A devastating and ultimately fatal winter 60 years ago took the lives of nearly 50 people, including several from Greater Manchester. While wintry weather is causing disruption across Greater Manchester after further snowfall overnight, this cold snap is nothing compared to the infamous winter of 1962/63.
Known as the ‘Big Freeze’, the winter onslaught – regarded as the worst for 200 years – began on Boxing Day in 1962 and wreaked havoc across Britain until March, with temperatures plummeting to a freezing -20 at times. The Arctic conditions led to thousands of schools shutting down, telephone and power lines collapsing, and power outages affecting thousands of homes.
Just before the New Year, a blizzard swept across South West England and Wales, causing snow drifts over 20ft in places, driven by gale-force winds. In central Manchester, snow was six inches deep, but the outer regions of Greater Manchester were hit much harder.
In Rochdale, Hollingworth Lake was frozen solid for weeks, in places to depths of two feet. The first weekend in February saw people seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk across the surface.
People walking on frozen Hollingworth Lake, February 1963
Down in Kent, the sea froze for nearly a mile, allowing children to play on its surface while ships sat on the ice. But elsewhere, the snow had much more deadly consequences.
On January 20, 1963, a massive search and rescue operation was mounted in Saddleworth as soldiers and police scrambled to the scene where a group of climbers were engulfed by an avalanche. The four climbers, affiliated with the Manchester Gritstone Climbing Club, had embarked on a climb of the 200-foot Wilderness gully east on Saddleworth Moor.
The sea at Whitstable, Kent, frozen solid. January 14, 1963
The expedition was spearheaded by 29 year old Graham West, an adept climber, who was accompanied by Michael Roberts, 27, and two teenagers, Allan Wheeler and John Smith. Tragically, the avalanche struck, sweeping West, Roberts, and Wheeler from the gully’s face.
The youngest member of the group, 19 year old John Smith, miraculously held on during the disaster and subsequently rescued his 16 year old friend, Allan Wheeler, from the icy rubble. Despite valiant efforts, the grim reality set in the next day when the lifeless bodies of West and Roberts were found buried beneath the moorland’s ice and snow.
Survivor John Smith later recounted the harrowing experience to the press, saying: “We were in pairs with Graham West and Mike Roberts in front. Everyone had ice-axes except me, but we were not roped.
“The snow in the gully was deep, but it was packed hard and the footholds were good. We were well on the way up when I saw a block of snow coming down at us.
Search in progress for the missing climbers in Saddleworth avalanche. January 23, 1963
(Image: Mirrorpix)
“There was no warning and the next moment the gully was full of snow rushing down. I got to one side of it, but Alan got caught. I couldn’t see anything at first, but then I saw Alan half buried and helped him out. There was no sign of the other two.”
In a separate incident, rescue teams discovered the body of David Levitt, a student at Salford Technical College, who had been buried beneath another avalanche while walking with two friends in a snowstorm near the village of Turn, high on the moors north of Bury.
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Another consequence of the cold weather was burst pipes, leaving thousands of families without running water. By the end of January 1963, Manchester’s water authorities were overwhelmed, having been called out to 1,550 broken mains and nearly 14,000 bursts in homes as pipes thawed and froze again.
Men walk across a frozen Derbyshire river. January 25, 1963
However, a more deadly outcome was the rupturing of pipes supplying gas to people’s homes. The Manchester Evening News reported on entire streets being evacuated as workmen desperately tried to stop multiple gas leaks in neighbouring homes due to the risk of an explosion.
The most tragic incident occurred in Moorhouse-street, Salford, in late January 1963 when a gas leak led to the death of five family members. Their bodies were discovered the following morning by another family member who broke into the house after suspecting something was amiss.
Edge Hill College pond skaters. Taken from hall of residence, Lancashire Hall, near to Scarth Hill, Lancashire, in the severe winter of 1962/3
(Image: Edge Hill College pond skaters, cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Chris Coleman – geograph.org.uk/p/635215)
According to an account of the ‘Big Freeze’ penned by The Guardian titled ‘The Long Winter 1962-63’, the harsh winter was responsible for at least 49 deaths. Sports activities were also heavily disrupted during this dreadful winter.
In the era before under-soil heating, frozen pitches resulted in the cancellation of football and rugby matches. From December 8 to February 16, Bolton Wanderers did not play any competitive matches.
Burnley went 63 days without a league game, from December 29, 1962, until March 2, 1963. Despite the chaos caused by the arctic conditions, there were still opportunities for fun.
Ignoring warnings, both children and adults skated on frozen lakes and rivers. Giant snowmen were built and tobogganing became a national pastime while the snows lasted.
In early March 1963, the ice began to thaw as temperatures rose, and by March 6, there were no frosts anywhere in the UK. Parts of the country that had just been in the iron grip of a bitter winter were now faced with floods as the ice and snow melted.