Memorable Snowy Winters in Leeds

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 12:36 pm

I missed the recent snowfall which caused traffic chaos in the Uk ( fortunately I was abroad at the time). The stories got me thinking about particularly cold and snowy winters of my youth in Leeds in the 50’s & 60s.Does anyone have any photos taken of snowy winters in Leeds in the 50s & 60’s?I found a couple of Roundhay park in 1958 – it would be great to see some more of people enjoying the winter:- http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... PLAY=FULLI remember very well the winter of ’63 when the snow lasted from Xmas to March. The ice slide in the school yard grew longer and longer as the time went on until it stretched about 30 ft . A motorist stuck on a small rise in Bramley asked us to help shift his car and paid us half a crown each.( an unbelievable sum in those days). I was also ticked off by a bobby for “discharging a missile” ie a snowball , across Stanningly Road. Despite the weather I don’t remember the school being closed for more than a day and the buses must have been running because I used the bus to get to school.The first time I ever saw anyone skiing was in the winter of 58/59 when I watched students skiing down a steep embankment at the back of Becketts Park college which could be seen from Spen Lane.There were some memorably snowy winters when I was younger in the mid 50’s. In one 53 or 54 maybe the kids in the street, with some help from dads, built a large igloo in our street. I remember it had a long entrance tunnel with a couple of sacks for a door and was lit by candles inside. This igloo lasted for a couple of weeks. I also remember being taken to Roundhay Park and seeing hundreds of people sledging down the hill there and others ice skating on the small lake. At the earliest opportunity after a snowfall in the 50’s it was customary for us kids to clear the pavement outside our houses, with shovels, and sprinkle some salt on thepath. As soon as we had cleared our own stretch of pavement we had to do the same for any old ladies in the street. By the end of this work I usually had sopping wet mittens and cold hands. We usually did this for no reward but if we were lucky might be rewarded with sweets or a threepenny bit. I expect that this snow clearing pavements for old ladies is something you don’t see any more.

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 12:47 pm

Another snow scene from Feb 1956 of a Leeds tram at Roundhay Park.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... Y=FULLThis prompts me to ask how reliable were trams in the snow and ice. Was the service disrupted by winter weather? Did they suffer from frozen points and the wrong type of snow?

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 1:03 pm

he he he That's my comment on the first pic!

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 1:31 pm

I don't really remember the 63 winter as I was only 5 But i do remember all the other winters from the late 60's to the mid 70's. Sledging down Gotts Park golf course towards Ben' Gott school, the course keeper would have a fit nowadays if that happened. And the snow always seemed to be very very deep, not like the sprinkling we have now.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 1:52 pm

Chrism wrote: he he he That's my comment So it does and it also includes an un-editable email address for you if you are bothered about it being public. I will edit this according to how you edit your post.

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 1:59 pm

Chrism wrote: he he he That's my comment on the first pic! Wow chris you posted that comment on the 13th of jan so god must have heard you and obliged with the snow we had three weeks ago lol

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 2:20 pm

Chrism wrote: Sledging down Gotts Park golf course towards Ben' Gott school, the course keeper would have a fit nowadays if that happened. Still happens.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 3:43 pm

tyke bhoy wrote: Chrism wrote: he he he That's my comment So it does and it also includes an un-editable email address for you if you are bothered about it being public. I will edit this according to how you edit your post. Nah, I ain't bothered. What can peeps do with my email addy?*Strokes chin wondering*

blackprince · Post by **blackprince** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 6:00 pm

Chrism wrote: I don't really remember the 63 winter as I was only 5 But i do remember all the other winters from the late 60's to the mid 70's. Sledging down Gotts Park golf course towards Ben' Gott school, the course keeper would have a fit nowadays if that happened. And the snow always seemed to be very very deep, not like the sprinkling we have now. Some of my best sledging ever for me was in the mid 60's on the hill at the top end of Bramley park. But Ive never seen as many people sledging in one place as at Roundhay park in the mid 50's. Some of the sledges were very elaborate jobs probably dating from the 30's - almost 2 man bob sleighs.

Leeds-lad · Post by **Leeds-lad** » Tue 24 Feb, 2009 10:21 pm

Can anyone name the 2 worst winters?