New Snow Book By Forum Member Mcweather

[mcweather]

This thread is being started with permission of the site owner.

Hello to all my fellow cold and snow fans here on the Netweather Forum.

I have spent the last year putting together a book about the greatest weather event of my life, namely the great southwestern blizzard of February 18/19th 1978 when exceptionally heavy snow fell for up to 30 hours leaving drifts up to 30 feet deep across Dorset.

THE BLIZZARD OF 78 - THE SNOWSTORM THAT BURIED DORSET written and published by Mark Ching

ISBN 978-0-9560553-9-0.

The book tells both the meteorological and human story of the greatest blizzard of the last 127 years in my home county of Dorset.

Major towns such as Dorchester and Weymouth were cut of by road for several days and many rural towns and villages were completely cut off for a week.

The book features over 100 previously unseen and spectacular photographs from a snowstorm that eclipsed even those of 1947 and 1963.

Extending to 178 pages the book will retail in bookshops at £17:50.

However Netweather forum members can purchase the book at £15:00 per copy including p&p direct from myself at the address below ( please make any cheques payable to Mark Ching)

Mark Ching

Langmor

High Street

Winfrith Newburgh

Dorchester

Dorset.

DT2 8JW

Hi there a very slight correction. The ISBN for the book is 978-0-9560553-0-9.

[Tucco]

Good luck with the book, how hard was it to publish?

Prompts the question. What book would you write?

Personally if would either a book on the 'Climate of Cumbria' or the 'The Winter of 1947'

Mark

Teesdale,Co Durham

Edited November 10, 2008 by Tucco

[jethro]

BIG congratulations on getting the book published! Cheque winging it's way to you shortly.

[mcweather]

BIG congratulations on getting the book published! Cheque winging it's way to you shortly.

Thanks Jethro and Tucco. Its taken a year of every minute of my spare time although the actual publishing was not as difficult as I expected.

Collecting the stories and photographs from the various contributors was the main part of the work. I thought getting hold of previously unseen photos might prove hard but in fact people had loads of incredibly spectacular ones just lying around in drawers and cupboards One particular gentleman had walked from Weymouth to Dorchester over 20 feet drifts and just took pictures all the way. You'll see them in the chapter entitled John's arctic Walk.

[jethro]

Thanks Jethro and Tucco. Its taken a year of every minute of my spare time although the actual publishing was not as difficult as I expected.

Been there, done that a few times - even now I'm still surprised at just how time consuming it can become. Immensely satisfying though, just you wait until you walk into Waterstone's and see it on the shelf

[Optimus Prime]

If I see it in one of the shops, I'll certainly buy it.

[mcweather]

If I see it in one of the shops, I'll certainly buy it.

Thanks Optimus If it's not on the shelf just ask them to order it for you.

[SNOWPLOUGH]

Thanks Optimus If it's not on the shelf just ask them to order it for you.

Ye I will buy if I see it or order it

SP

[mcweather]

Ye I will buy if I see it or order it

SP

Thanks Snowplough if you have any difficulties getting hold of it don't forget you can exercise your Netweather discount by ordering it direct from myself at the address at the start of the thread.

[mcweather]

Just wanted to say thank you to the members on the forum who have already ordered copies of the The Blizzard of 78 book.

[johnholmes]

I'll see if its in the local Water-whatsit tomorrow

[mcweather]

I'll see if its in the local Water-whatsit tomorrow

Hi John

Don't forget you can invoke your Netweather forum discount and order direct from myself if you wish.

Mark

[mcweather]

A big thank you to those forum members who have ordered copies I will always do my best to send orders out within 24 hours of receiving them.

I hope members will get as much enjoyment from reading the book as I have had from putting it together. Very much a labour of love.

[mcweather]

Hi everyone, thanks to all those who have looked at the thread.

If you would like to see the sort of photos that are contained in the book please follow the links below.

Please be aware that these images are copyright.

Please let me knwo if you have any problem accessing thes e pic

http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/m...ULWORTHROAD.jpg

http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/m...nt=scan0018.jpg

[andy_leics22]

Absolutely dreamy! That is proper snow, I class proper snow as 2-3 inches That is what being born in 1988 does to ya!

[mcweather]

Absolutely dreamy! That is proper snow, I class proper snow as 2-3 inches :lol: That is what being born in 1988 does to ya!

http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/m...ULWORTHROAD.jpg

http://s389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/m...nt=scan0018.jpg

Yes Andy I feel very priviledged to have lived through the events in those pictures. I hope you and all netweather snowlovers get the chance to do the same at some point.

[mcweather]

To all forum members who have been kind enough to order a copy of The Blizzard of 78- The snowstorm that buried Dorset, may I ssay a big thank you. Thanks to your support and that of the locals down here in Dorset. The book is now having to be reprinted.

The discount offer shown on page one of this thread remains in place for all netweather forum members.

[mcweather]

Just to let you know that rather like a new puppy the Netweather discount on the The Blizzard of 78 book, is not just for Christmas.

The offer remains in place for as long as any members want to buy the book.

[Guest North Sea Snow Convection]

I've got my copy in the post today - many thanks Mark

I love reading these anecdotal books. The number of contributors is amazing and you have done so well to tie all their detailed stories, dramas and tales of community spirit so chronologically and in so vividly over that week or so in Feb 78. The book illustrates how such a great weather event as that amazing blizzard stays etched on people's memories forever and I can just imagine the number of people who have made friends and kept in touch with one another because of that event. It is a great example of how the great British favourite subject of the weather brings people together.

The pictures are amazing - incredible drifts and it is easy to understand how disorientating it can be when out in the sticks in a blizzard when all landmarks are covered and visibility is so reduced. The pics of people fighting the biting cold gale and crystalline snow really bring that across.

It will happen again one day (hopefully asap!). Would we cope? Well, it makes you laugh when you see headlines about schools closing after a 1cm fall. Especially after seeing that book.

Look forward to reading it in detail.

[mcweather]

I've got my copy in the post today - many thanks Mark

I love reading these anecdotal books. The number of contributors is amazing and you have done so well to tie all their detailed stories, dramas and tales of community spirit so chronologically and in so vividly over that week or so in Feb 78. The book illustrates how such a great weather event as that amazing blizzard stays etched on people's memories forever and I can just imagine the number of people who have made friends and kept in touch with one another because of that event. It is a great example of how the great British favourite subject of the weather brings people together.

The pictures are amazing - incredible drifts and it is easy to understand how disorientating it can be when out in the sticks in a blizzard when all landmarks are covered and visibility is so reduced. The pics of people fighting the biting cold gale and crystalline snow really bring that across.

It will happen again one day (hopefully asap!). Would we cope? Well, it makes you laugh when you see headlines about schools closing after a 1cm fall. Especially after seeing that book.

Look forward to reading it in detail.

Glad you got the book ok Tamara.

Yes that is one of the things I have found about that blizzard. It really did stay etched in to the psyche of many residents here in Dorset.

It was without doubt THE weather event of my life so far by a country mile, I was only two in the winter of 63 so I can't really remember anything about that. Enjoy your read.

Mark