This month Barry Cuff has chosen two postcards with a suitably wintery feel – Sherbornians skating on the frozen lake in 1907, and the frozen Stour in 1963.
Sent in February 1907 to a Mr P Hodges in Highcliffe – which was still within Hampshire, of course.
Winter 1907 was marked by extreme weather conditions in Britain, including heavy snow and frozen canals. The country’s coal supply was threatened, and the authorities used gas turbines to clear snow from railway lines.
‘Dear P. Thanks for card. Hope you will like this one, it is the lake the week it was frozen over. We had some good skating, hundreds of people up there. Tell Arthur I will send him a card later, this is the only one I have by me now. Hope you are all keeping well, kind regards, H’
This postcard was sent in October, 1963 to a Mrs J Clark in Christchurch. The early snow must have caused consternation among Dorset residents, with the deadly freeze of the previous 1962-63 winter still fresh in their memories – a blizzard in December 1962 started a frozen spell which lasted until March, with many rural communities cut off by snow drifts.
‘Don’t expect us this week – Don has a cold. Hope you are well. Driving not too bad!! So hope for best next Friday. Colder today but hope we don’t have it like this on the front later. Love Betty & Don’
