The deep freeze

It's worse than I can remember for many years. I hope your plants survive.

This morning they said it was 13 years dorjac, since it was so bad. I do remember very well the winter of 1963 when frozen ruts of icy snow stayed on the ground for almost 3 months. My two younger children were just under two and four and a bit. Taking the older 3 to school I used to put the younger ones into our big pram with hotwater bottles and push the pram with great difficulty. They were lovely warm and cosy. We had an old banger but I didn't drive then, like all the other mums at that time. So lets hope it doesn't last that long!
I love your photos, specially the blackbird and the fluffed-up robin.

i dont remember a cold spell as long as this,all your plants lovely & cosy :o)

So do I Hywell as I have no room for a greenhouse. It took us ages to clear the car windscreen to go out yesterday evening. It froze up again as soon as it was sprayed and scraped!

I remember the 1963 cold spell which lasted months and then another in the late 70s. This is certainly longer and harder than anything we've had since we moved to this village in 83.

Now it isn't a question of 'I wonder what we have lost' but 'I wonder how much is surviving' The rhodos should make it as should the other big established shrubs but I have concerns for the bulbs if they themselves actually freeze as the flower spike etc will be damaged, as to smaller stuff I'm just crossing my fingers.

The other thing about this cold spell is how early it has started, and there's still a long way to go.

Yes, it's a bit of a shock to us down here in Essex. We hardly ever have more than a few cold days but it's certainly different this year!

being on the positive just think of all the overwintering pests the cold will kill.

I remember the winter of '63 well too - the previous November 5th a thrown banger landed in my wellington boot and I had a severe burn on my heel so had to go to school for the rest of the winter in backless sandals. Talk about COLD!!!!!!!!!!

Ouch Wagger!

Yes, I remember 63, I had just started school and the snow had drifted in some parts so it was above my Wellies!

i do too and i remember standing at the bus stop, aged 5, next to a young woman in a very short mini skirt, thinking 'why did her mummy let her go out dressed like that?' we had 2ft of snow on the seafront and it was deeper the further you went into town.

I seem to remember sunderland council insisting the house occupier had to clear a path through the pavements across the frontage. if you didnt a council employee would knock and ask if you were having problems doing it. we had an elderly near neighbour who hadnt. when she told my mum she got my older brothers to do it for her. and you had to put the snow on the pavement edge not on the road.

I thought I had replied to you yesterday Mad but I didn't push the submit button. I saw a picture of a lady yesterday struggling with a buggy with tiny wheels in the snow. At least in our day the wheels were routinely larger. There is a discussion going on about path clearing. Very few do it these days. I noticed the salt had all but gone when I was shopping, so someone must be using it for something. They salted the car park where I shop. Wonder if it makes it any easier to push those trolleys back to the car? How things have changed since 1963. We had no north sea gas. No one had central heating. Attics were not insulated. Few telephones. A lot less cars. No fleeces, horticultural or for clothing. Someone did say she bought a de luxe electric blanket after her boiler broke down

SBG cleaning the footpath in front of your house was expected of all residents, shop keepers etc. If you didn't the council reminded you it was your duty. We had a coal fire and the ashes got sprinkled on the path to help keep it clear. Now it would seem everyone excepts the council to do all the clearing and complain when they don't. We have no footpath in our village just a rather narrow road. When the plough goes through the snow is pushed to either side of the road and is now several feet deep. Mr MB clears our paths front and back to the road but few others seem to.

Well, the white stuff has finally reached the SW of England - we had a heavy-ish fall in the night and it's snowing heavily now, too. Two appointments cancelled just now - the lanes are impassable. Snowploughs don't come anywhere near us. The farm tractors are the only vehicles moving.

Oh well - just have to get on with it, don't we? No choice, really!

I'm glad your plants are cosily tucked up, Dorjac. :-))

Thanks Spritz. It started snowing here at about 11.30 last night. I got a short movie of it with no wheel or footmarks showing at all and swirling down past the streetlight. These digital camera movies are really good. It is still snowing at 11.30am but it's not very deep.

Apparently some people are stealing grit/salt from Council bins for their own driveways. How selfish. We always used to clear our own driveway and the path outside as Moongrower said. Apparently in Germany, Holland etc., it is legally binding that residents are responsible for cleaning and clearing outside their own properties, and for disabled people, neighbours do it. As soon as anything like that is mentioned in this country, people/papers start complaining of 'big government/nanny state' etc. However as people cannot be relied on to be good citizens, then maybe the law should step in.