Snowstorm: Britain's Big Freeze (2009)

Snowstorm: Britain's Big Freeze (2009)
February 1st 2009 saw the biggest snow fall in Britain for 18 years. In the days that followed Britain was gripped in travel chaos. This is the story of why after two decades of mild winters Britain would fall into the grip of Artic conditions...
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SnowyMatrix

[@snowymatrix]

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[@clairemarkham3485]

Just subscribed

[@JohnMount-k3i]

Big freeze coming on Artic air mass 20 cm of snow in London is that so shocking 8 inches snow wow unbelievable embassrassibg amazing.

[@gump5ter01]

I remember this vividly. My boss at the time was one of the biggest assholes. He sent messages to all us saying he’s on the bus on way to work and if he can get there then we can too and how it’s just a wee bit of snow so we better not take the piss and get to work. I won’t lie. I felt so much satisfaction when I heard he spent 7 hours on that bus before he had to walk 4 more back home. I only lived 3 miles from the work so it didn’t really bother me. But I still smile when I think about that smart arse message he sent us.

[@jake4225]

Bloody brilliant 🤣

[@patrickdoyle9369]

Peter Cartwright is an idiot, not only turning up for a shift that was now at its end but for people or patients that would know better and stay at home. It is utter stupidity to be out driving in such conditions, let alone going to hospital for an appointment. And more over he is allowed to have a responsible job, home, good wage, and get to vote on important issues.. He's a moron and an idiot. And then people having to be rescued by police and the army, wasting man power and money. Then we have moron number two, Scot going to work not knowing if works been cancelled, and leaving his pregnant wife at home, taking over an hour to try and get to work only to find out he doesn't need to be there and adding more chaos to the roads.. What a moron, for not picking up the phone and making a simple call. And if scientist are cautious, that's a plain English term meaning they have no clue, or just plain don't know the answers.

[@benconway9010]

You should of stayed home

[@danamoradi6031]

haha great mate

[@johnhuggins1394]

He sounds like the old gits that Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse used to do The two scruffy old men who laughed at peoples misfortunes NNEEEERRRRR Those lazy buggers can still come to work in seven feet of snow NNEEERRRRRRR 🤣🤣🤣

[@brendapainter327]

The doctor who walked through that blizzard is truly dedicated. God bless him

[@Mr71paul71]

He's a bloody nutter, who in their right mind lives 50 miles away from work !!!! It's just wasted time. Anyone with any sense wants to live 5 minutes from work at most.

[@bobjames6622]

And by the time he got there he was so knackered he was of no use to anybody. Just silly virtue signalling we can ALL do without.

[@CB394]

@@Mr71paul71, @bobjames6622 you know nothing. LONDON IS VERY VERY EXPENSIVE TO LIVE IN you brainless useless children.

[@Solid_Jackson]

One of the few Must have left his morphine in the office

[@CARLIN4737]

Hes an idiot. All the appointments would have been cancelled that day. Just self important BBC media nonsense.

[@gaggymott9159]

What gets me with every nocturnal snowfall, is waking up in the morning, and the muffled silence. The snow dulls the noise, and the happy, joyful noises are tamped by the acoustically-absorbing snow...This is my abiding memory of heavy snow-fall, combined with the icy coldness.....Memories! ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@sonconmas]

Same here! Something magical about that blanket of snow and the peaceful silence and stillness that comes with it.. magical! It's a shame snow is a rarity in my area these days

[@FallenAngel53]

Childhood memories ❤❤❤

[@Rosco-P.Coldchain]

Yes it was also the complete stillness and seeing that blanket unspoilt by footprints 👣

[@grindle1234]

as a child I woul awake and as you said I could tell it had snowed by the eerie silence, maybe just the sound of the wind. Then a rush to open the curtains to confirm. Fond memories

[@fizziona]

14:36 - My son Eli! Being pulled along in a recycling box - best thing my husband and I could come up with. He is sitting on a plastic bag for waterproofing, blankets with a hot water bottle in the middle. So glad to have found this, thank you :)

[@dianeknight4839]

I am nearing my 70th year and absolutely love snow. I still get excited like I did when I was a child.

