h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Frank

We’ve been having some snow down here although it’s not snowing at the moment. I was going to go out but since I’m told that heart patients should avoid cold weather as it puts pressure on the heart I shall stay in and twiddle my thumbs. I had a heart attack 8 years ago (coincidentally, on the same day that my elder sister died of a heart attack.) We haven’t had much snow in recent years and I suppose your current snowfall will be much heavier. I recall when in Helmsley, living in Nissen Huts, in the very bad winter of 1944-5 and I was in the cookhouse, standing by a cooker fire, eating something - a meat chop I think. It was so cold that the fat dripping from the chop, running down my face, froze. I commented on this to a chap standing near me who snorted and said something like ‘it’s nothing like we always get oop north’. But the effete south does have its fair share. In 1982 Oxfordshire was the coldest place in England with temperatures as low as 20 degrees below zero.
Hope you are not suffering too much.

Harold

Dear Harold,
I did drop you a line on the heading "Music in Wartime" if you have not read it yet.
Yes we had snow and plenty of it four feet deep in places and TV showed a row of houses where all you could see was chimneys, a 70 mph wind had drifted the snow. Most schools were closed, that never happened in my time, we were expected to be there and on time no matter what the weather. Things change and not always for the best.
I was in Birmingham at the weekend in glorious sunny weather the whole time so it was a bit of a shock when thirty minutes from home we drove into a white out. We have a big 4x4 and my son in law Ron is a very good driver so we were Ok. A multi pile up happened right behind us as we turned off the A1M at Darlington, we saw the police and ambulances going towards it. They never learn those stupid people who think they can keep up motorway speeds in any weather.
It is raining here right now though some snow is lying, a couple of miles up the road the rain is snow, it seems that living near the North Sea has its advantages in that it keeps the air a few degrees warmer for us. We have our very own local weather here three miles from the sea and 100 feet up, with global warming we should end up near the beach.
Keep warm and comfortable Harold we are getting thin on the ground, I have stopped going to funerals there are just too many.
Regards Frank.

Hi, Frank,
You came to my aid when I first found this site....
I can't find the ladies, and I wonder if they are still around. It seems that since Christmas they have been in other places?
My husband has had a rough time, getting a new pacemaker, and now he has things in his lung. not good. I look forward to reading messages here, but haven't seen any in so long.....
Mary Lou

Frank

I replied to your message in the Music in WArtime thread

HAROLD

Dear Mary Lou,
The girls went on to e-mail as the BBC WW2 forum was only for wartime stories. We all talk a couple of times per week and would welcome you in that circle.
Please do not publish your e-mail address on this site as it is then open to people who you would not wish to talk to.
I will tell the girls and see if one has your e-mail if not I will arrange a contact through the BBC Staff, it can be done.
I am sorry to hear about your husband and understand your problems keeping contact. It is nice to have a friendly ear to talk to so we will see what we can do.
Best regards Frank.

Hi Mary Lou
I sent you a message under 'no sound'. You should be able to find that one on your page.
regards, Rob

We've had nearly an inch of snow this morning, but it's now thawing fast under the drizzle.
Your tales remind me of the icy winter of 1940, when the unmarried men of our platoon were sent to Feltwell aerodrome to relieve the married airmen, so that they could spend their Christmases at home.
Our task was to guard the bomb dump, and when off duty we were confined to an uninsulated Nissen hut, with a coke burning Tortoise stove in the middle of the floor.
This stove had no flue pipe, and it belched its fumes into the hut. With the outside temperature at 0°f, we had to leave the doors and windows open in order to breathe.
After a few hours our rifles all turned rusty, and we all felt ill.
Eventually we had to move out into the cold, and spent our off duty time riding down the steep incline on the steel bomb trolley, and pushing it back up again to keep our blood circulating.
We had to put the fire out in the end and tried to sleep wearing every bit of clothing we had.
Luckily we were only there for a week, but during that time saw the remains of squadrans of Wellington bombers limp home with bits missing from tails and wings, and bits of fabric flapping on fusilages.
Len Baynes