MEMORIES of the harsh winter of 1962/63 have come flooding in since last week.

This was the winter when Britain really froze, with Dorset badly affected by extremely heavy snow and cut off completely in some areas.

So thanks to Madeline Kreisig for getting in touch and reminding us just how bad conditions were in January in 1963.

The pictures of Osmington on these pages were taken by the late Mr Alan Brown.

The village was snowed in and cut-off and supplies were needed so desperately that a helicopter had to fly them in, she recalls.

She said: "Reverend 'Jock' Woods had to close the church, for he deemed the steps far too dangerous.

"Osmington Village Stores and post office, which was run by Alan Brown, Dorothy Brown and their daughter Madeline, needed fresh supplies, for the stock was running low.

"Dorothy, a true Yorkshire businesswoman, decided to bake bread, for there were no bread deliveries.

"Mrs Dimond delivered fresh milk from her farm around the village.

"Mr and Mrs Brown contacted Portland Naval base to ask if they could help to ferry the desperately needed supplies. The Navy agreed and provided a helicopter."

This helicopter, loaded with supplies, landed in the field behind Osmington church.

Mrs Kreisig said: "Villagers had to go through the slippery church yard to the field where the helicopter landed, to bring the needed supplies back to the village stores and Post Office.

"This was like the 'British Dunkirk Spirit' all over again."

Thanks also to Damon Allen for getting in touch and sharing this photo of his father, William Allen, standing on the back rivers weir at East Street, Bridport in the winter of 1963.

William's friend, Robert Wheatley, who took the photo remembers what conditions were like.

"Those pictures were taken from a footbridge over the Asker in Bridport at a point just below East Bridge and looking South where there was a weir.

"You have two 19 year olds thinking it would be cool (yes I believe we used that word then!) for each one to stand on the ice above the moving river as close to the edge of the weir as they dared go and then have the other one take a photograph.

"We were therefore doing the sort of things 19 year olds will always do given the opportunity."

Robert remembers when the snowfall started on Boxing Day 1962.

"The snow came down on Boxing Day about 5pm.

"I remember that well because I was at a friend’s house in Melplash and had to trudge back through very deep drifts to my then home in East Road.

"There was no vehicular movement so you walked on the hump in the middle of the road where the snow was thinnest.

"The snow and the cold continued for at least two weeks and Bridport was cut off all that time I believe.

"I worked as an apprentice at Westlands and couldn’t get there until the end of the first week in January and whilst John worked in Bridport, there was nothing for him to do so we effectively had a two week holiday.

"I don’t expect we were paid but we wouldn’t have been too bothered.

The photo was probably taken on New Year's Day, Robert thinks.

He remembers it was very strange when the roads were opened again.

"It was like driving through Alpine passes with walls higher than your car on either side and great humps and hillocks of packed snow and ice to negotiate on the 'road bed'. "Passing places were cut into the snow walls because the snow plough could only cut a single file all the way to the other side of Beaminster.

"Instead of 30 odd minutes to Westlands, it became two hours."

And finally, thanks to Esmee Nicholls for getting in touch to describe facing those terrible winter conditions on her wedding day - December 29 1962!

After she married Roger Nicholls the couple had the reception at the pier bandstand, which was known as Pullingers.

Esmee remembers: "I remember icicles hanging along the seafront.

"It was so snowy, no-one could leave Weymouth because the snow had buried the train line.

"It cost our guests a fortune because they were staying in hotels and had to stay there a few days longer."

A helicopter also brought some much-needed supplies to Littlemoor, Esmee said.

"The helicopter had to drop off 50p pieces for people's meters because people couldn't get any electricity. I remember seeing all these 50p pieces so that people can get heating.

"They managed to get milk from Bincombe Farm."

*If you have memories of the savage winter of 1962 and 1963, get in touch with Looking Back on 01305 830973.