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Weather : past adverse weather in Birmingham

In January 1985 I was in Mallorca. There was snow in much of the island - even on some beaches. The roads from Palma to the north west (Soller) were difficult but some attempt to make a passage had occurred.
Onceabrummie wonders about bus passes. Somewhere in the Forum are pictures of tokens issued by BCT and as far as I know some were given to schoolchildren. There were special buses as well. I recall buses going from Baldwins Lane, Hall Green to Pitmaston School and presumably a return was provided.
However, outside the city boundary was a harsher world - no freebies - walk, cycle or pay on the Midland Red was the order of the day.
 
i remember the big freeze 62/63 great for us kids with all the snow AND we still went to school...

also the summer of 76...we had to get our water from street standpipes at certain time of day..

lyn
 
I saw all the significant adverse weather events and notice I've commented on all of them across the forum !

1947 what a long snowy winter that was, walking to school in blizzards, sledging every week.

1963 deep freeze for weeks, water pipes under house drives froze, 3ft thick ice on the pools, brrrr it was so cold.

1976 the long hot summer, Sutton Park caught fire and I just managed to get out with the car, and swarms of ladybirds.

I wouldn't mind another 'long hot summer' .... :D
 
Oldmohawk, we are experiencing a very hot June, unusual for this time of year, 104 on Sunday. Had no Spring, went almost overnight from mild winter to high summer and this will continue until November. Cloudy today and much nicer.
 
Sheldontony, where you are I'm surprised you're not using Celsius, the BBC forced us to all change by using it in weather forcasts.
Anyway my old friend Google can do the conversions.
104°F = 40°C that's hot !

Outside where I am it is 16.5°C = 61.5°F
Last week there was one day at 30°C = 86°F
 
Oldmohawk, I use both, local weather forecast says tomorrow high of 32, low tonight of 27. Long trousers and socks packed away weeks ago except for few days in May when i went to my old haunt, Knowle near Solihull. Brrrr. I am east coast of Spain.
 
The USA, or the web sites I use, all use F. I guess it was the PC BBC that forced much of what many people struggle understand upon us. Anyway 104 you can keep. I am more than happy with 70 - 80F providing the humidity is low. :eek:
 
I don't remember missing much in the way of School days, I do remember a couple of times the School provided hot sweet Cocoa in the morning (Chandos Road).
 
Pedrocut said:
View attachment 117942 Not Birmingham but in the Birmingham Daily Post for February 1940.
Click to expand...
Thank you for this, I thought it was something I had dreamed, but I can remember my Dad walking me through snow thus high, Court Lane or Chester Road just before he disappeared for four years in the RAF to India. I do not know where we went or what we did I was four and the snow was higher than me and the next time I remember deep snow was 1946/47.
Bob
 
On the Thread “Robert Peel...” Stitcher’s post mentioned the Hockley Brook Flood of August 1920, here is a detailed account from the time...


C1E3B709-9354-499F-9B57-F26316C8A4C7.jpeg 329ABDA4-5B8E-4519-9C33-6B281AA6D9A0.jpeg 23F165C8-79E2-46BE-A726-9AC8CDD51240.jpeg 5BC92E61-12E4-4B14-8274-41471EA51DD5.jpeg CFFA4DD0-639B-4050-9482-79E42A936201.jpeg
 
I was watching The Crown and in 1952 the FOG in London, I remember fog in Brum, We would go to Smethwick to visit rels and my sister Joan and I would have to walk in front of Dads car with a flashlight on the way back in the dense fog to find the way back
 
In 1963, my mid-April birthday party was a bit of a flop due to the snow, which was packed and in drifts about 2ft high on the road - we lived at the Summerhill Tavern at the time. Then in the winter of 1967, when I had left school and was working at the Pru (on Colmore Row) I was sent home as being 'improperly dressed for the office'. Mum had insisted I go in some very nice quality black wool slacks and Moreland boots due to the snow. The office manager was not impressed!!
 