[@SabrinaBelladonna]

Aaaww, that's sweet 😊 I have got a friend in Norway and she is like you, every year when it begins to snow she gets all excited and giddy and posts things on Facebook like "Yaaay, it's snowing, it's snowing!!!" She is in her mid 40s 😅

[@CARLIN4737]

Awesome

[@gaggymott9159]

I love the silence snow brings, Diane. When there is a decent snow-fall, the roads fall silent, footsteps can't be heard, all our normal daily sounds become muted by the snow levels...The sun drops from the sky earlier, the snow freezes and crunches under foot...It's astounding! ❤❤❤

[@bradstarzz2921]

It’s lovely to know many folk out there still enjoy the winter months.

[@cdlc5256]

Snow is amazing! It's even better now I am retired/housebound and don't have to go outside in it unless i want to. No grey slush for me 😂

[@hobouk3871]

I know most people will disagree with me saying this, especially if they have to get to work on public transport. But it is fun waking up early in the morning putting the local radio station on listening to all the mayhem the snow is causing when its bucketing down with snow outside 😄

[@emsxbabe1982]

In the UK the snow causes more than mayhem. It's embarrassing. If I lived in a country that could actually deal with it then I'd likely be way more enthusiastic about it but everyone is a soft fanny so carnage always ensues.

[@Cliffordhurst951]

The snow problem in the UK is due to the rarity of a heavy snowfall which occurs once in 30 years. Is it worth spending large amounts of money on the off chance of a heavy snowfall. This would be economic in Alpine or Nordic countries, but not in Britain.

[@SamuelBlack84]

I, too, always enjoy those rare occasions when chaos grips the country for the sheer novelty of it all Just like lockdown which was a busmans holiday for me 😂

[@ArooDoggo]

Oh that was some storm! I had to attempt to walk home from work that first snowfall morning. Luckily I was picked up by a British Gas worker in a van who, on the way to my town, noticed that the first stages of hypothermia had set in with me and he took appropriate action to help me! I truly believe he saved my life.

[@kurotsuki7427]

Hypothermia is dangerous. Im glad your ok

[@amandacarr9274]

Remember this well! Slipped on ice and broke my left foot in 4 places! And still still continued to supermarket to do my shopping before getting a taxi home as couldn't walk abymore!! Think shock took a while to wear of! Pain was incredible 😂😭😭

[@TerryTheNewsGirl]

I remember waking up to see my husband. I said, "Why are you here?" He said, "Look outside!" I saw more snow than ever since I was a kid. incredible!

[@TOVANorseWitch]

I worked on ambulance transport for elderly and learning disabilities and on this day we were gridlocked and one small road we got completeley stuck people came out of thier houses and pushed us up the street we were in a 16 seater vehicle not an easy thing to do. when we finally got back to the depot it was 11 oclock at night we normally finish around 5.30 our boss slept on the offic floor. it was a hair raizing journey home i jackkniffed my car but didnt hit anything and was so relieved to get home safe this is a day i will never forget

[@celticlofts]

I was once at a wedding rehearsal dinner at a hotel in Illinois, twas the middle of December and my first winter in the States. I went out to start the car as we were fixing to head home, I hadn't bothered to put my jacket on and by the time I got to the car, which was only about 50 feet away, my shirt had froze on my back. That was introduction to a real winter and by God I learned a lesson I'd never forget.

[@sarahwhittle4868]

I remember this due to my husband being in hospital. It was elective surgery on his Taylor’s bunion. Our local BUPA hospital was in Bretton, Peterborough. I woke up to find 10 inches of snow. As I got into my car, I watched a neighbour skid into a house across the road to me. I remembered my training my driving instructor gave me Many years earlier-don’t rush, put your car in a lower gear, don’t over steer, be aware of your surroundings, and don’t panic. So I pulled away in second gear, drove at 12 miles an hour and successfully got to the hospital and drove my hubby home. His comment was ‘well done love’. For the next few days we didn’t leave the house. We put food out for the wild animals who died in droves. Our local council bought 10 snow plows but it was a complete waste of money as we’ve never had weather like this since!

[@juliekulatunga4188]

what an amazing man, he deserves a medal.

[@Howie57]

And when he got to work, he found out none of his patients made it in..... So he had nothing to do, and went home

[@davesolway3696]

In 2009 I was injured thro a RTC and couldn't afford my rent and became homeless, living in my work van! My vans crown wheel blew up (the big kog in the back Axel) and was stranded, with my dog on the duel carriageway nr Gatwick airport for almost a week in the snow. Still don't know how we survived💪💪👊😊

[@snowymatrix]

Thanks for sharing your story 👍💪💪💪🍺

[@mattylamb9194]

The following winter in UK had a cold spell too. Snow hung around for over a week

[@carolwaugh5466]

As a child, in the 1950s, there would fall quite a lot of snow. I have old photographs of the family out in it, and remember how magical it seemed.

