The Big Freeze

prod.coventrytelegraph.net/incoming/article2963957.ece/ALTERNATES/s1227b/image-5-for-winter-of-1963-gallery-802190157.jpg" alt="" width="350" height="273">

Boxing Day evening 1962

The Christmas Number One at the top of the hit parade was Return to Sender by Elvis Presley

All around the country, families were settling down after a busy two days of eating, drinking and making merry.

Small screen entertainment on the tv that evening included a hilarious variety show from the London Palladium featuring Bruce Forsyth and Norman Wisdom and the BBCs big Boxing Day movie was Moulin Rouge starring Jose Ferrer and Zsa Zsa Gabor

And then, it began to snow. A day late and tantalisingly close to giving the country a proper White Christmas, but snow nevertheless. The temperature dropped…..and it continued to snow.

And it snowed and snowed, and it got colder. And it snowed and it snowed some more

And that was how it would be for the next one hundred days or so as Britain was plunged into an icy wilderness that would last until the following March.

Industry ground to halt as businesses and schools were forced to close. There was widespread panic as ambulances and fire crews were unable to respond to emergencies. Essential supplies and medication failed to get through to hospitals and over half the natural wildlife population died in the freezing temperatures, unable to forage to food.

Nothing could be done to stop the bitter temperatures and the relentless snowfall

Ladies and gentlemen, Rainbow Valley is proud to present the story of The Big Freeze

racecourse-28-feb-e838274.jpg?quality=90&fit=620,413" alt="" width="350" height="233">

You can follow the podcast on Twitter @rv_podcast 

Join our Facebook group at Facebook/rainbowvalleypodcast 

Or send us your thoughts and feedback to rainbowvalleypod@gmail.com

This has been a Stinking Pause production.

Thanks for listening

Scott