A white Christmas is quite rare, especially in England, but a spectacular one happened in 1938. That November was so mild it had felt like summer. But on December 17 a biting easterly wind swept in and snow fell for the next 8 days. Postal workers faced horrendous conditions battling through snowdrifts to deliver the Christmas mail. The Times reported: “The Post Office used motor vehicles in places but could make no headway on iced-up roads or through snowdrifts, and the horse, pony-trap and the bicycle took their place. One postwoman took out her mailbags on a sleigh.” Another postman had to be dug out from 6ft of snow near Newbury, Berkshire.

By Christmas Day the country was frozen. “Twenty-three men and women broke the ice on the Serpentine in Hyde Park with broom-sticks on Christmas morning — and dived in,” exclaimed The Times. There was plenty of skiing and tobogganing down hillsides, and iceskating on frozen lakes. Hundreds of people turned out in the cold to see George VI and the Royal Family arrive at Sandringham parish church for the Christmas Day service, and the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret enjoyed a walk back through the snow.

Deep drifts cut off towns in Kent. In Deal, cars were buried up to their roofs, and a snowdrift 30ft high reached up to telegraph wires at St Margaret’s Bay.

Conditions were even worse elsewhere in Europe for the flocks of birds that tried to flee the cold by flying over the English Channel, only to find conditions in England almost as bad.