[Misc] BBC programme about the 1963 freeze

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I was 6 years' old and we had just moved to deepest South Woodingdean (Foxdown Road). We were cut off. My over riding memory is that my mum made me walk to Rottingdean to buy a loaf whilst she stayed in the warm house. The snow drifts along Falmer Road were twice as tall as me. I think mum was trying to kill me. It was good fun sledging down the hill behind the houses in Cowley Drive though.

We’ve some good photos of the snowdrifts on the Falmer Road. I’ll dig some out.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Was that the year when the flame on Uncle Albert's lighter froze.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Was that the year when the flame on Uncle Albert's lighter froze.

No, that was "during the war".

 

[Reinelt 62]

There are 3 classic photos of the Goldstone taken during the Big Freeze available online if you go looking for them.

I could post them here but, having been out of the regular NSC loop for many years, I am uncertain of the copyright issue. Bozza?

The corporation melting machine was used to clear the pitch for the first game after the snow fell, which was against Palarse on 12 January 1963, not Halifax, btw.

Much to my disgust I was not allowed to go to that game...

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

We’ve some good photos of the snowdrifts on the Falmer Road. I’ll dig some out.

Dig some out, very good.
And when you do I will plough through them.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We had a coal fire so when we got coal, lit the fire, the ashes next morning were thrown on side roads, as there were no gritters available.

 

[Bodian]

We had a coal fire so when we got coal, lit the fire, the ashes next morning were thrown on side roads, as there were no gritters available.

We used to do that in Wales in the late 1980s - but it made a right old mess when it thawed.

 

[HAILSHAM SEAGULL]

I was 8 year old and lived at Sandhurst Ave, Woodingdean, memory says we were cut off for 5 days, luckily we backed onto the Sunblest, so we got fresh bread easily.
We used to trek up to the top of Sandhurst, to Langley Crescent, then sledged non stop the whole length of Sandhurst until we hit the snow drift at Warren Way.
Great memories.
Then 68, we we cut off again.

 

[sams dad]

I stand corrected. I should have known that as I was at the Palace game.
I was 10 years old, and didn’t have a clue where Crystal Palace was.

 

[Wardy's twin]

We’ve some good photos of the snowdrifts on the Falmer Road. I’ll dig some out.

I was trying to find some on the web as have seen some before and its unbelievable.

 

[Barrow Boy]

I was 10 and my older brother Pete, who was 15, had made me a sledge in woodwork class at school for Christmas, we made good use of it that year, but it was bloody cold. Used to go out for an hour till we couldn't feel our fingers, then back indoors to thaw out, and then back out for another session, happy days. Sadly my brother died in 2001, but what a lovely big brother he was to me, so many happy memories, thanks Pete and RIP mate.

 

[Wardy's twin]

For those who have not seen the programme I would recommend it.

It's a very old documentary which is then wrapped around by start and finish by Chris Packham talking about the impact on wildlife and focussing on the decline of the wild bird population which in some cases lost 50% of its numbers butthat they recovered in over the next 5 years. What he doesn't say is that some of those species numbers are now as low (if not lower) than they were after that winter...

 

[Pondicherry]

Forget the Thames!! The sea frze on the Kent coast.

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-frozen-sea-at-herne-bay-in-1963-1963-online

 

[vegster]

Forget the Thames!! The sea frze on the Kent coast.

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-frozen-sea-at-herne-bay-in-1963-1963-online

My old man told me that the pools of seawater at the ends of the groynes at low tide froze in Worthing too.. I was 2 1/2 years old so I have no recollection.

 

[Denis]

I was living in Northolt during that winter, I remember going sledging down Horsenden Hill with my Dad and brother. We went down so fast, probably the weight of us all, that we crashed through a wooden fence at the bottom. I still have the scar on my knee!

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I had a couple of photos in a football book that were of the Christmas match at the Goldstone - one was of the crowd in the Chicken Run with an oil fired heater, the other was of the players in the north penalty area on a completely snow covered pitch. One of the only games played in the country that day.
I lived near the West Pier at the time and it was absolutely covered in ice and snow and, other than a holiday in Yorkshire the previous winter, I can’t remember it being so cold.

 

[Weststander]

The A259 at East Dean.


Goldstone Ground on 12 January 1963 v Palace.


Rottingdean looking towards Roedean.

 

[Surf's Up]

We lived in Burwash at the bottom of a steep narrow lane across the fields from Batemans. We were completely snowed in - 8 foot drifts down our lane and the road between the Weald and Burwash closed. Bloody freezing.

 

[marlowe]

My mother was a nurse and looked after a man whose mother had died during the big freeze.

The man was probably in his late forties at the time but still lived at home with his mother as he was totally dependent on her. I think his mother had nurtured his dependency by being overly protective towards him as he grew up.

When his mother died in the house during the big freeze he didn't tell anyone, he just sat next to her body in a freezing cold house with no heating and without feeding himself. After a few days the milkman realised there was something wrong as the milk wasnt being collected. The milkman got a ladder and looked through the upstairs window and saw the man sitting next to his mother's corpse. He'd been like that for a few days and caught frostbite and had to have all his toes amputated.

If the milkman hadn't noticed something was wrong the man would probably have just sat there and frozen to death.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

I had a couple of photos in a football book that were of the Christmas match at the Goldstone - one was of the crowd in the Chicken Run with an oil fired heater, the other was of the players in the north penalty area on a completely snow covered pitch. One of the only games played in the country that day.
I lived near the West Pier at the time and it was absolutely covered in ice and snow and, other than a holiday in Yorkshire the previous winter, I can’t remember it being so cold.

Found it!