Letter: Winter of 1944 was so cold even the chamber pot froze

It started to snow on January 9, and it stayed with us until a big thaw set in on March 18.

I can well remember that as my youngest son was born on March 22 that year.

The snow covered everything, it was up to the tops of telephone posts and the wires were covered, so were roads and lanes from hedge to hedge, there was no way we could get out and down to the main road at Hope.

There were no snow ploughs or salt, no big tractor, only a few men from the village with shovels.

There was no electricity or mains water in the district at that time, we had oil lamps. No weather forecasts, no bathroom showers, heating, and the toilet was up the garden – you'd dig your way whenever you went.

We had a small holding at that time, my husband made a sledge from a piece of sheet iron and wood. We had a cart horse, which was able to pull this along with the help of the men with their shovels. We went over hedges and fields and managed to get through to the main road at Hope, which was almost impassable. There wasn't a bus from Bishop's Castle for three weeks. The milk lorry got to Hope and took our churn of milk. We did this every other day.

MP Jones and Bennetts, of Pontesbury, got bread and food stuff up to Mrs Linley's cottage at Hope by horse and van. It was left in her front porch, and my husband used to bring the goods up to Groves shop in the village on this sledge.

It wasn't until March 18, the snow began to thaw. Shrewsbury and district were badly flooded, and our village pump packed up and was frozen, so we had to melt clean snow to use – some cottages didn't have wells, we had one.

It really was bitter cold, no heating, only a kitchen fire – it was a big job to dry our clothes and shoes.

There were no holidays like today, no going out for a meal or new clothes, and no such things as carpets – just mats made out of old jumpers, peg rugs they were called. Your feet were always wet, there were no rubber wellingtons then.

There was one very cold bitter night. Now, I don't wish to be rude, but it froze the chamber pot under the bed.

Dorothy M Bebb

Shrewsbury