories of 1947 - A Winters Hell: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brizzlebornandbred/3538507778/ Josephine -- ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to BRISTOL_AND_SOMERSET-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message