Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Harte
Back in the old days, the one of the worst years for snow for us in North London would be 1967 or 68.
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I recall around that time returning home one night - a 2 hour run usually - when the snow started half way back and getting within about 10 miles of the destination near Epping we ground to a halt due to traffic struggling in a long gentle hill somewhere. The falling snow was turning to ice almost immediately.
There was an artic half way along. Trying sacks under the wheels and other things but just could not get enough traction. Eventually, with about 5 or 6 people pushing the trailer and the sacks and some grit and persuading the driver to use a higher gear, he got just enough forward momentum to move a few feet to where there was at least some grip and off he went.
The car that had been stuck behind him insisted on using about 4000 revs in 1st gear to attempt to move. Although it was a few years before I could take my test I was able to persuade them to try third and low revs and they too got going.
I think we were next up. No problem as my Father had stopped to assist the others before the slope started to get properly steep. And he knew what he was doing.
For the 62/63 winter we were living in Germany.
I remember playing football in what seemed to be about 8 inches of snow. The school had a huge grassy play area on a slight slope that was perfect for sleds. Most kids had traditional wooden ones with metal runners The play area became sheet ice and stayed that way for weeks. Great fun seeing how fast one could go to jump the concrete drainage channel at the bottom of the slope and get as far as possible up the slight slope on the other side. No health and safety to worry about.
More recently I think it was 2011 (?) when there was a cold snap in November that lasted a while. Snow turned to ice and lasted 2 or 3 weeks in many places. Then returned over the New Year as I recall.
Youngest daughter was living in London at the time, came out of her house to walk to the bus stop and promptly slipped on the sheet ice covering the road, cracking her head and ending up in Hospital. We drove down to see how things were progressing and I recall many side roads in London with plenty of piled up snow.
In anticipation of future ice events I bought some trainers with "special" soles that were supposed to extended grippy bits of rubber when ice cold. Mainly I wanted to persuade said daughter that, whilst not high fashion, something similar might be very sensible for her to consider.
The package arrived and as we still had a sheet of ice on the road outside the house I went for a test run. They were brilliant. I could indeed run on the ice (in so far as I could run at all in any situation!)
Didn't need to go anywhere the next day. The day after that the ice melted.
Other than to see if they still fit (brief indoor check) I have not worn them since. So far, as of my last check a few weeks ago, the special rubber does not seem to have perished. I would imagine it would last no more than a few hours if worn on regular weather days and I doubt driving when wearing them would be a good idea.
Oh well, it seemed like a sensible idea with valid reasons behind the logic of buying them at the time ...
In the mid to late 80s some friends with a daughter the same age as ours (eldest) at the time invited us round for Xmas day drinks. Seemed like a good way to break up the day and entertain the kids. Lovely weather for the walk. Positively Spring like. High 50's in the Fahrenheit scale if memory serves.
Funny stuff, weather.