Video: ‘Snow’ - Britain’s harsh winter of 1963

JANUARY 1963 was the coldest month of the 20th century. Most of England and Wales was covered with snow and it is commonly remembered as ‘The Big Freeze of 1963’.

Scotland was just as badly hit, with temperatures as low as −19.4°C recorded in Sutherland on January 11.

‘Snow’ is a short film created by Geoffrey Jones, comprising train and track footage shot before a heavy winter’s snowfall. British Rail’s dedication to battling the blizzards is clear to see in the eight-minute film.

The workers’ efforts to clear the line of snow are contrasted with the passengers’ comfort in the buffet-cars.

Nominated for an Oscar, ‘Snow’ shows a different window into Britain’s history, and a fascinating insight into how 1960s Britain coped with extreme weather similar to that battering the UK this week.