The pictures from the Birmingham papers are poor quality. This is January 1930 and the Tame at Brookvale Road.


EA587E73-5003-4AFB-8B9D-BF106E779C45.jpeg 93297C11-5ABE-4ECF-B0A6-CE41FBF8E317.jpeg
 
Again a bad picture of the January 1930 floods at Witton. Wherabouts would this be taken.

In the clips we may have the story of the cart in the previous post.

F33B9291-F85D-4523-8AA5-3F81F185F672.jpeg A314F25C-43F6-410C-8BC0-402A4A9CD53E.jpeg 58D506AB-8E9C-4296-AFC3-C035F76873C0.jpeg
 
I can see the railings by the River Tame on Brookvale Road and the shop on the right could be the newsagents on the corner of Tame Road and Deykin Avenue.
 
I almost felt sorry for sending the Wife out in a blizzard to replenish the bird table. She did look a sight when she came back in the house, covered in snow & an icicle dangling from her nose. I told her she could sit by the fire to get warmed up before she made my breakfast. I told her the next time she goes out in a blizzard she can borrow my gloves. I don`t want her getting frostbite otherwise she won`t be able to darn my socks. I hope all you guys out there are as kind & considerate as what i am.
 
Something of a rarity, I believe it was 2010 when I last saw snow here, is that we have had a dusting of snow yesterday late afternoon. Mainly due to wind it disappeared overnight. Earlier this morning is started snowing again - it still is so I guess there is around an inch laying out there.
Hopefully it will cease soon - the forecast says it will - as I am assisting at a funeral early this afternoon. The problem here is not depth of snow that makes travel difficult it is the steep hills. I made sure we did a supermarket shop yesterday as snow is forecast fro this evening and tomorrow. I did notice that most shoppers were going about their shopping as they usually do - no frantic 'supermarket sweep' style that occurs in some areas. :eek:
It was entertaining to see young children, who had never played in snow before, out in their gardens having fun - remember the young and those in recently found love never feel the cold. :D My dog also found it curious.
 
Smudger said:
I almost felt sorry for sending the Wife out in a blizzard to replenish the bird table. She did look a sight when she came back in the house, covered in snow & an icicle dangling from her nose. I told her she could sit by the fire to get warmed up before she made my breakfast. I told her the next time she goes out in a blizzard she can borrow my gloves. I don`t want her getting frostbite otherwise she won`t be able to darn my socks. I hope all you guys out there are as kind & considerate as what i am.
Click to expand...

Just in case she does get frostbite, then try these...

https://www.blueboxsocks.co.uk/
 
Here in Crete it was 20C yesterday afternoon and lots of sunshine, but not quite so warm today. At least we've had some rain this winter, but nowhere the monsoons we used to get ten years ago. Anyone in South Africa? They've got big water problems too I hear. Keep your tin hats and wellies on! :-)

Maurice
 
The funeral (post 7 mentions it) went ahead despite the strong cold winds. It stopped the snow showers just before mid-day and the sun shone. Now towards the early evening the wind is still strong and arctic but the sun is still out. However, tomorrow seems to be a day most places will get snow. :eek:
 
Radiorails - I was interested in your mention of a funeral in the snow. My husband is often called on to assist at funerals when the full- time verger is on holiday. Two or three years ago he was due to help inter some ashes in an existing grave in our churchyard. It's the verger's responsibility to dig the hole even when the ground is frozen. He had planned to do it the day before as the forecast was bad. We had an emergency call to our daughter's and didn't get to the churchyard until it was dark. Armed with spades and torches we made our way to locate the grave (should have done it in the daylight...) anyway, lots of cars went past this present day Burke & Hare as they dug but no-one stopped to ask what we were doing!

He's also helping on Friday when we're due for some more snow. What happens when it's too bad like it was just before Christmas I wonder?
 
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