Weather stories

Ask my mum about the weather and she'll launch straight into the tale of the ladybird summer, when a plague of ladybirds descended covering every surface. Crushing them couldn't be helped and removing them from my pram wheels made my mother vomit!

But ask me and I'll tell you about a different season, the last real winter!

The snow lay thick and since my parents split up, me and my brother had been living with the grandfolks. Struggling to keep a 4 and 6 year old entertained, grandad disappeared into the garden. We watch through the window, what was he doing? He piled then squashed the snow, got out his saw and chopped it up? Piled it up one on top of the other? And then, after what seemed like forever he called us out. With the snow still falling, it was a child's heaven... our very own igloo!

Ilkley, Yorkshire, 1981
Submitted online by Emily Brown, January 20, 2004