Just been to see my dad (he's 70 and i'm 40) and we were talking about how strange that over the past 12 years there has been so little snow! My daughter is 12 on Saturday and she has never seen 'proper' snow. The last time i remember a good snowfall was when my wife was heavily pregnant with her which was early January 1997! He then got onto telling me about the snowfall of 1947, he was saying that there was so much snow where he lived (Longley Ave West, Shirecliffe) that some of the piled up stuff didn't eventually disappear until early June!! Then they had a scorching summer! He also mentioned walking 5 miles home from work (near Shalesmoor) in the late 70's because of snow! Kids today would find that very hard to believe! Shame really, they are definately missing out! :(

A few others remember the bad winters;
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=167509&page=4&highlight=snow+winters

A few others remember the bad winters;
http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=167509&page=4&highlight=snow+winters

Thanks for that CHAIRBOY!
Up the owls! :thumbsup:

I'll take you up on the football aside. There was no undersoil heating 30 years or so back and coinciding with the bad winters, the Pools' Panel was in action about four weeks running, one winter. Those who could play often had to level the snow off and paint the lines blue, with sand spread around the goal mouths. 1979 was a bad winter and that was the year Wednesday played five FA Cup matches against Arsenal. I remember the first one at Hillsborough (Jan 6 '79) and that 1-1 draw was played out on an icy pitch.
You often had clubs putting braziers on the pitch, ahead of games, to thaw the ice or snow and often the game would be called off on the Friday by a local referee - with a thumbs-down for the photo in the Morning Telegraph.
At Hillsborough, there was always a shadow of about ten yards in from the South Stand that never saw any sun, thus the ground was often bone-hard. Bearing in mind the old leather boots and hard toe-caps players wore, I often heard tails from my late dad, of his toenails going purple before the nails eventually came off - painful!
Health and Safety was unheard of and if the pitch was playable, the match went ahead.
1979 was made worse because that year there was a gritters' strike and with the roads so bad, tankers couldn't get up hills to deliver oil to schools and as there was no central heating or the boiler was broken (something High Storrs School was renowned for) the schools were closed!

In case you've forgotten what it look like, there's some photos from 1984 with the Heeley / Meersbrook area under the snow here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allezredstar/)

In case you've forgotten what it look like, there's some photos from 1984 with the Heeley / Meersbrook area under the snow here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/allezredstar/)

That top left photo is of Norton Lees Lane, taken from (I would guess) the junction with Norton Lees Road.....

'62/63 was a good 'un.....

I'll take you up on the football aside. There was no undersoil heating 30 years or so back and coinciding with the bad winters, the Pools' Panel was in action about four weeks running, one winter. Those who could play often had to level the snow off and paint the lines blue, with sand spread around the goal mouths. 1979 was a bad winter and that was the year Wednesday played five FA Cup matches against Arsenal. I remember the first one at Hillsborough (Jan 6 '79) and that 1-1 draw was played out on an icy pitch.
You often had clubs putting braziers on the pitch, ahead of games, to thaw the ice or snow and often the game would be called off on the Friday by a local referee - with a thumbs-down for the photo in the Morning Telegraph.
At Hillsborough, there was always a shadow of about ten yards in from the South Stand that never saw any sun, thus the ground was often bone-hard. Bearing in mind the old leather boots and hard toe-caps players wore, I often heard tails from my late dad, of his toenails going purple before the nails eventually came off - painful!
Health and Safety was unheard of and if the pitch was playable, the match went ahead.
1979 was made worse because that year there was a gritters' strike and with the roads so bad, tankers couldn't get up hills to deliver oil to schools and as there was no central heating or the boiler was broken (something High Storrs School was renowned for) the schools were closed!

I was at that Arsenal match! i was 10 at the time, and having a team like Arsenal down at Hillsborough was a massive occasion then! I remember Alan Sunderland putting Arsenal in front, then about a minute after the restart Jeff Johnson scored with a header, and who can forget Jack Charlton getting pelted with snowballs as he tried to stop the kop throwing them at Pat Jennings! Then obviously there was the replays, i went to the 2-2 at Filbert Street, i think my dad went to all of them! and Arsenal went on to win the cup 3-2 against Man United! happy days!!! :thumbsup:

That top left photo is of Norton Lees Lane, taken from (I would guess) the junction with Norton Lees Road.....

Not been up there for twenty years.... has it changed much ? Do the 34/38/39 busses still struggle up the hill ?

I was at that Arsenal match! i was 10 at the time, and having a team like Arsenal down at Hillsborough was a massive occasion then! I remember Alan Sunderland putting Arsenal in front, then about a minute after the restart Jeff Johnson scored with a header, and who can forget Jack Charlton getting pelted with snowballs as he tried to stop the kop throwing them at Pat Jennings! Then obviously there was the replays, i went to the 2-2 at Filbert Street, i think my dad went to all of them! and Arsenal went on to win the cup 3-2 against Man United! happy days!!! :thumbsup:

SNOW - halting football. I think it was 68/69, I went to a league game at Highbury against Wednesday which was abandoned because of falling snow.
Arsenal were winning 1-0 when the game was abandoned just after half-time.
Strenuous efforts had been made at the interval to clear the lines but more came down on the resumption and that was that! Arsenal won the game when the match was eventually played.
I recall a game at Hillsborough against Southampton which was abandoned because of snow. The referee disappeared down the tunnel and YTV commentator, Danny Blanchflower, said: "Perhaps the referee has gone to get a pair of skis", which sounded great in his Ulster tongue. Danny's words could probably put a year (date) to it?

I know in 1947 my dad nearly got arrested for picking up bits of coal on the railway embankment to keep his family warm. Thank goodness for a police sergeant with a bit of compassion, he let my dad off with a warning.
One thing I'd like to know, I was born in August 1947, was it the following winter 1947-8 that was so bad or 1946-7?

