Aren't we getting soft...

[bonk man]

My brother was born then, Feb 7th 1963, and the ambulance only just made it from Buckingham to Ayesbury because of the snow. Of course I didn't know that at the time because I wasn't born until 1966

Hey.... my birthday is on the 7th as well,, your brother must be pretty cool to have the same birthday as me.... the ambulance didn't make it to the local hospital, it didn't even make it to the end of the road

 

[bonk man]

Man, it was cold in our house in Sheffield in the 70s! No central heating. My room was up in the attic and you could see your own breath in the room on a cold day. Almost forgot to mention it - no bloody inside toilet...using the outside toilet in the back yard was a real pain as the cistern water would freeze up so you couldn't use the flush...had to put hot water in it to melt it!

Outside toilet...... you were lucky..

 

[Fab Foodie]

My brother was born then, Feb 7th 1963, and the ambulance only just made it from Buckingham to Ayesbury because of the snow. Of course I didn't know that at the time because I wasn't born until 1966

5th Feb 1963 here, born Exeter, 10' snow drifts in the street (according to my ma and pa), Ambulance had no chance, father and grandfather dug a path for the midwife and I was delivered at home.

 

[Dave5N]

When I lived on the Gower (Stone walls, coal fires) we often got ice on the inside of the bedroom walls.

Mind you, the place was bloody damp as well as bloody cold. Couldn't leave matches out overnight.

 

[col]

When i was very young i remember cracking open the bedroom window to break the icicles off with ice blurring the view on the inside of the windows,and playing puff the dragon in the bedroom it was that cold,yes we are getting softer and spoiled for comfort nowadays.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I like my centrally heated house when its like this. I can remember as a child my parents only heating one room, coal fire, in the house during the winter. The rest of the house was the same temperature as outside. I have memories of getting out of bed in the morning and finding ice on the inside of the window and having to remember to put my slippers on before I stepped of the mat by the side of the bed, the rest of the room had freezing cold lino on the floor. As a young man I lived in bedsits, mostly with just a single bar electric fire for warmth, if I could keep the meter fed

Luxury!

Ten of us lived in a fridge...

 

[bonk man]

Bah...... it is getting too warm now, -6 , I think some more snow is on the way......

I did go out in the garden bare foot just and it wasn't so bad, I might wear shorts and summer jersey tomorrow if I get out on the bike

 

[snorri]

Ten of us lived in a fridge...

You had a fridge????
We didn't have a fridge until I was 19.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

..I remember us all huddles around a log fire ...snow outside...old heating system that didnt work to well...erm..at all really...it were colder as well...at least -56c I recall

 

[wafflycat]

Oh yes. The days when there was no such thing as school being closed due to snow. Where you had to get wrapped up, walk to school, sit in a cold classroom for lessons - wearing hat, scarf, gloves... see your breath in the air..ice on the windows... still playing outside at breaktime - making 'slides' on the ice - fingers getting so cold you lost feeling in them, and once you got home, the pain setting in as feeling returned to your hands & feet. Sledging on the back field... building a snowman and he lasted days and days and days.. expecting to have to wear several layers of clothing to keep warm. Facecloth frozen to the basin in the bathroom. Tufts of toothbrush solid as rock.

 

[DaveP]

Luxury!

Ten of us lived in a fridge...

Did you lick bottom of lake clean for breakfast also

 

[User482]

Actually, I think the increased propensity to shut schools is a good thing - the kids get more time to go and play in the snow. I wish they'd done that when I were a lad!

 

[dan_bo]

All this whining talk of cold weather when we have modern thermal clothing, centrally heated houses etc. We forget that it used to get cold enough that many large rivers regularly froze hard enough that people could walk on 'em. I find it hard to imagine how people of those times kept going!

yeah they kept going, but for not as long. Dying at the age of 53 due to TB was a bit more commonplace than it is now.

Morning by the way!

 

[dellzeqq]

the younger generation doesn't know it's born. We went to school in grey flannel shorts, whatever the weather - I didn't get a pair of long trousers until I was 11 - '63 freeze notwithstanding. And now we have 'longs' and (heaven help us) 'base layers'. If you're cold, wear a vest!

 

[jimbob]

Oh the joy of getting out of bed and not realising how cold the bedroom was until your feet hit the cold lino, jeez!, you soon jumped about to keep warm then.

Last night at work it was -5c at 02.00