09/01/2026
Snow
When my children were little, we lived in the North Yorkshire Moors. Our house was down a half mile track through the woods or a walk down two steep fields.
In winter the landlord's cattle were kept tethered in their stalls, and the giant bull lived in a shed where his floor got higher and higher as straw was chucked in. He wasn't let out till spring.
There was usually a period of about six weeks when we lived in deep snow, digging tracks across the yard to break the water for the cows and struggling alongside each one to release her for a trip to the water butt. They were thirsty and quite inclined to squash us before we could reach their neck chains.
My neighbour frequently woke in complete darkness when the snow had filled the gully behind her house beyond the level of her upstairs window.
School was across the high moors. We climbed up the fields, disinterred the car from the snow chucked up by the snow plough, and turned the heater on full blast.
The road was kept clear by giant blowers that created high walls on either side of the road. We drove through a deep, white tunnel.
If the wind blew or more snow fell, it was hardly possible to see the road in the endless white.
Once over the Moor we drove down steep lanes to the school. I have an unpleasantly vivid memory of skidding right across the road and helplessly sliding along the pavement behind an oblivious woman and child. No harm was done. We kept our guardian angels busy.
The car had sacks and sand and space blankets, snacks and shovels. But there were no mobile phones to call for rescue and no constant weather updates. When did storms start to be given names?
Our major concession to the weather was to fit sturdy winter tyres on the car.
Indoors, the rayburn consumed piles of wood, and the living room fire kept going day and night.
There was always a goodly store of dried food, preserves and oils. I baked bread, cooked stews and cared for the baby.
I have photos of her in a playpen on the kitchen floor, wearing a wonderful knitted suit and hat and playing on thick sheepskins. I am quite impressed now to remember that each climb up to the car was achieved with her on my back. She learned to walk quite young and trudged through the snow in tiny wellies.
