After many weeks of milder-than-normal weather, winter is finally arriving in Britain.
Across the nation, temperatures have dropped and snow has caused chaos.
But, whatever happens, it is doubtful that there will be a repeat of the Big Freeze of 1963 when Britons weathered the most brutal winter in living memory.
In what was the coldest winter for 200 years, even the Thames froze over in places – evoking memories of frost fairs that were held on the river in previous centuries.
During unusually cold weather that began on Boxing Day in 1962 and persisted until March, snow was non-stop in numerous areas, to the point where telephone wires were weighed down until they touched the ground.
Temperatures were an average of -2C (28F) for more than two months, whilst in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, they dropped as low as -22C (-7.6F).
Numerous schools were also closed. Power cuts hit thousands of homes, and football matches stopped for months.
The United States and the Soviet Union were on the verge of a full-scale nuclear conflict at the time, and Britain had just recovered from the horrific Cuban Missile Crisis.
At the time, the Beatles were a little-known Liverpool band that still made their living by touring northern ballrooms, but many were unable to attend their shows due to the persistent snowfall.
When two trains collided in a snowdrift on the first day of the Big Freeze, the dangers of winter were brought home to everyone.
The Mid-Day Scot crashed into the Liverpool to Birmingham Express on Boxing Day in 1962, leaving 18 people dead.
Among those who perished were young children aged between two and 12.
January of 1963 was the coldest month since 1814.
The following month, a massive snowstorm struck Northern Ireland, south-west England and Wales.
About 5ft of snow descended in Tredegar in Monmouthshire.
In Leigh-on-Sea, in Essex, the sea froze and dozens of lakes and rivers received a cover of ice.
Mini icebergs even formed in the River Mersey, blocking vessels as they sailed towards the Irish Sea, and a few birds were stuck in the ice as the Solent iced over.
The Daily Mail sent a helicopter – after the RAF’s own aircraft had been beaten back by the bad weather – to drop food for 33 orphans living at a Church of England care home in the village of East Knoyle, Wiltshire.
It was also a terrible period for animals. Farmers were unable to reach their cattle in certain fields due to the heavy snow, causing the animals to starve to death.
People who encountered freezing winters back in the day, talk about small coal fires and ice on the inside of the windows. Most didn’t have warm garments that are available now and went to bed freezing. The milk that the milkman delivered was so cold the milk would expand and stick out above the glass bottles.
Winter garments were Wellington boots, trousers, cotton vests, a school shirt, a wool jumper and a duffle coat. No trendy apparel because it hadn’t been invented yet. Leather boots were out of most people’s price range and sash windows were extremely drafty so people would fill the gaps with newspaper. Most toilets were outdoors and freezing on the derriere.
The clothes were warm because the materials that they were made out of were mainly man-made and people wore layers and no one went out without a coat, hat and gloves just because it was fashionable!
People had layers of blankets on their beds because it was freezing, and children of larger families slept together to transfer the heat to each other.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 