Snow in London!
02-08-07, 04:16 AM
#1
Tinkerer since 1980
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Posts: 922
Bikes: Coppi racer, Old school BMX, some random a fixed wheel convertion
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Snow in London!
Yes a totaly pointless thread, snow in London very rare. Just got ery wet riding in but a good laugh and makes a change. Some photos from the fire escape of my office for ya. Such fun is added to the commute by a bit of variaty.
The Bt tower is in the background, I am looking west from Gorden Street for any one who cares.
The Bt tower is in the background, I am looking west from Gorden Street for any one who cares.
Last edited by TheBrick; 02-08-07 at 04:25 AM.
02-08-07, 04:27 AM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 16
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
great shots, London looks so clean and Dickensian in the snow. I rode in to work this morning-COLD FEET and wet but beautiful around Regents park
02-08-07, 04:30 AM
#3
The Legitimiser
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Southampton, UK
Posts: 4,849
Bikes: Gazelle Trim Trophy, EG Bates Track Bike, HR Bates Cantiflex bike, Nigel Dean fixed gear conversion, Raleigh Royal, Falcon Westminster.
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
4 Posts
Where do you work, Brick?
02-08-07, 04:57 AM
#4
Tinkerer since 1980
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Posts: 922
Bikes: Coppi racer, Old school BMX, some random a fixed wheel convertion
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
joem: Yeah I had two little ice blocks on the end of my legs. I may pop over to Regenst park at lunch to have a look, I ride in from deepest south east London so it's the Tate and lyle factory for me. not as pritty!
Sammyboy: I "work" at UCL. I am a Phd student. I get paid, but beeing academia when you work is flexible but I like to keep office -ish hours as I live with my girl friend who is a teacher and if I was on the night shift I would never see her.
Sammyboy: I "work" at UCL. I am a Phd student. I get paid, but beeing academia when you work is flexible but I like to keep office -ish hours as I live with my girl friend who is a teacher and if I was on the night shift I would never see her.
02-08-07, 07:29 AM
#5
Belt drive!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Posts: 2,614
Bikes: 2011 Trek Soho DLX
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
REMAIN CALM! 
It snowed the last time I was in London. Guess I brought it with me. We were driving by Wimbledon and it was getting a little slick on the streets.
It snowed the last time I was in London. Guess I brought it with me. We were driving by Wimbledon and it was getting a little slick on the streets.
02-08-07, 08:52 AM
#6
SERENITY NOW!!!
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: In the 212
Posts: 8,738
Bikes: Haro Vector, IRO Rob Roy, Bianchi Veloce
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Looks like a wet snow. Must be slushy on the ground. Watch out for drivers totally unprepared for driving in snow.
__________________
HHCMF - Take pride in your ability to amaze lesser mortals! - MikeR
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!
HHCMF - Take pride in your ability to amaze lesser mortals! - MikeR
We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty!
02-08-07, 10:42 AM
#7
Tinkerer since 1980
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Posts: 922
Bikes: Coppi racer, Old school BMX, some random a fixed wheel convertion
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Slush is as good as it gets in the uk.But You can still make snowmen. Even if they do end up dirty.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/36883948@N00/383804447/
02-08-07, 11:07 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 252
Bikes: Trek 7100 Hybrid
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
So is a Charles Dickens full of it or was there a time when London actually got more regular snow?
02-08-07, 11:13 AM
#9
more ape than man
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: nyc
Posts: 8,091
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by vtjim
REMAIN CALM! It snowed the last time I was in London. Guess I brought it with me. We were driving by Wimbledon and it was getting a little slick on the streets.
It snowed the last time I was in London. Guess I brought it with me. We were driving by Wimbledon and it was getting a little slick on the streets.i thought they got at least a little dusting every once in a while in the winter.
02-08-07, 11:21 AM
#10
Tinkerer since 1980
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Posts: 922
Bikes: Coppi racer, Old school BMX, some random a fixed wheel convertion
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
I think so in the 19th centery europe was in a mini ice age I think (don't quote me on that though) plus less globel warming. London being a big city though when it snows in region it quite often does not snow in the center because of all of the heat comming off buildings. Interesting bit of info here not about snow bt about the river freezing.
Originally Posted by https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A970733
The 1814 Frost Fair
The fair of 1814 is the best known and biggest of all London's frost fairs. The freezing process started at the beginning of January after a period of unseasonably mild weather and a week-long fog. The temperature dropped dramatically and, by the end of the month, the ice was thick enough for about 70 brave souls to venture from one bank to the other. Once people realised that the ice between Blackfriars Bridge and Three Crane Stairs was strong enough to hold their weight, they ventured out in their thousands.
By the next day, London traders, who had always been quick to make a penny or two, had turned the whole area into a fair. Rather than the stalls and booths going across the Thames, they ran down the middle and this mall was named the 'City Road'. At first the stalls were quite simple, either selling warming drinks, often alcoholic despite the lack of a licence, or providing a variety of amusements. They were quickly joined by nine printing presses creating frost fair memorabilia. A sheep was roasted on the ice and spectators were charged just to look at it; after it was cooked it was sold as 'Lapland mutton'. As the fair attracted more Londoners, the range of products and activities grew and people clamoured for souvenirs that were marked with 'Frost Fair 1814' and 'Bought on the Thames'. By the end of the week a small herd of donkeys were tempted onto the ice to give rides.
