This quotation from Captain Benstead's book The Weather Eye seems especially appropriate at this time when comparisons are being made with snow events of the past. Interestingly and may be prematurely one national newspaper, the Independent on Sunday, has called into question whether what we are experiencing constitutes a real winter.

An article by David Randall has challenged the severity of current conditions. Encouraged by boyhood recollections of 'fogs and smogs, snow from Boxing Day to March, icicles as long as golf clubs and frosts so severe the sea froze' he has researched weather history in order to identify 'the ten toughest winters'.

His list comprises 1684, 1739-40, 1881, 1927-28, 1933, 1940, 1947, 1952, 1962-63 and 1978-79. My response to his findings has been to turn over the pages of the Banbury Guardian for 1881, 1933 and 1963.

This has been eminently worthwhile if only to reveal some remarkable stories that were deemed newsworthy during each of these years. In mid-January 1881 the 'Great Snowstorm' hit north Oxfordshire. This was particularly serious for farmers and horse dealers who had come to Banbury's Old Twelfth Fair.

Their journeys home were made close to impossible by blinding drifting snow propelled along by an easterly gale. Two men with a horse and cart were forced to halt near the Barley Mow in Warwick Road. They cut the harness to release the horse but at that moment their vehicle was hurled over necessitating a night's stay at the inn. The wind played terrible tricks elsewhere.

In Neithrop a baker's truck suffered the same fate while in North Bar a chimney of the property belonging to John Bolton was blown down and subsequently destroyed the roof of a lean-to. Thankfully no-one was injured.

The snowstorm left its distinctive impact on rail communications. Great Western services were severely disrupted both north and south of Banbury and on the Brackley line one train had to be dug out of the snow. Along the same line 40 men from Banbury and 17 from Brackley were needed to clear the drifts from a cutting near Farthinghoe.

Those who ventured on to the deeply frozen Oxford Canal did not necessarily fare any better. Charles Hirons of Chacombe was propelled over the ice by a fierce gust of wind before being thrown on to the towpath. He suffered head and arm injuries and was brought to Banbury's Red Lion before being returned to Chacombe.

David Randall, in his Newsweek column, claims that the snowstorm of late February 1933 was "one of the worst blizzards to hit Britain".
However, in north Oxfordshire it was the subsequent floods than followed in the wake of the heavy snowfall that caused most of the problems. Some of the worst conditions were in the Southam Road between the cemetery and Hardwick Bridge. Stretches of water two feet deep were sufficient to result in stranded cars and bicycles.

Many belonged to workers employed by the newly opened Northern Aluminium Company who could only reach the factory by following a circuitous route. Water also isolated Cropredy and turned the Cherwell Valley into a chain of lakes.

Up to now, the winter of 1962-63 is recorded as the third coldest of all time. It certainly generated some remarkable stories to bring home the realities of the conditions endured.

Two of the best news items concerned Banbury Produce Market and bus services. On January 3, 1963 there was only one stallholder in the Market Place. He was Mr FS Truss who met his fish train as usual and then remained at his stall all day who despite the snow did a brisk trade.

Another headline to catch the eye of readers was worded 'stranded passenger gets bus to himself'. He was 28-year-old John Kearse who turned up at Banbury Bus Station hoping to get the last Midland Red service to Wardington.

As he shivered at the stop along came a solitary inspector tramping through the slush to inform him that buses had either been withdrawn or had become stuck in snowdrifts outside the town. John explained that he was faced with a five-mile walk at which the inspector promised to see what he could do.

Incredibly five minutes later he returned in a 40-seater coach with conductor as well as driver. "In you get", he said and rang the bell. John was the only passenger and gratefully proffered his 11½d (5p) fare.
Coal shortages were frequently in the news. Stoically people arrived at the Co-op and Palmer's wharves with a variety of equipment for carrying fuel – push chairs, prams, bags and all sorts of other containers.

Patient queues presented quite a sight in Lower Cherwell Street.

Innovation also extended to sport. Middleton Cheney footballers spent one Saturday afternoon in a practice match on the canal at Cropredy – the ice was up to 14 inches (35cms) thick.

It was in 1962-63 that over much of Britain snow remained for more than 60 consecutive days.

This winter as Met Men play with fronts and kink the isobars, will we be still headlining the wintry conditions in March? I wonder!