Snow on Mapperley Plains.

[Compo 10,328]

I took the following photos during January 1987. They show snow at Mapperley:

1. Gretton Road

2. Standing just by Breck Hill Road on Plains Road, looking towards the city:

3. I think this is also Gretton Road, but I am open to correction:

[banjo48 928]

3rd photo is Bonnington road junction Coronation road, can just see my brothers first house up near top left of the hill, when it snowed like that, all the peoples cars from up there were left on Coronation, those that got caught had some fun in the mornings, and the house at the bottom opposite often had a car in the small front garden after it had slid down the hill.

A memory after I just got married, I was then working at Gedling colliery as an electrician and on night shift, I often called in at mums house for a morning cuppa before driving home to our first rental house in Hyson green, so without thinking turned down Gretton road from Mapperley tops and then as I got to the top of the hill thought Oh sh*t ! there had been snow in the night and now it was frozen. I was in my first ever car, a Ford Thames 5cwt. van.

I could not turn around so gingerly crept down the hill in 1st gear, all good till halfway down where the kids had been sledging !

I then slid sideways all the way to the bottom, and hit the pavement in front of the house opposite, stopping with a shudder as the wheels hit sideways.

When I got to mums I was shaking with fear, at my near miss.

Locals there learned never to use Gretton or Bonnington during bad weather, Breckhill was usually gritted as it was a bus route.

[MargieH 7,599]

I remember one schoolday morning having to walk up to the top of Westdale Lane when the 25 got stuck trying to get up Breckhill Road because of snow/ice. Seemed quite exciting really - can't remember if we were late for school!

[Rob.L 1,088]

A few years back, there was a small book published about the history of Mapperley Plains. I believe John Tanner wrote it. It included a photo my dad took near Dorket Head of my mother and aunt during the winter of 1947 where the snow towered above them - it was about ten feet high

[Rob.L 1,088]

Oh, and living where we do now, whenever it snows we see how badly modern cars/drivers negotiate Somersby Road, all from the comfort of our kitchen!

[banjo48 928]

#3

I remember that too MargieH, think the was some sort of dispute or cutbacks and the gritting was held up, or none available and utter chaos reined.

#5 Yes I'd forgotten Somersby road, another fun one when conditions prevail.

Must admit I miss the snow, always looked clean and inviting, till it melts into that brown slush.

And having to pour boiling water on the van locks and clear the windscreen before leaving for work, then having to drive to Mansfield or Newark in a blizzard ! and maybe climb a telegraph pole to replace dropped cables from the weight of the snow.

The joys of a BT engineer in winter !

Don't miss the cold, though, but you can always get warm by dressing in more clothes I suppose, I find now I cannot cope with extreme heat that we get here sometimes either, it's much harder to get cool when it's 47C !

[Trevor S 2,003]

Banjo48....'Must admit I miss the snow, always looked clean and inviting, till it melts into that brown slush.'

Slush was a bugger....Spattered all over the place by passing vehicles and then - it was even worse when it froze over night and you tried riding your bike in and out of the ruts!

Aussie weather is not that bad when all is said and done.......

[FLY2 10,108]

I remember when dad drove for Wheatleys butchers on Carrington St, he sometimes had to cadge ashes off residents to get the van up Breck Hill. Good old days !!!!

[MargieH 7,599]

#7. I remember trying to ride my bike in the icy ruts after the slush froze over - not very successfully! Wouldn't dare attempt it now as I'd probably end up in hospital with a broken hip......

[DavidA 153]

A few years back, there was a small book published about the history of Mapperley Plains. I believe John Tanner wrote it. It included a photo my dad took near Dorket Head of my mother and aunt during the winter of 1947 where the snow towered above them - it was about ten feet high

Yes , he wrote three booklets "In Search of Mapperley" 1, 2 and 3. They're packed with photos and interesting facts. Strongly recommended to those interested in Mapperley.

[StephenFord 866]

I was not yet born at the time, but my mum and dad moved into Pateley Road when the houses were new in 1946/47. In the famous (infamous?) Winter of 1947, the road hadn't yet been surfaced, and it was apparently lethal walking either up or down. Milkman delivered milk on a borrowed sledge. Coal in short supply and impossible to deliver anyway. Hence my earlier tale of lugging a rucksack full of coal from Aspley on the bus.

[benjamin1945 16,152]

Remember the winter of 63' and coming down Woodthorpe drive sideways in a Marsdens/Farrands 15 cwt van very late one night on my way home from girlfriends in Carlton.........and hoping the General Manager (who lived on there) wasnt watching the snow falling as we wer.nt supposed to use it privately,........got away with it and Van straightened up before i reached Mansfield road

[poohbear 1,360]

I remember after a heavy snowfall driving in the ruts from the previous vehicle as you do rather than take on the virgin snow either side. I remember standing in admiration of a bloke following the same tactic but unfortunately in a three wheeler....a bow wave from the front wheel that would put a destroyer to shame....Wonder if he made it home?

[Socram 130]

On ‎6‎/‎6‎/‎2015 at 12:48 AM, StephenFord said:

I was not yet born at the time, but my mum and dad moved into Pateley Road when the houses were new in 1946/47. In the famous (infamous?) Winter of 1947, the road hadn't yet been surfaced, and it was apparently lethal walking either up or down. Milkman delivered milk on a borrowed sledge. Coal in short supply and impossible to deliver anyway. Hence my earlier tale of lugging a rucksack full of coal from Aspley on the bus.

As soon as it snowed, we used to rush around to the top of Somersby Road, before it was surfaced, as cars had to come up Pateley (Barden was never gritted...) then try and get up that last bit of Somersby with no chance of a run up.  A gang of us would get stuck in and push the cars up and on to the top.  Far more fun than today's X-Box, but no doubt the Elf & Safety brigade today would ban it - or demand we had Hi Viz jackets, steel toe cap boots (not Wellington boots) and be certificated...  The occasional grateful driver even chucked a handful of copper coins out of the window.  Bonus!