[@filstewart2380]

Me too - seems to me that we took it in our stride. Guess we were more hardy back then.

[@vid9511]

What a shame time has changed and we barely even see snow in the UK, Northern Scotland probably still has chances of snow

[@stuartdarrall3026]

63 was worse

[@gerardflynn7382]

The Winter of the late 1940's was the worst ever for Britain. It started around Christmas (I can't remember the year) It didn't stop for 6 weeks.

[@susandavidson1691]

Ahhhh REAL snow, when you slapped chains ⛓️ on the tyres 🛞 on our “crap” cars and ploughed through with only what was ahead of you and the sky for a view, as the walls of snow either side was 6ft high. Ahhhhh life with NO drama, just simplicity………… ps I grew up in N of Scotland. We had blackouts for days, cooked on the fire 🔥 and did work by candlelight and I LOVED it.

[@missmuffet3874]

Remember it well. Delayed and cancelled trains in Manchester. Walking to work in snow boots everyday and changing into my heels when I arrived in the office. My late mum said it was nothing compared to the 1950s 😂xx

[@gerardflynn7382]

Normally a few millimeters of snow would grind my home country of Ireland to a standstill. The Winter of 2010 dumped 4 metres of snow onto us.

[@georgebarnes8163]

I lived in NI at the time, all we got was about 3 inches of snow that stayed for about 3 days.

[@marychristmas4911]

I was a bus driver in the north of Scotland during this, battling through blizzards in a coach while eight months pregnant.

[@VulcanTrekkie45]

I'm from New England, and I was studying abroad in Sussex when this storm hit. We got about two inches and I thought it was laughable how we had five classes cancelled that week. And it certainly didn't help I was with a lot of people from Canada. In my old age I can now appreciate this is because the infrastructure there isn't hardened to cold and snowy conditions like it is here at home.

[@sandradee1579]

I'm from Mass & this storm is more than 2"? My family's UK. Were you in NE for the blizzard of '78? That was brutal.

[@tabitha4135]

It was way more than 2 inches where I live in Hertfordshire England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@hoojchoons2258]

It wasn't always like this. We had much harsher winters in the 60's,70's & 80's, I count on one hand how many times the school shut back then! I LOVE snow, I'd say 2010 was the best since '82 here.

[@artymiss77]

@@hoojchoons2258Mine never shut during the 70s and 80s, not sure how bad it would have to have been for it to shut the school! Most of us walked to school then though.

[@willharris7614]

Oh god! I have visions of this!! I was a young child, I was helping my mum at the stables and the snow was immense! Omg! I have visions of me and my brother playing in it. And then the same thing happened twice in 2010, first in January 2010 then in December (Just before Christmas 2010).

[@andrewwalton6236]

I was managing a call centre dealing with heating repairs in 2010 and 2012 - those were years plagued by separate 'beasts from the east'

[@stuartdarrall3026]

How does January come before December

[@Odo55]

​@@stuartdarrall3026✔🤩

[@Bytheway-m3z]

Its called memories not visions 😊❄✌

[@Bytheway-m3z]

@@stuartdarrall3026 🤣🤣🤣

[@H2Oredfirefox]

Does anybody remember this snow storm of 1996 I certainly do. I was in class at the time at the Dumfries and Galloway College out of a Window we noticed the storm of the snow is getting worse and worse it looked like it wasn't going to stop and it certainly didn't I got to the point where the whole of Dumfries and Galloway was in complete standstill trucks vehicles everything was stuck here there and everywhere it was absolute Madness I can tell you one thing though it was crazy how quiet it was that day you could hear sounds in the distance that you normally wouldn't it was really bizarre and very very eerie

[@dowphantom3792]

good on them boys for running and jumping in the freezing water to help the girls, good job fellas!

[@trident1314]

My memory of this was not just the snow but the ice that hung around for months afterwards.

[@snowymatrix]

Yeah the ice is much worse than the snow 👍

[@anthonymichaelwilson8401]

I have driven for 43 years experience all these snow falls in my PSV , LGV always got a through definitely been blessed in life 😊

[@gavbr210]

I have no memory of this, but I do remember the freezing winters of 09/10 and 10/11.