The ice continued to hold, though at the edges there were weak spots. 'Watermen' had to rescue two women who fell through the ice, although a lead-laden plumber who had attempted to cross the ice was, unsurprisingly, less lucky. When the thaw did come, it came quickly. A week after the river had frozen, three people had to be rescued from a large piece of ice that had broken away and by the next day the rise in temperature was indicated by a shower of sleet. This later turned to rain and the ice started to become unstable, sweeping two men down the Thames. The tidal action of the Thames returned and by Sunday huge cracks were appearing in the ice surface. Within 24 hours the ice was quite gone and the river flowing as usual, though the cold weather lasted until late March.
1814 was to prove to be last fair. A new London Bridge was built in 1823 slightly upstream from the old bridge which was eventually demolished in 1831. The structure of the new bridge was less bulky then its predecessor, which had acted as a dam. The demolition of the latter and the narrowing of the river through the creation of the embankments on either side permanently changed the flow of the river. The Thames is now too fast-flowing to freeze over, though there were plans to freeze it as part of the Millennium celebrations using modern technology. The two methods suggested both involved a system of underwater pipes to keep the surface frozen. It was suggested that chemicals could be used to lower the temperature of the river. However, objections were received from the Port of London Authority who were worried about the effect on commercial activity on the river.
The fair of 1814 is the best known and biggest of all London's frost fairs. The freezing process started at the beginning of January after a period of unseasonably mild weather and a week-long fog. The temperature dropped dramatically and, by the end of the month, the ice was thick enough for about 70 brave souls to venture from one bank to the other. Once people realised that the ice between Blackfriars Bridge and Three Crane Stairs was strong enough to hold their weight, they ventured out in their thousands.
By the next day, London traders, who had always been quick to make a penny or two, had turned the whole area into a fair. Rather than the stalls and booths going across the Thames, they ran down the middle and this mall was named the 'City Road'. At first the stalls were quite simple, either selling warming drinks, often alcoholic despite the lack of a licence, or providing a variety of amusements. They were quickly joined by nine printing presses creating frost fair memorabilia. A sheep was roasted on the ice and spectators were charged just to look at it; after it was cooked it was sold as 'Lapland mutton'. As the fair attracted more Londoners, the range of products and activities grew and people clamoured for souvenirs that were marked with 'Frost Fair 1814' and 'Bought on the Thames'. By the end of the week a small herd of donkeys were tempted onto the ice to give rides.
The ice continued to hold, though at the edges there were weak spots. 'Watermen' had to rescue two women who fell through the ice, although a lead-laden plumber who had attempted to cross the ice was, unsurprisingly, less lucky. When the thaw did come, it came quickly. A week after the river had frozen, three people had to be rescued from a large piece of ice that had broken away and by the next day the rise in temperature was indicated by a shower of sleet. This later turned to rain and the ice started to become unstable, sweeping two men down the Thames. The tidal action of the Thames returned and by Sunday huge cracks were appearing in the ice surface. Within 24 hours the ice was quite gone and the river flowing as usual, though the cold weather lasted until late March.
1814 was to prove to be last fair. A new London Bridge was built in 1823 slightly upstream from the old bridge which was eventually demolished in 1831. The structure of the new bridge was less bulky then its predecessor, which had acted as a dam. The demolition of the latter and the narrowing of the river through the creation of the embankments on either side permanently changed the flow of the river. The Thames is now too fast-flowing to freeze over, though there were plans to freeze it as part of the Millennium celebrations using modern technology. The two methods suggested both involved a system of underwater pipes to keep the surface frozen. It was suggested that chemicals could be used to lower the temperature of the river. However, objections were received from the Port of London Authority who were worried about the effect on commercial activity on the river.
02-08-07, 09:33 PM
#12
Commuter First
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 1,286
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Is this London, Kentucky or London, Texas? Somebody wrote something about the "UK" so that must be Kentucky. Y'all usually get a lot of snow thar?
02-08-07, 09:46 PM
#13
cyclist/gearhead/cycli...
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: DC / Maryland suburbs
Posts: 4,166
Bikes: Homebuilt tourer/commuter, modified-beyond-recognition 1990 Trek 1100, reasonably stock 2002-ish Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Originally Posted by bikedaddy
So is a Charles Dickens full of it or was there a time when London actually got more regular snow?
These climate changes are reflected in stories and paintings from the period. Ice skating was practically the national pastime in the Netherlands. Now the canals don't freeze every year, and when they do it's often for only a few days.
02-09-07, 09:01 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Montreal
Posts: 6,521
Bikes: Peugeot Hybrid, Minelli Hybrid
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
My grand daughter was in Montreal christmas 2005, when we had lots of snow. When she saw the snow she asked her mother if Santa Claus would be coming last night.
02-09-07, 11:32 AM
#15
Tinkerer since 1980
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: London
Posts: 922
Bikes: Coppi racer, Old school BMX, some random a fixed wheel convertion
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
1 .2 .3. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!! 
I love snow, maybe only becuase it is so rare. I am sure I would get sick of it but I would like to have the challenge of commuting to work in deep snow and cold temp ( < -10 deg C) occasionaly. The only challenge I have is to motovate myself to do the 1hr trip.
I love snow, maybe only becuase it is so rare. I am sure I would get sick of it but I would like to have the challenge of commuting to work in deep snow and cold temp ( < -10 deg C) occasionaly. The only challenge I have is to motovate myself to do the 1hr trip.
