A London bus struggles through the snow during the infamous winter of 1962/3. This particular winter set in on Boxing Day 1962 with the last of the snow not melting until March 1963.
Once this photo had been published on The Underground Map Facebook page, the following comments were received:
Chris Gray: My favourite winter. School was closed for many weeks since the busses couldn’t climb the hill. 3,000 children on holidays from that one school alone. Built igloos at home. Magnificent toboggan runs. So little traffic. Bliss. Central heating had been installed that November. Walk a few miles to the shops for meat/dairy/bread.
Karen Jonason: I had to walk to school from West Hampstead to Camden Road that Winter. I remember that by the time I arrived, it was almost time to walk back.
Steve Hunnisett: This isn’t 1963. The bus hasn’t been fitted with indicator ‘ears’ which had all been fitted by late 1960/early 1961, so this picture predates that.
Steve Smith: remember it ,pipes frozen,collecting water from a standpipe in the street,all sport frozen off until march,still went to school though,luckily (lol),it was only a few minutes away,happy days!
Chris Jones: No central heating, no home insulation, frozen pipes but school never cancelled no matter how bad it got.
Yvonne Prior: We were able to walk on the frozen English Channel that year!
Beryl Edwards: There were people skiing on Hampstead Heath and down the high street
Carol Raven: I remember the chilblains vividly from walking to school in the frozen ice for three months!