[@EmmanuellaUdofia]

I remember this, I was only 9 years old. I enjoyed a few days without school, for sure.

[@snowymatrix]

Happy days then! 😄

[@mraidymaddful]

I was born in that February 1963 storm in Huddersfield and apparently it was really bad. The village I live in now had snow banks 15 feet high at the sides of the roads in the 2009 storm. It was the farmers around here that cleared the roads, they used those huge John Deere mahoosive wheeled tractors and caterpillar tracked bulldozers to clear most of the roads as our local clowncil couldn't make it happen.

[@elisabethj.v.beardsell9853]

“Whether, the weather,be cold, whether, the weather be hot, trying to predict the forecast, easy it is not” !😊

[@manda322]

I learned to drive that winter, got lots of practice driving in snow

[@rayaspo4893]

Best voice over ever

[@Michelle-qd9gm]

When I met my husband he told me he walked 15 miles to work there and back he’s still got the waterproof boots from that year

[@suekearton6691]

Steven and Matthew were very brave boys and should have got a medal

[@snowymatrix]

Definitely 👍🎖️🏅

[@froogsleegs]

I remember this, was the deepest, freshest and longest-lasting snow I've ever seen. some kids took ice cream tubs down to the park and used them to make an igloo!

[@LiaaRo]

This was 1 of the 2 times my high school was cancelled for me! Was tuning in on the local radio with fingers crossed everday, my school didnt like to close for nothing.😂

[@halfbakedproductions7887]

I was living in Dundee at that time and definitely remember blizzard and slushy road conditions appearing from nowhere on a normal afternoon in February 2009. I don't recall seeing any weather reports warning of it and nobody seemed to be expecting it. It was very surreal, but at the same time kind of cool. Luckily I was a student and didn't really have anywhere to be. Some non-essential lectures and various campus facilities shut down though.

[@sheldonlunn7050]

I remember this. It was traumatic. I'd lost my main coat only the week before. Fortunately, I'd kept my old coat, so disaster was averted but when I think of what could've happened... Nowadays, I stay indoors between mid October and March.

[@jonathankerr4859]

Wow losing your coat! A real trauma. Amazed you managed to survive

[@sheldonlunn7050]

@@jonathankerr4859 After the "event", as I call it, Its really just been an existence...

[@jonathankerr4859]

@@sheldonlunn7050 😂👍😁 Genuinely funny.

[@UncleJames95]

Glad you had a back up coat, anything could have happened otherwise

[@sheldonlunn7050]

@@UncleJames95 Thanks for the kind words of support. It's days like today, with storm Ciaran ravaging the country, that bring back what I call "The Horror"!

[@marktucker208]

Love the snow, would love some this winter

[@jonathonblacker299]

for some reason the winter of 2010 sticks in mind and I remember how cold it was to the run up the Christmas, and the cold snap lasted weeks. 2009 I don't remember to much as a problem, but December 2010, packed ice and snow, never melted for weeks.

[@spooksy1982]

Definitely. 2010 was much colder (-17C near Manchester one morning).

[@dalek3086]

winter 2010 was colder - outside Stockton - ice and snow sure didn't melt for weeks - moved from London to the North East..Trains not departing from Kings Cross for hours , caught a train to Newcastle ( nothing going to Darlington ). Twix and hot coffee on the train . ( told paninis would arrive at York - didnt take that chance ). Taxis at Newcastle said road conditions were too bad, so caught a local train to Billingham. ... My Canadian father taught me to clear snow , put down rocksalt, and so kept this up for weeks.

[@667neighborofdabeast]

I was thinking the same thing, I was 15 in February 2009 and I can remember it well because my grandad had just died that January. I was 17 during the 2010 freeze and can remember it all started as we were getting out of school, none of our buses showed up and we all had to walk into town and hope relatives would come pick us up. Our school was closed for a few days, the first time that had really happened because of weather.

[@jane7953]

I was only 3 but I remember we had lots of snow and we made a snowman. Wish we had more snow now!

[@prometheusunbound7628]

Watching in 2023, when little Amy would be fourteen. I wonder if she's sick of hearing about her dramatic birth, as Dad predicted.

