“Angela,
It sounds like most schools were alike, yes we did hone a stretch of our playground so that you could see your face in it, much to the annoyance of our headmaster (Mr. Wooten). I cannot remember a winter as bad as 1963, but it was fun for the children (like us), I would not enjoy such a winter again what with slipping and sliding around, heating bills and cold toes! Brrrr!
We used to clear snow from people's front garden paths, 2 people in our street had cars and garages so we cleared their drives and asked for 6d (2 1/2p) for doing it, Mr. J opposite refused to pay up so we putt all the snow from our side of the street onto his drive and blocked him in, We got a smack for that but it was funny at the time. If this turns ut to be a record cold winter, the kids will have shared an experience that we once had.”

“Chris,
I went to Nightingale School, on Nightingale Road, sounds like it was built around the same time as ours. I remember sliding the length of the playground to the canteens for lunch ( the same ones we made arriving in the playground in a morning.) Did you do as we did, hone the slides each break time till it was sheer glass? We couldn't see our front door!!! Good job we always used the back or we wouldn't be getting in the house, using the ashes from the fires to grit the paths to get round the back. We also had heaters in the classrooms, along with our coats hats gloves etc. It was great as a child but not so much fun now.”

“Angela, sounds like you went to the same school as me!
I remember that winter of 1963 at Allenton Juniors (the old wooden school). Icicles were about 6 foot long and I remember seeing people ice skating on the river at the Riverside Gardens on weekends. The cold weather lasted moths and our front door at home was buried under a 9 foot snowdrift. The snow was up to my waist in the street! At school we had an electric heater in the classroom, all 35 children and the teacher would sit in a circle around this whilst taking lessons. We all kept our coats gloves and woolly hats on!

The Toilets were across the (frozen) playgound and we had to ask the teacher to break the ice in the toilet bowls and urinals before we could use them. The teacher had an electric kettle and would boil this to melt the ice. The water in the toilet block was off due to frozen pipes.

Playtime was fun as we had snowball fights in the playground. If we said we were cold the teacher would tell us to move about more or rub our hands together. Taking time off because it was cold was unheard of! Kids today certainly have it easy when it comes to warmh and comfort. I did actually comment on his subject when the first snowflakes fell I expected all the schools to close for the duration.”

“Voice of reason,Derby
You are right about that, pity really as children miss out on the fun we had in the playground. Remembering the winter of 1963 when it was far colder than now,
I am hoping my childs school doesn't decide it is "too cold" for them to be there. He will be going, wearing extra clothing if necessary. I don't believe in molly-coddling them, most don't know how to deal with the cold weather, mine do and dress accordingly.”

“I remember schools being closed from time to time due to heating problems during the 70s and 80s. It happened then and it still happens. It's not a major issue. Let's try to keep things in perspective. I know I wouldn't want my children going to an unheated school in this weather. There are minimum legal temperatures for working environments. Schools should not be excluded from that.”

“.....snowball fights and ice slides in the playground.
Angela, Derby


The "health & Safety" taliban and the politically correct brigade would never allow that nowaday.
Kids would need full body armour,helmets, and safety goggles before snowballing was allowed.

What a pathetic nation of wimps we are being turned into by the loonies in charge.”

“It only appears to be schools that close due to heating malfunctions.
I've never read about, or seen,(or worked in) factories, shops, libraries, council offices etc. closing due to heating malfunctions. Is this due to incompetence by the school management, incompetence by the school management or incompetence by the school management? They should think about servicing their heating systems correctly.”

“How things have changed since I went to school. Schools opened whatever the weather including 6ft of snow!! Our toilets were over the playground, yep outside, yet not once did the school close due to cold weather, we wrapped up warmly and off we went,snowball fights and ice slides in the playground. If the classroom was cold we kept our coats on, perhaps our teachers were made of hardier stock, we certainly were, no central heating back then, hot water bottles to warm the bed if we were lucky.”

“More evidence of lack nof investment by this pathetic government and our equally useless council.”