Owen recalls the local impact of one of the coldest winters on record
Hello Ole Partners,
There are a few things you can do in your garden, in the dark and often wet month of February, as we eagerly wait for the Spring to arrive.
Deadhead winter pansies so seed doesn’t set. This will encourage a flush of new flowers as the weather warms up
Give your garden tools the once over – clean, oil, repair as needed so they are ready for the coming season. Check terracotta pots for frost damage
If the ground isn’t frozen dig up perennial weeds now so you have a head start on the little blighters!
You can start preparing your veg plots – remove any old season plant debris, fork over, start working in some manure
Chit your early potatoes. Stand the seed potatoes on end in an egg box and place them in a bright, cool, frost-free place so they grow shoots in readiness to plant
Houseplants: don’t overwater them. This time of year they need very little. Every 3-4 weeks should be enough – check the soil for moistness first.
Last time I told you about the extreme snows of 1947. This month I’ve decided to tell you about the equally harsh Big Freeze, as it became known, of 1963. The little bit of snow we had this January doesn’t even come close to matching what those winters were like. Even the ‘Beast from the East’ in 2018 cannot be compared.
The Winter started as normal but snowfalls suddenly increased just after Christmas 1962 until many deep drifts formed, blocking roads. Blizzards driven by easterly gale force winds continued throughout January and February. Fortunately, most of the big builders and contractors possessed mechanical diggers by now. Those were brought out and one man on a digger achieved what a small army of men took to do in 1947. Someone in Bunwell had the bright idea of fixing a large bulldozer blade at an angle to the front of a heavy lorry. This drove round as an improvised snow plough to keep the bus routes open. Many farmers brought out by now redundant horse drawn snow ploughs and attached them to their tractors so they could be used to keep roads and tracks open.
The temperature dropped to well below 0° and it became difficult to move around outside. Rivers froze over again and if I recall correctly somewhere near Thetford recorded the lowest Norfolk temperature of -19°C or -20°C in late January. People were skating on rivers like the Waveney and Oulton Broad and I remember reading in the paper that someone had driven a car across the Thames! I think this was one of the coldest winters on record. Previously unheard of, the water supply from the mains to many Bunwell houses (and in other villages) froze up underground! Fortunately, my supply remained unaffected and I was able to give friends and neighbours much needed fresh water. The Water Board were quick to act and tankers came to the affected areas.
It was impossible to dry washing outside. Anything hung up outside quickly looked as if it was made of cast iron. No tumble dryers then and we had no central heating either, just coal fires and a Rayburn in the kitchen. My wife Sheila was not happy at having to dry every thing indoors on a line in the kitchen and I had a fair bit of moaning to put up with! My then 3 year old daughter Annette enjoyed playing outside in the first heavy snows she had experienced though and can remember walking to the village shop with Sheila past deep drifts of snow piled up at the sides of the road.
I was the shepherd at Shrubbery Farm in Carleton Rode with a large flock of sheep to care for. I well remember the haste I made to get new born lambs under cover before they froze to death. We lost a fair few ewes that year and several lambs had to be hand reared to keep them alive after their mothers died.
Wildlife suffered badly that year. Rabbits were forced to eat shoots from hedges protruding above deep snow drifts. Wild birds fared a little better by nicking the food gamekeepers put out for their pheasants and partridges. Sadly, though, many birds and animals died in the sub zero temperatures.
When the thaw came, in early March, it set in slowly. With a few exceptions the melt waters drained away safely and we were spared the floods of ’47. The summer, unlike in ’47, proceeded with mainly fair weather which meant corn crops stood and the harvest proceeded in the normal manner.
With this here climate change and global warming going on you youngsters may not see winters like those I remember, though flooding does seem to be an increasing problem. Perhaps you all need to keep a canoe in your garages, just in case.
Until next time, moined ‘ow yer go.
Owen
First published in the Wymondham Magazine, February 2021
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