[@mr.anderson1509]

Probably lol

[@robanks3895]

I bet most of or all of his patients never even went to their appointments because of the heavy snow, surely that must have crossed his mind

[@snowymatrix]

The man has a critical job and did his duty no matter what and that he should be very proud of 👍

[@dottyg7062]

I remember 2010 I was just starting to work from home I was well,pleased 😆

[@johnhuggins1394]

The one the following year was bad The beginning of 2010 and from October to end of December was bitter and heavy snow A ten minute journey in my van took three quarters of an hour from Hopton to Gorleston in Norfolk

[@emmsue1053]

Remember this, it had snowed then frozen over & snowed again. My usual 15 minutes home from work took an hour!

[@loki666100]

I worked in the NHS when this happened. It took me nearly two hours to walk 1 1/2 miles. It was fun. We had a snow ball fight with the patients.

[@hollyAE]

I remember like it was yesterday as a 8 year old child back then I had no care in the world, blissfully ignorant to what was going on, I had 2 weeks off school thanks to this storm, it was fun but however as I got older I realised how dangerous snow ❄️ can really be, I’m 22 now and I drive so yeah I can understand why people don’t like snow ❄️

[@snowymatrix]

Snow can also be fun too. .Most people don't understand or have the common sense on how to drive on snow. Many people all over the world manage just fine and don't live in fear of snow! 👍🙂

[@bruce5799]

I enjoyed watching this,i was on M4 to Tilehurst and all exit signs were snowed over,so if you didn't know where to get off you would be lost

[@Maven0666]

For you younger kids,1976 was wild .I was a little kid but it blew cold and frosty all winter,and rained the rest of it. It’s never came close since for East Coast America. Wild to see it did it all over Earth. Nature was insane in 1993 also. Stay strong witted and Godspeed.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

Winter '76-'77, '77-'78 and '78-'79 were horrible, worst in 30+ years. That was when scientists were telling us the world was heading for a new ice age.😅

[@hobstar8354]

Can’t imagine how this winters gonna be especially since we’ve had such a hot summer like 1976 I expect loads of snow and cold unfortunately

[@Maven0666]

@@hobstar8354 Probably an ice storm or two. It is so wet.Probably from the glacier melt.

[@Demun1649]

1976 was a really hot summer that kickstarted the English wine industry, pushing it up above the production levels of the monasteries and convents before Fat Henry dissolved them in order to get money for yet more wars. 400 years to get over the damage caused by one obese, greedy monarch sufferingfrom syphilis.

[@georginaohara42]

Didn’t the records of summer ‘76 make up for it?

[@paulief3817]

I remember getting let out of work at 12pm when the snow was starting to get heavy. I live 27 miles from work. I got home just before midnight

[@jzero4813]

I was at ICL when it was reported that the London busses were cancelled - something that had never happened even during WWII. A German colleague quipped that the Luftwaffe probably should have been dropping snow instead of bombs.

[@Michelle-qd9gm]

I thank god for my carer I had at the time she used to go to the shop for me il never forget as I lived in a village she’s was waiting gold for me as a single parent back then il never forget what she did for me I did try to go myself but fell and a man came out of this house and picked me up and took me home bless him then there was Asda that young lad bringing me a whole huge delivery god knows how he did it that night he saved us

[@priscillas.5314]

I did have an accident actually (I slipped on the ice and broke my knee) but, a part from that, I enjoyed the snow. My daughter's school was closed of course and with all the other parents we went to the local park with skis, sleddings and vegetables to decorate snowmen!

[@snowymatrix]

Sorry to hear that hope there was no lasting damage to your knee

[@priscillas.5314]

@@snowymatrix Thank you dear! It was a nuisance of course but luckily no long term damage 🥰

[@ambersouthwick3509]

Just another Thursday in Canada 🤷‍♀️

[@xkimxangelx]

I remember this happened during my last year at school - it was the first and only time I didn't go to school because of the weather.

[@martinranalli8572]

I remember this happened twice that year, it also snowed very heavily a week before Christmas that year.☃️⛄❄️

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Yes I remember seeing this heavy snow coming down heavier and I thought oh my god we are about to get beached by the heavy snow fall

[@jonathankerr4859]

Milk delivery had reached a crisis point. Oh my god however did they cope! 😂😂😂

[@techtinkerin]

I remember thinking it was a good idea to drive a mgf over the hills and got stuck, some random folks came from nearby and helped. Great fun!😊

[@amandacarr9274]

Remember this well...slipped on ice and broke my right foot in 4 places xxxx

[@H2Oredfirefox]

Strange I thought the 1996 storm was much worse I was at college at the time. If I remember you can find some clips of the snow from 1996 on KZbin floating about.

