Winter snow was not unusual in my childhood. Ironically, it did not cause as much disruption as it does nowadays. Llanstephan had no mains water or electricity. The old mill generated enough electricity for street lighting and a few select houses, but most households, including ours, had lamps and candles. Paraffin was sold locally, as was coal for the fires. Everyone stock-piled logs and driftwood.
We had no indoor water-pipes to freeze and the supply to our outdoor tap was so erratic that we were used to carrying water from stand-pipes and saving rain-water in butts. Food was rationed and the village shops had huge store-rooms. There was a bakery on the Green. Milk was available from farms right in the village. Gardens were assiduously cultivated and the vegetables were stored, fruit was bottled. For us children, snow meant snowmen, snowball fights, sledging and skating.
But the winter of 1947 was particularly memorable in that snow fell again and again for three months. My Uncle Willie and Cousin Audrey travelled from Llangennech for my 11 birthday on January 24 but it was almost a week before they could go home. Their return journey then consisted of a milk lorry to Carmarthen, a bus to Pontarddulais and then by foot to Llangennech. What bothered them most was not having brought their ration-books!
The worse freeze-up came early in March, when all the roads were blocked for days. Stocks of flour were now becoming low. And then a major crisis arose. Dolph, the son of Dai Thomas the carrier, had contracted a fatal disease while in the Army in the Gold Coast. He was being brought home to Llanstephan but they were only able to reach Carmarthen. The men of the village decided to accompany Dai in one of his lorries and dig their way to Carmarthen, eight miles away.
It seemed a very long day. As the dark grey sky became flecked with the pink streaks of the setting sun, an anxious hush descended on the village. We were all out on the streets listening. At last, a shout, and the lorry came into view. The men were waving their spades and shovels. My father was among them, easily identifiable in his policemans cloak. I was so proud of him and I joined in the cheering. Poor Dolph died, but it was with the knowledge that his fellow-villagers had risked their lives to bring him home.
Eiluned Rees
your comments
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Tina Neath of Port Talbot
Amazing stories to read after what happened today in South Wales the people of February 2009 can't cope with the miserable 6" of snow we have had in one day - everything comes to a standstill - unbelievable. They reckon six million people stayed home from work and schools, years ago everyone just got on with it!
Mon Feb 9 14:11:57 2009
Donald Thomas West Vancouver Canada
At the time of the 1947 winter, I was living in Glyncorrwg and attending the Maesteg Grammer School. To get there each day, we took the Western Welsh bus from Glyncorrwg to Cymmer then the train to Maesteg.
We were sitting in our various classrooms early one afternoon, when the school caretaker was sent around by the headmaster to tell all the Glyncorrwg students to leave class immediately and dash for the 2.30 train and go home.
It turned out that the bus driver of the Glyncorrwg bus had phoned the school, having had the foresight to see the advancing snowfall conditions, and realized that he was not going to be able to run the bus service much longer.He was certainnly correct in his assumption, we arrived home safe and sound, but other people catching our normal 4.30 train had to walk the two-and-a-half miles from Cymmer to Glyncorrwg in a blinding snowstorm in the dark, taking hours and at times only managing by hanging onto the handrail at the side of the road. Glyncorrwg was then cut off from everything for the next three days.
Thu Apr 17 09:45:03 2008
Roger Jones, Adelaide, South Australia
I was aged three in 1947. Can one remember being that age? Anyway, I am sure I remember walking outside on the footpath and looking up at the top of the snow. My folks had to dig their way out of the house and down the street. being so small at that age, it looked like one heluva long way up to the top of that snow - we lived in Sparkhill Birmingham then, regards to all.
Thu Dec 27 11:19:11 2007
Bernard Thomas from Spring Hill, Tennessee, USA
We lived in 38 Vivian Square, Aberavon, during the winter of 1947. My birthday was 28 January (11 Years old)We awakened the first "huge" snow day. We looked out of the second level bedroom window and the snow level was halfway up the windows across the street to my Auntie Almas house.
Opening the front door, you faced a solid wall of snow. Later that morning my brother Desmond (12) decided he was going to visit my aunt. Wrong move it was. I and my oldest brother Ronald with ropes tied around our waists finally dragged Desmond, wet, cold and in panic back into the house.
My dad being stuck at work, my mother Sophia parked us kids on the rug in front of the fire. Our day was reading our comics (Rover, Hotspur, Champion et al), and being read "Lorna Doone" by my mom. I can never forget that day.PS: Desmond spent an hour in the metal bathtub in front of the fire, while we laffed, and laffed and cried.
Mon Nov 26 12:54:17 2007
maxine from cwmbran
I am trying to find a picture of a cottage that once stood on old cart road 'Rose Cottage' Saundersfoot?
Wed Oct 17 12:23:07 2007
Peter Ware Weymouth.
I was born on Jan 8 1948, so in the winter of '47, I was in the snuggest place possible, however my good old Dad, dead now, often brought it up when us boys had to walk 3 miles to school in the winter, plus I had a job with Hancock's Dairy before school. First time on site, researching facts on Swansea Jack. Any help appreciated.Thanks.
