"Nick G" wrote in message
...
Being only 9 years old at the time, the winter of 81/82 was my first taste
of 'real' snow, it was amazing as all the snowfalls experienced before
amounted to nothing more than a slight dusting.

Was the 14th of January a Saturday? If so, I think I remember that day
very well, it was sunny with a cloudless sky but bitterly cold. The next
day warnings were issued on the television (just before Space 1999) for
people to stay indoors as severe weather was expected, that Sunday
afternoon I remember a complete whiteout as strong winds and blizzards set
in. That evening it started to thaw and the next day there was snow, slush
& water everywhere.

Nick, I think you're remembering Saturday 12th December 1981. The
day before the blizzard the Queen got stuck in and had to spend the
night in a pub in the Cotswolds. That snowstorm was followed by a
thaw, but the January blizzard (8th-10th) was followed by an intensification
of the cold. Memories are right buggers, aren't they?

Philip Eden