Not been up there for twenty years.... has it changed much ? Do the 34/38/39 busses still struggle up the hill ?

Don't know about the bus service, sorry.
Pretty much the same, except the garage pictured in front of the church, got wiped a good few years ago, and was replaced by quite a few houses.....
http://www.earthtools.org/
53.3502°N 1.4725°W

I know in 1947 my dad nearly got arrested for picking up bits of coal on the railway embankment to keep his family warm. Thank goodness for a police sergeant with a bit of compassion, he let my dad off with a warning.
One thing I'd like to know, I was born in August 1947, was it the following winter 1947-8 that was so bad or 1946-7?

My brother was born January 1947 and the snow was so deep that no-one could get to Jessop's Hospital to visit mum. An uncle of mum's who was about to emigrate to South Africa had to buy a load of heavy clothing as he'd already sold everything to go. He had to buy some wellies to go to see mum on foot as there was no transport running anywhere.
There were snow drifts several feet high and many people had to tunnel out of their back doors and, to make matters worse it stayed really bitter for many weeks.
This was followed by an extremely hot Summer.
To answer your question, it was the Winter of 1946/47.

http://www.topfoto.co.uk/gallery/1947Winter/default.htm

Thanks Duffems, so I wasn't even born then.
Those are great pics RiffRaff, will we ever see snow like that again, I wonder.

Thanks Duffems, so I wasn't even born then.
Those are great pics RiffRaff, will we ever see snow like that again, I wonder.

Neither was I but, I've heard the stories of that Winter related so many times because of my brother being born right in the middle of it. Apparently, it wasn't just the amount of snow which fell which made records but, the length of the actual Winter which carried right through until March/April. We now complain when temperatures drop to +6!

http://www.topfoto.co.uk/gallery/1947Winter/default.htm


Great Pics from 1947! Especially the snow drift to the top of the bus with the kids upto the top deck!

There's a "famous" photo which shows (from memory) a horse and cart driving through (in effect) a snow tunnel...but I can't find it anywhere.
Unless it just happens to be on a pub wall out at Calver/Baslow/Bakewell way, I was certain it had been taken locally, perhaps in '47.
The wind must have caused drifting on both sides of the (narrow) lane, and had caused it to be "sealed" over the top.
Fantastic photo....certainly b&w, perhaps even sepia.....so it could be pre-47, I suppose.

I remember the winter of '77 when the gritters were on strike.
It took me from 7am to 9.45am to get from parson cross to mosborough.
I was working on the Waterthorpe housing estate,just building it in 77,.
Got into the cabin at 9.45.Had a cuppa.Then radio hallam news came on and said all busses had been taken off.
I set off walking home (in wellies) walked through Normanton Springs where snow drifts were at least 9ft on either side of the road.Went through manor top,city rd into town.Peniston road and back home to the cross.Got home at about 5pm,freezing and shattered.
But all said i'd love to be able to walk in that volume of snow now with my daughter(7 y/o).Butcant see that happenning......can you?

This photo taken at Fulwood in 1947 says it all: http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.refno=t03512

My dad had an allotment in Rivelin Valley, just above the playground, and there was deep snow there until mid-April. He kept his greenhouse clear of snow, but the only way he could get to and from the allotment (to keep the stove going and prevent his tomato plants from freezing) was to put on his waders and walk up the river.

I wasn't born until 1948 (I wasn't daft.;)) but I do remember 1962-63; it wasn't as bad as 1947 but deep snow lasted until March.

In the early 70`s we used to get sent home from school when it snowed, took us hours to wlak 3 miles, can you imagine sending kids home alone like that these days! there would be an uproar! no mobiles then, we didnt even have a house phone, but it never entered our heads that no one would be there when we got in! I live down south now and hardly eveer see snow.

[QUOTE=andipep;4603916]I remember the winter of '77 when the gritters were on strike.

Just been informed by SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED that this was 1978 not 77
sorry.

[QUOTE=andipep;4603916]I remember the winter of '77 when the gritters were on strike.

Just been informed by SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED that this was 1978 not 77
sorry.

From some of my earlier references to the gritters' strike and schools being closed as tankers were unable to deliver oil, I suggest Dec '78 into 1979?

I have retrieved the following references:
19 January - Snowed heavily for 48 hours.
20 January - Hallé concert programme revised as Chorus can't get!
5 February - Caretakers' strike
12 February - Heavy snowfall
13/14 Feb - School closed (no oil)
17 Feb - CBSO concert (City Hall) cancelled
18 Feb - University Orch. concert cancelled
16 Mar - Heavy snow - School ends 2.30pm

This was all made worse because there was no grit which made transport very difficult
as roads remained icy or snow covered. Radio Sheffield was very busy with cancellation
announcements. I couldn't get my car within 100 yards of my home for three solid weeks.
Got so fed up, I booked my a first visit to Tenerife that summer. All the above was 1979
but have a 'snow' reference for Dec 20 1978.

[QUOTE=CHAIRBOY;4605347][QUOTE=andipep;4603975]

From some of my earlier references to the gritters' strike and schools being closed as tankers were unable to deliver oil, I suggest Dec '78 into 1979?

Thanks for that..I must have got early onset of..er er cant remember.:huh: :thumbsup:

SNOW in Sheffield I"ve never laugh so hard in years, keep them jokes a coming

I remember when it snowed very badly here and snow was piled high at the side of the roads but my mum would talk of the winter of 47 being a very bad one and had piccys of her family in Beauchief.

Not been up there for twenty years.... has it changed much ? Do the 34/38/39 busses still struggle up the hill ?

Unfortunately we now only have the 33,two per hour if you are lucky!