Mon Sep 3 09:24:25 2007
Alan Perry, Swansea
I was five in 1947 but remember the snow well: Sketty Cross, in Swansea, totally wiped out. Dylan Thomas captured the magic atmosphere of it all brilliantly in his BBC broadcast "Return Journey."
Thu Aug 23 16:35:23 2007
Noel Jones Dartford Kent
I was at Caerleon in 47 and remember coming home for a weekend and walking from Rhymney and finding the snow piled as high as the old gas lamposts. The colliers did a remarkable job in keeping the road open for certain supplies to be brought into the village.Mr Jimmy Green Baked for the whole village. I know William Heenan, his father Billy Heenan was a great cricketer. The sow was made into IGLOOS in Arthur Street where I lived and stood for many, many weeks after the snow had disappeared. Happy memories
Fri Jul 6 13:04:40 2007
Richard Passmore, Aberystwyth
Thank you, Arlene Brooks, for shaking out a dusty (or I should say frosty )memory from my ageing brain.On a day of that harsh winter I beheld two strange things; on the park at the bottom of Village Lane in Mumbles, a perfect igloo had been built, and on the beach the surf had frozen and left a wall of ice- it seemed about a foot tall, but I was only six at that time.
Wed Jun 27 09:51:46 2007
Ron Hunter, Kent
I joined the army at Brecon Barracks on Jan 16 1947. A few weeks later we were trying to dig out the road to Merthyr Tydfil. It really was at telegraph pole height!
Tue Jun 12 16:21:15 2007
William Heenan
I was 16 yrs old working as a baker in the small village of Abertysswg we were cut off for about 4 days. We had flour and yeast but the water was frozen but the miners institute was near so the miners made a chain and passed buckets of water to fill our tank. We also run out of coke but were able to borrow off the church and chapels. We kept the village supplied until the miners managed to shovel a way through.
Mon Feb 19 09:39:50 2007
Gloria from Upper Swansea Valley
Although not old enough to remember the winter of '46 personally, I do remember my grandmother, Annie 'Ffinant' telling me of the hundreds of horses that belonged to her brothers. They all died in the deep snows as they tried to gain shelter near the Cowslip river on the Black Mountain, near Gwynfe. The family used to rear horses for working in mines. They would send them as far north as Yorkshire.
Tue Jan 2 09:47:37 2007
Ann Davey, Swansea
My brother was born on Christmas Day 1946 when I was 3 and one of my earliest memories is fron the winter of 1947 when he became very poorly with pneumonia and the family were trying to get him to Hill House Hospital through all the snow. I can't remember how they did it, but my brother is still with us thank goodness.
Sun Dec 18 21:34:36 2005
Andrew in Hove
Seems that 1963 was cold and apparently the snow laid longer on the ground. I was 11 yrs could this have been worse that 1947? Of course the transport infrastructures were better and that perhaps must be the main issue, but temp for temp what was worse and how about now? Is this a reflection of the Day After Tomorrow, the film?
Sat Nov 26 00:53:07 2005
arlene brooks nee whitby
1947 was the year of the igloo. Us children of Fullers row, Swansea built an igloo against a wall where all the snow was piled up, it might have been up against a shelter as I remember the shelters being built across the road from our house.I remember that we kids loved it. I wonder if there is anyone out there that remembers me? I lived in no.2 with my grandmother, I also remember Terry Butler telling me he would tell my gran that I was hanging out of the window smoking, but he never did.
The girls I remember are Dorothy Lloyd & her sister Edna, Cynthia & Marlene Williams, Maureen Secombe they would, like me, be in their late 60's. If you are out there please get in touch
Wed May 25 13:20:52 2005
Terence Warner,Saundersfoot.
I was a boy of 13 in 1947 and lived in Hen-ty.Gwyn-ar-Daf..Whitland. Although the Preseli hills were impassable,there were stories of men hanging their coats on the top of telegraph poles while they dug out milk lorries. Based in Whitland, we were able to get to school with no problem as where, we as a family lived, was only 100 yards away.
Even so, from memory, we did not suffer unduely,the horse and cart milk delivery came, mother made bread, and I went to school..hiss and boo!
What a difference to these days of "wrong" leaves on the line and school buses cancelled. Like Eluned we too had oil lamps and battery operated radios, used only for the News and Parrys' garage in the village recharging the acid accumulator for 1 penny.
Would I go back?....????????
Wed Jun 9 18:39:51 2004
Pat Triplett Birmingham
I am just starting to put together the begining chapters of my lifes story which began in winter 1946. I thought I would research the following winter which I knew was one of the worst in Birmingham history. 46 was bad enough and I was born before the midwife could get to my mother through the snow but when I read this short article by Eluned I started crying and still have a lump in my throat. What a wonderful story and so well told you could almost have been there. Well done Eluned and hooray for the men in the village who because of you are now immortalised in words.I hope you keep on writing.
Mon Feb 9 14:29:50 2004
Do you have memories of the winter of 1947? What do you think of Eluned's story? Send in your comments here.
