In article ,
Philip Eden writes:

"John Hall" wrote in message
...

There was one day in early March, 1966 when, following heavy overnight
snow, I was unable to get to school (which was 8 miles from my home),
but I believe that the school was open.
--
I hate to correct you, John,

Force yourself.

but I think you mean 1965 (4th March, just
like five years later).

I thought that I was in the Lower Sixth at the time, which would have
made it 1966, but I suppose that I was actually in the Fifth.

Likewise, we never missed a day at Luton Grammar School in 1962-63,
although the thermometer in music room, a rooftop addendum and
therefore subject to dodgy radiators, showed just 37ºF in the freezing
fog of Jan 23/24, and we sat there wrapped up in coats, gloves and
scarves singing hymns. These days, of course, Health and Safety
wouldn't allow it ... not to mention the teachers' unions.

Going back a little further, to my primary school days, I remember
several occasions - I suspect in February 1956 - when we found ice in
the top of our bottles of free milk when we drank them at mid-morning
break.
--
John Hall

"The covers of this book are too far apart."
Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914)

In message , Martin Rowley
writes


In 1963, we (secondary school) didn't miss a day either, but that was
only because all the toilets were indoors. At the primary school that I
had attended, it was shut for several days because after the Christmas
shut-down, all the toilets (mainly outside) were iced up!

Martin.

I spent that winter working at the Met Office at Prestwick Airport,
commuting 30 miles each way by motorbike from Largs. Despite the mayhem
further south, there was almost no snow at all during that winter in
central and north Ayrshire. What we did have was a lot of black ice on
the roads and they were not normally gritted. I had a few hairy trips to
and from work but I came off the bike only once.

Norman.
(delete "thisbit" twice to reply)
--
Norman Lynagh Weather Consultancy
Chalfont St Giles
England

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 10:52:42 +0000, John Hall wrote:

... we sat there wrapped up in coats, gloves and scarves singing
hymns. These days, of course, Health and Safety wouldn't allow it

I have recollection of similar events and I didn't start school until
'64/'65. Also remember being out in the playground when ever it wasn't
actually raining for playtime and lunch. Like you say doesn't happen
now. On the HSE side I wonder if anyone has done any stats on injuries
sustained by children when the schools are closed due to bad weather
or WHY... I wouldn't be at all surprised for it to be "safer" to have
the kids in a cold school than roaming the streets or at home.

when we found ice in the top of our bottles of free milk when we
drank them at mid-morning break.

Many a time for me, but of course the Milk would have been stood
outside for a few hours. The classrooms weren't *that* cold. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

In article ,
Dave Liquorice writes:
On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 10:52:42 +0000, John Hall wrote:

... we sat there wrapped up in coats, gloves and scarves singing
hymns. These days, of course, Health and Safety wouldn't allow it

It wasn't me who said that bit, but you seem to have lost the
attribution line of the original poster.

I have recollection of similar events and I didn't start school until
'64/'65. Also remember being out in the playground when ever it wasn't
actually raining for playtime and lunch. Like you say doesn't happen
now. On the HSE side I wonder if anyone has done any stats on injuries
sustained by children when the schools are closed due to bad weather
or WHY... I wouldn't be at all surprised for it to be "safer" to have
the kids in a cold school than roaming the streets or at home.

I suspect that you're right, especially when in many cases both parents
will be out to work.

when we found ice in the top of our bottles of free milk when we
drank them at mid-morning break.

Many a time for me, but of course the Milk would have been stood
outside for a few hours. The classrooms weren't *that* cold. B-)

Yep, same here (I did write the bit about the milk).
--
John Hall
"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick
themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."
Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Only missed 2 days school to snow... Feb 1978 in Somerset. Still only
since seen snow like that in Norway.

Richard Webb

Philip Eden wrote:

"John Hall" wrote in message
...

There was one day in early March, 1966 when, following heavy overnight
snow, I was unable to get to school (which was 8 miles from my home),
but I believe that the school was open.
--

I hate to correct you, John, but I think you mean 1965 (4th March, just
like five years later).

Likewise, we never missed a day at Luton Grammar School in 1962-63,
although the thermometer in music room, a rooftop addendum and
therefore subject to dodgy radiators, showed just 37ºF in the freezing
fog of Jan 23/24, and we sat there wrapped up in coats, gloves and
scarves singing hymns. These days, of course, Health and Safety
wouldn't allow it ... not to mention the teachers' unions.

I remember being freezing cold after the heating broke down one winter
in primary school in the 1980s. We were just told to wrap up in coats
until they got a gas fire to put in the middle of the room.

I also only remember the school being closed once back in the Great
Snowfall of 1986 but then I wasn't at school that week as I had chicken
pox. The other Great Snowfall of my life was in 1991-ish but I think
that was on a Saturday and had cleared enough by the Monday to not close
the school.

Other than then the school was always open and apart from a couple of
teachers (who came from Derbyshire) we all managed to get there - even
when there was an inch of freezing rain one time which made it difficult
to get up the hill.

This probably seems quite trivial to some, but then I'm only 23.

Jonathan