[@SamuelBlack84]

I remember battling heavy snow trying to walk home one evening not even sure I would make it They were better days

[@Jonny_The_Organism]

I remember getting to work... not just on road but on the by-ways and really deep crisp snow...my bosses had cancelled all work for the next few days so I stayed in my caravan watching back to back "Sopranos" from beginning to end... but every now and then looked out my window and saw my Mitzi being buried by the white stuff.... lovely views!...

[@shadow.5404]

Absolutely Amazing well done my friend full view and thumbs up ,, 👍

[@bluenose7984]

Makes me laugh when people are warned about how bad the weathers going to be, warned about taking your car out in such bad conditions. They disregard all the warnings, get stuck in severe conditions then expect to be rescued...Similar to people going out to sea in stormy conditions, then calling the coastguard to come airlift them off their failing boat.

[@dubaiedge]

It boggles the mind 🤯

[@SamuelBlack84]

Many go off the delusion that they're untouchable and will be safe no matter what

[@bailey2913]

I’d just lost my dad to cancer when this happened, it’s all a bit of a blur but remember it 😕, we also had snow before Christmas in Dec, the 18th to be precise.

[@pauldavies152]

I can remember this like yesterday. I was travelling home from Portsmouth back to South Wales and the bridges were shut. I had to drive up to Gloucester then back down on the Welsh side to get home.

[@Peachyt82]

lol remember the Big Freeze of 1987 i was only 5 years old and it was deeper than me and made me scared as a 5 year old.

[@solomonkane6442]

I was 10 years old in 87 and I remember jumping out of our 2nd floor window into a big pile of snow and biting a chunk out of my lip 😅

[@LinkTheFusky]

I have a bad feeling this winter will be the big one

[@snowymatrix]

Looking forward to getting my snowboard out and boarding down Ally Pally👍

[@LinkTheFusky]

@@snowymatrix ye it's gonna be lit, hopefully people actually get a day off work and have no medical emergencies but at the same time people who go to the doctors over the something paracetamol can fix won't be there to over work the doctors

[@Rik_May]

You were wrong :)

[@JustAThought155]

Hey, this show failed to mention Boston, MA. Boston is impacted by snow more than a city like NYC. Okay, so we dumped the tea. I get it.😉! 😂😂😂😂

[@solomonkane6442]

🖕🥺😭😁😂

[@kristiinakallas6130]

Wow - I didn't know that Britain doesn't have a proper winter. Today in Estonia we have about 30 cm of snow and -21°C - it is day like any other and people get their things done. On workday everyone goes to work and children to school. I guess in some reason I thought we have not that much difference

[@snowymatrix]

Yes we have the gulf stream to thank for keeping us warmer in the winter than other countries on our line of latitude.👍

[@kristiinakallas6130]

@@snowymatrix Yes - now I know better

[@Mykst]

@@kristiinakallas6130 In all my years of living in the UK, I've never experienced a temperature myself personally any lower than -10C. Typically Atlantic weather systems from the west bring us much milder but wetter and often windier conditions. There's the fact that the UK itself is an island too so doesn't often experience the extremes seen on the continent.

[@roomullan3050]

We used to have wonderful winters of frost and snow, now we hardly get snow in the south and not much frost 😢😢 but up north it is a few degrees colder

[@davidmccann9811]

I crashed my car in this. I slid for about 200 meters down a hill and into the hedge at the bottom. Luckily it was quite a slow slide, so I wasn't hurt and the car just had a small dent.

[@cannonball9478]

Absolutely loved the snow ⛄️

[@TomLarter-e4e]

This is peak British tv, we get unexpected snowfall and we make a documentary about it haha

[@snowymatrix]

Yeah, love these old docs they don't make them like this anymore 👍

[@shanecarter2193]

thoughts and prayers go out to that man at 3:49 who froze to death

[@snowymatrix]

😂

[@phisit8813]

Peter walked 10 miles to work ? I would love to have him as my local Doctor !! I know other people would call it a day and not go to work.

[@fazzagamez]

I remember waking up when I was a kid jumping off the fence into the snow it was that deep

[@solpat1977]

I left work that day in London at 15.30 and got home to at 23.36. Normal journey takes 1 and a half hours.

