The recent snow and cold weather reminded residents at Langford View of the big freeze which took place across the UK in the winter of 1962/3. It was one of the coldest winters on record, when temperatures plummetted and lakes and rivers froze over.

Residents and team members at the home have been reminiscing about that dramatic time, along with other hard winters. Doreen remembered her younger days, walking to school a mile from her home. The school was never closed for a ‘snow day’. She said: “It was freezing but we had to do it, sometimes we had to walk home for lunch and then back to school for the afternoon.”

Other memories included:

• Having to collect wood and fuel all year round when there were no switches on the wall to turn the heating on.
• Windows would freeze on the inside of the house.
• Without tumble dryers or radiators clothes would be put outside and hold their shape as they froze solid.
• Families would grow food in their gardens. They planned ahead for seasonal crops and there were no big supermarkets to supply milk or fresh veg.
• House pipes were wrapped with cloth to prevent them freezing.

• Families made sledges out of anything they could find, whatever would slide well.
• Residents remembers going out in the snow and staying for hours, as well as skating on rivers.

Langford View Activities Coordinator, Beverly Cotton, said: “Our residents had many stories to tell, it was fun listening to them and hearing how they coped with the bad winters without all the mod cons we have today.

“Next time you switch on your heating with the flick of a switch, think back to how your mum, dad and grandparents might have spent their time keeping warm during the winter.”