Ice on Windermere (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Ice on Windermere

2:43pm Thursday 30th June 2011 in Nostalgia

WHITEOUT: The scene in Kendal town centre in May, 1967

COMPARED with the severe weather we have endured over the past two winters, when the snow and ice made life difficult for many people, these photographs are not very impressive – other than that they were taken in May 1967.

There are few photos in the Percy Wood collection of 1962-3, which was much more severe and lasted for longer than the last two winters.

Vehicles were stranded in snow for weeks, and a snowman built on Christmas Day lasted until March.

The ice on Windermere was so thick, it was strong enough to bear the weight of vehicles and only the ferry route across the lake was kept open.

Many people will remember how this, the only open water for miles around, was filled with water birds of all kinds.

Those were the days before central heating and tumble dryers were in every home, and drying the washing became a nightmare, when it was frozen even before being pegged out on the line.

There was an old wives tale that a nappy that had been frozen should never go near a baby’s bottom, or it would bring on nappy rash.

A real problem in the days before disposable nappies.

Does any reader have photos or memories of the winters of 1962-3 and 1947?