Jan 1979 The Diary Of A 13 And 3/4 Year Old

[stewfox]

All this talk about the good old days , I use to keep a detailed diary back then so thought I would share my weather comments. This 'event' took place in New Malden in Surrey. If you had asked me before I read my diary i would have suggested snow lasted 14 days

I was 13 then had a interest in the weather and snow men. I see snow stayed on the ground for 36 days ! (although perhaps with a little help from my parents freezer towards the end)

Jan 1

Took Nanna home cleared her frozen pathway and frozen guttering. Snow was everywhere I slid outside

Jan 2

It did not snow but had been very cold and freezing in the night - 7c

Jan 3

Went outside and played football in the snow. Built snowmen from some old coins and buttons for eyes and mouth and one of mums hats. so far not began to melt

Jan 4

It is very cold but not snowing here

Jan 5

My snowman is staill going strong

Jan 6

About 1.30pm dad took a picture of me and my snow man who is still alright. It did not snow today or yesterday.

Jan 7

It began to rain the snow is melting

Jan 8

My snowman is gradually melting but still there

Jan 12

woke 7.40am it snowed over night. cold outside tonight -4c so the weather men say

Jan 13

The snow is still on the ground but my snow man is very small re built my snow man. Will put a hat and a scraff on it tomorrow when the snow hardens. It is about 2ft 3 inches high. A good 10 inches higher then my last snowman. But dont forget that the snowman I made on Jan 2 was still about 9 inches high before i began to add to it again.

Jan 14

My snowman melted a bit

Its raining a little

when outside earlier and put a scarfe and one of my dads old hats on his head, the snowman that is

Jan 15

Cloudy and raining my snowman and claires (editors note my younger sister) melted a bit more

Jan 16

My snowman has melted a little bit more it is also claires snow man. It is cold but not raining. earlier took my coins in from the snowman

Jan 17

It snowed heaviliy today but did not settle because of rain in the morning

The snow which has not stopped since 11.20am finally is settling

Tried to put coins in the snowman but they would not stick

Jan 18

It has stop snowing because of light rain , hardly any snow left on the ground another very cold night.

Jan 19

Went to school at 8.20am and snow very heavily all day , confirmed no school monday because of caretakers strike.

Had a snow fight. Because of heavy snow fall no rugby

went into garden and put more snow on my snow man

Jan 20

Most of the snow had melted because of rain over night

Its cold but no snow

Jan 21 (sunday)

My snowman has melted a lot more but its not raining

Jan 22

My snowman is only 9 inches high not very wide melting all the time. It did not snow or rain today

Jan 23

Heavy snow over night, went to school and slid all the way there on the pavement.

We were sent home 10.40am first time i can remember , few teachers got in

Came in played in the snow in the garden

went into garden 4ish and made a huge snowman all by myself about 4ft 1 inch high . it took 1 hr 20 mins to make. got scarf and hat from my now very small other snowman and coins and put them on the new one, which i will call snowman 2 the other one snowman 1

Jan 24

Snow still everywhere but not on main roads. It is very cold and a there is a rail strike tomorrow

Jan 25

Some snow that turned to rain

Most of the snow has turned to hard ice

Jan 26

It has not snowed today my 4ft odd snow man is 3ft

Jan 27

No rain or snow but very cold

Jan 30

My snowmen have both melted a little bit more

Its a cold night but all the snow has melted the rain turned to frozen ice over night

Jan 31

My snowmen have melted a few inches more (editors note i might have been adding freezer ice at this time to keep the small snowman alive !)

Feb 2

Both my snowmen have melted a lot more

the one on the pavement the 4 footer is only about 6 inches high

Feb 5

Both my snowman have gone. this is the first time this year there is no snow on the ground in our garden a record in my life time surely.

Editor i do remember trying to keep the snowman alive by moving it and covering it (away from the rain)

[Helvellyn]

haha, my parents tell similar stories about the 'winter of discontent'. less about snowmen and more about having to dig the car out though :lol:

[Pixel]

I just love your diary post.. Thank you.

ahhhh... childhood memories... brings back happy memories of simple fun in the good ol' days... caretakers strike, railway strike, snow that lasted seemingly for ever and enthusiastic efforts to reconstruct snowmen - happy days...

Nowadays we get SkyNews and ITV telling us the world is going to end - with schools closing down cos the teachers can't get to work, caretakers can't mend the boiler cos of health and safety and the Wet Office warnings of 5.08cm of snow - maybe!

Bring on a 1979 event - Cut the lectric, light a candle and enjoy cosying up with friends (-: sure would sort the wheat from the chav

Just makes me think how fortunate, despite the daily mail, we are today (-;

[ItIsGee]

I love Diary etries on forums and otehr things, I find ten to facinating or am i just nosey!

Brings back the older days when i was a wee boy! 25 years ago!

[Norrance]

I too, enjoy reading weather diaries with or without a personal touch. If there was interest perhaps there could be a thread for specific winters as it may be interesting to compare and contrast the views from different parts of the country and how the weather effected different age groups etc.

For example I have weather diary for Jan 1979 when I was in my early twenties and living and working outdoors in the Central Highlands which I would be happy to write up if there was such a thread.

[moogyboobles]

Ooh wow thank you! I am about to turn 30 so my Mum tells me tales of walking from the hospital (I was born on the 16th) with me in her arms to the car knee deep in snow.

[Portland Paul]

I was four years old then, so its my earliest recollection of snow. Frightfully icy too, as I just about remember, I did'nt like walking on it at all!

[Nick H]

Heathrow Airport, Middlesex Jan 1-15 1979

DateMax/Min

1st -3/-7

2nd 2/-6

3rd 2/-7

4th 1/-3

5th 0/-4

6th 1/-6

7th 8/-1

8th 9/6

9th 7/1

10th 5/1

11th 5/-2

12th 3/-3

13th 2/-6

14th 5/-6

15th 7/2

Shawbury, Salop. Jan 1-15 1979

1st 0/-7

2nd 3/-8

3rd 0/-11

4th 1/-5

5th 0/-7

6th 0/-8

7th 11/3

8th 7/2

9th 5/-2

10th 4/1

11th 4/-2

12th 2/-7

13th -3/-11

14th 2/-8

15th 5/1

Linton-on-Ouse, nr York, N Yorks. Jan 1-15 1979

1st NO RECORD AVAILABLE

2nd 0/-17

3rd -6/-11

4th -3/-11

5th -6/-12

6th NRA

7th NRA

8th 7/1

9th 4/0

10th 3/0

11th 3/-5

12th 2/-6

13th NRA

14th NRA

15th 2/1