People of the ‘older persuasion,’ which includes me, will perhaps recall the terrible winter of 1962-63, when we were in the grip of one of the coldest winters on record. To find another to match it we have to go back to 1739-40, when the country was in what was called the Little Ice Age, with not even the awful winter of 1947 matching its severity. Global colding anyone?
The freezing conditions began on December 12 1962. The temperature dropped – and then dropped some more for about 10 days, turning the country into an extension of the Arctic. Then, an anticyclone over the Scandinavian countries dragged in freezing winds from Siberia. Temperatures plummeted to a bone chilling, brain numbing minus 20. East Kent and Sussex were very badly affected, unusual, because our location, close to Europe, is supposed to make snow less likely. In fact, we are one of the warmest parts of the UK. The snow lay ‘deep and crisp and even’ for a record breaking 62 days. A foot of snow fell on Boxing Day. The average January temperature was minus 3.1 degrees. The first day with no frost was March 6, which was pretty grim going. I think it was during this time that my intense dislike for snow and cold weather was formed. I remember frost flowers on the window and my bedside glass of water had ice on it. Our house in Oxfordshire was very old and very cold.
There is a famous picture of Inspector Pepper of Rye, cradling a frozen swan in his arms. I wonder if anyone remembers him? Further north, on the Kent coast, the sea actually froze at places like Whitstable and Herne Bay. This wasn’t just a light coating of ice, the sea was frozen for about a mile out from the coast and people were photographed walking on it. Herne Bay pier was, apparently, completely clad in ice. A boat was frozen into the ice on the shore at Whitstable, an old station in Faversham was completely snowbound and shipping on the River Medway was caught in ice. In some rural areas there was no bus service for nearly two months whilst in towns, slush froze into deep ruts, hampering traffic. Diesel fuel froze solid, so steam trains had to be taken out again, as the new diesel locomotives couldn’t run. Water sometimes froze in the pipes between tenders and the steam trains, when left overnight. A fire set under the pipes got them going again. Water pipes froze inside houses and many had huge icicles dangling from the eaves and gutters. Lethal weapons just waiting to fall!
As if to make up for the mean cold streak, the February temperature was slightly higher than normal.
Image Credits: Vic Vicarey .