The big Freeze of 1963 channel 5 thursday 9pm

I think this programme has been on before lemsip? If it is the same programme I watched it and it brought back many memories. I lived in a small village in Wales and remember my father boiling snow on the fire to drink. We had no electricity and water. The roads were impassable. At first it seemed like good fun for us children but the novelty soon wore off!

reminder set, thank you.

I remember we all walked to school in the one pair of shoes that we owned, deep snow and people clearing in front of their doors. I was 15, we all wore those wet shoes and socks all day. Small paraffin heater in the outside toilet, frozen pipes and one small coal fire in the kitchen, we had a kitchenette for cooking. Candle when the electricity went off.

I don’t think it’s the same programme that’s been on before Gwyneth.

The original was from the actual time, Cliff Michelmore was presenting it, all very black and white, rather grainy footage in parts.

The trailer I’ve seen for this one has comments from Joanna Lumley and John Kettley, a weatherman from years ago.

They weren’t on before as I recall.

Thanks Calendargirl. I shall be sure to watch it and you’re right I don’t recall Joanna Lumley or John Kettley on the programme I watched.

I also wonder if this has been shown before. The presenter was Cliff Mitchelmore? and it was a BBC programme. I hope this is a new one.

I remember being in wet shoes and socks at school, frozen pipes and little paraffin lamps under the sink to try and stop it freezing up. DDad had to climb out through a window to did the snow away from the back door so we could get out.

Dig the snow.

My mum told me to record it as I was born at the beginning of January 63 so it will be interesting to see what she went through.

My father was staioned in Germany and I went home for the Christmas holidays. Where we were in Germany the weather was even colder than in the UK.

I retuned to university in Newcastle at the beginning of term and was amazed by how wonderfully warm it was there, despite feet of snow, people thought i was mad. It was just that where i had been previously was even colder.

OH described the roads filled hedge high with snow and nobody had the machinery to clear it, frozen pipes, power cuts and cooking on open fires.

One positive was skating on the river for 3 full moons, with open fires we at least could keep warm and cook, even if we lived and slept in the parlour to keep warm

Then it thawed, around mid March, heavy rain together with melting snow caused massive floods, the ice on the river was 12 inches thick broken into large sheets which took all the bridge parapets off.

We've had nothing like that since.

I was 10 and I remember it well, especially building an igloo in the back garden and being able to walk on top of the snow because there was a solid ice layer on it!

My Dad said he had ordered snow for Christmas. It began snowing on Christmas eve and didn't stop. He worked at Spadeadam when the Blue Streak was being developed. On Christmas day he was asked to go to Spadeadam to drive the snow blower as he was a mechanic, and if it broke down he could fix it. They needed to keep the roads open. He packed a bag as he would be staying overnight. He didn't come home again until the day after New Year's day.
I remember the snow lasted until Easter in sheltered places.

It will be interesting to hear people's reminiscences, since I, as an 11 year old child thought it all hugely exciting .

I remember being shocked when a school friend announced that they had used the water from their hot water bottles to get washed in as the pipes in her house were frozen. I felt rather superior, (10 years old) as we still had water.

A day or so later, we were all in the same frozen boat!

I remember it well. Growing up in a house with no heating, frost on the inside of my bedroom window, etc etc like so many others, I don't remember ever being warm as a child, and still feel the cold now.
I'll definitely be watching it.

In 1963 I used to go up to the university most days on the pillion of my boyfriend's Lambretta, but he went without me one day, headed for an important exam.

He turned over on black ice, landed on his side and skidded some distance along the road before coming to a halt. He was badly bruised and had pulled the muscles in his chest. He found that the scooter was still rideable so went on to the university and sat the exam.

Only after the exam did he go to a doctor who gave him a medical certificate for use if he failed the exam. He was astonished when he found he'd passed!

I was 19 and remember it well. The buses weren’t running some days and I remember walking to or from work on more than one occasion when there was freezing fog, it was 6 miles.

of course it's been on before, several times over the years. Lots of people may not have seen it before.
It's been on you tube for years also.

I lived in a county that was badly hit by the snow and travelled 8 miles to Grammar school. We lived on the coast though and had very little snow. It was great as they usually came into class just after lunch and told us to get ready to go home as the roads were getting blocked and the buses had arrived. The ones who had to stay were very envious.
My gran lived in the country and when we went to visit and needed the loo[Which was up their garden] she presented us with a bucket of water to flush it ,the big old fashioned wall mounted water tank had frozen.
Outdoor P.E. lessons were impossible much to everyones delight.

Just checked and it’s a new 90 minute documentary. Thanks so much for flagging it up lemsip

I was six wore wellies and had sore legs. No heating in the house apart from the coal fire. Sharing a cold bed with sisters and a massive round heavy metal bed warmer. We lived on an estate newly built at the time surrounded by farm land. Out in the sticks open to the worst weather. What a miserable time that was I will be watching on Thursday thanks for the reminder.

Thanks lemsip for posting about this documentary. It's definitely something that I will watch - although I think I will wrap myself up in a blanket ....... the thought of all that snow is making me feel cold now.

I was five. I had just started school but I don't remember any of it!

Same age as me GrandmaBatty

I remember walking to school through snow and having to sit in the classroom feeling very uncomfortable wearing wet shoes. I wasn’t aware of the year but it could have been this one.

I was 16 and still at school. I remember going to our local park which had a boating lake full of enormous carp. There was thick ice all over the pond and the fish were all buried in the ice. Gulls were walking across the ice and eating the fish.

I can't remember what we did about getting to school, I suppose we managed somehow.

There was a similar programme before Christmas with Chris Packham, which was very interesting, I certainly don’t remember how bad it appeared to be, we were in Surrey then. After watching, I emailed my 4 secondary school friends (we were 12 or 13 that winter). Recollections did vary - but we all remembered waiting for the buses, sometimes walking all the way to school some days and when we eventually got there, being sent home because the outside toilets had frozen! School uniform was very strict then, but I wore long johns under my skirt, teamed with American Tan tights and long white socks! Will definitely watch and record on Thursday. Thanks for reminder.