[@bluethunder6801]

Remember it snow remained on the ground for weeks

[@WaynesPokeWorld]

Ah yes. The year I slipped on ice, fell backwards to catch my fall and snapped my left arm. Could feel the bones scraping together. Metal plate, 8 screws and 33 staples later 😅

[@djdeemz7651]

The first day of this I started a new job 25 miles from my house and I was on my motorbike 😂😂😂 that was one cold sketchy ride to work that resulted on my having to abandon my bike and half a mile from work

[@kjw7556]

I’ve not seen snow for years here in Manchester

[@snowymatrix]

Just rain I bet! 👍😁

[@roomullan3050]

I lived in Westerham as a child and we had heavy snow every winter in the winter Jan 1988 we were snowed in our village Kemsing. We queued for a ration of half a loaf of bread and the army flew in milk

[@danielsellers8707]

The 1960s winter footage at 34:37 appears to be from Sweden (when it still drove on the left) as there's one of the old Beetle shaped Volvos and a righthand drive bus.

[@TheMagicalwill]

I had a classic VW Beetle back then, 12 inches of snow and I got me everywhere I needed to go, was the only car in the village that could get to the shops. Had to do lots of food runs for others.

[@Angusmum]

I was born in Manchester in January 1947 in a very very bad, cold and snowy winter so I can assure you that in 1963 there hadn’t been a previous “TWO DECADES” of mild winters. Oh wait…this winter of 1963 also affected the south…Now I understand🥴😮…..and so will most other Northerners😂.

[@gthbtn]

The slip down the steps at Waterloo brings back memories of what was a busy day on the railways...

[@petercomerdoesntdophotos3581]

When I was young winters were always bad

[@michaelgregory8322]

Not as bad as early 80s & 90s, schools were shut, lot of snow now all we get is the spit backs, rain, rain & more rain

[@Demun1649]

And wind, wind and more wind.

[@patrickdoyle9369]

On 29 and 30 December 1962 a blizzard swept across South West England and Wales. Snow drifted to more than 20 feet (6.1 m) deep in places, driven by gale force easterly winds, blocking roads and railways. The snow stranded villagers and brought down power lines. The 80's 90's have nothing on the year 62...

[@Demun1649]

@@patrickdoyle9369 Patrick, you are forgetting that, unless it affects the toffs in London and the south-east, there is no bad winter. That lot are VERY insular.

[@SamuelBlack84]

I remember being in high school in the 90s with my best friend wandering around the school upon arrival, curious as to why it was deserted, looking where everyone was We almost went back home until we discovered everyone was in the hall I thought, damn 😄

[@pennybunny]

I remember this very well

[@FallenAngel53]

20:29 well done lads. You saved that girls whole life . 👌 😎

[@Mountain_Bike_Archaeology]

I was in Switzerland when the snow depths and drifts peaked, in the UK then. The conditions were as bad there, although busses, trams and trains ran, the airport was open and on schedule. However, I was stuck there an extra 5 days, due to everything being closed/backed up in Britain! When I got back and moved my Transit van from where it had been parked for two weeks, to go to get food for my Mum and 100 year old Gran, the snow was over the bonnet. The Private parking space had been pinched by the time I had returned home, as it was ready made and cleared. There was no feeling, of anyone helping those in need in the UK, not that I could witness, although with no real disruption in Europe, people could not do more to help out. Look after No1 attitude here, sadly.

[@stephenpotter996]

The reason london came to a halt is because years before all local authoritys decided to get rid of all full time council workers like gritters road sweepers etc & decided to use agencys ,to top that off the goverment sold our only salt mine to the germans where the grit once produced was shipped back to germany.

[@RandomVideosFirst]

I remember this like it was yesterday, snow was light at first in London , didnt think it would settle on Sunday evening Sunday night ,the Super Bowl was on early Monday morning and stayed up to watch it) I was actually off from work on Monday luckily. Just recall the Tuesday being hell to get into work , took 3 hrs to get in for a journey that normally took 45min

[@chicagogyrl4846]

Who in the world goes walking when your work is 30 miles away??!

[@CB394]

The winter of 1963 was on Call the Midwife. My mother was 9 years old in 1963.

[@philipmcdonagh1094]

If we got a 1947 event today we'd de rightly fucked. Every generation is getting more feeble and less able to handle the cold. People in the 40's 60's and 80's weren't wandering around their homes half naked in the middle of the winter with the heat turned up full like today. We just cant tough it anymore.

[@dendog13]

Bunch of snowflakes 😅

[@guitarman813]

This weather happened on my 18th birthday. Remember it like yesterday. It was insane.

[@johnramos4715]

That was a good year for snow