A chilling tale provides the perfect festive read
As we recover from a heatwave summer of record temperature highs, it’s hard to imagine that Bristol shivered Siberian-style beneath blizzard conditions in the early 1960s.
Some of the lowest temperatures, and heaviest snowfall, for 150 years were recorded during the winter of 1962-63.
The snow started falling on Boxing Day and led to a great freeze which saw the docks covered in ice which was ten centimetres thick in places.
While it’s unlikely that we’ll suffer such chilling temperatures this coming Christmas, the story of that great freeze is outlined in the pages of Manson’s Bristol Miscellany Volume 2, the perfect present for anyone with an interest in Bristol.
But if you don’t fancy the chilly tale of how people had to boil snow for their water in the city, there are many other stories that have been uncovered by author Michael Manson in this second volume of stories from the rich history of Bristol.
The miscellany began as a compilation of things that piqued author Michael Manson’s own curiosity as he wandered around the streets he has called home for 45 years in a quest to find the ‘soul of the city’.
In addition to recalling ‘The Coldest Winter in 150 Years’, readers will discover everything from plans for futuristic aerial walkways in the city centre to the infamous Bristol accent; from notable buildings to Banksy; aircraft to almshouses. Even the most knowledgeable Bristolian will learn something new about the city.
There’s a chapter on ‘the stink of the city’, recalling some of the prevalent odours that have filled the Bristol air over time, from brewery hops to tobacco, from sewage in rivers to the sweet scent of chocolate.
Manson’s Bristol Miscellany is available now from the Bristol Books website, www.bristolbooks.org priced £20.
On Thursday 8 December, Mike will be at Gloucester Road Books, 186 Gloucester Road, Bristol, between 6.30pm and 8pm, signing copies of the book (and there will be warming glass of sherry awaiting those who attend, too).
If you would like to attend, please email mike.manson@pastandpresentpress.co.uk in order to help with the management of numbers.
