Pea Soupers!

[linda c]

Just watched the BBC1 programme called 1952 Show at 9.15am hosted by Len Goodman. They spoke of the 1952 fog as told by Ed. There was film coverage showing the London Hospital and a Dr telling of how they treated thousands of patients with respiratory problems.

The series started on Monday and all episodes can be viewed on BBC IPlayer. Well worth a look as they cover lots of topics from the 1950's.

Linda

[MBrennan]

Thanks Linda  

A link here to all the episodes to save people looking http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=1952

I will watch those later. Funny that we were saying this morning that in previous generations most people had much less than now and yet we didn't hear of rioting and looting!

I wonder how my dad coped with the smog as it would have been around that time that he had pneumonia & pleurisy after having an accident in Germany when he was doing his national service. Apparently he had to swerve off a country round to avoid hitting some children that were playing in the road.

Slightly off-topic, but would people from one area all be sent to the same regiment or was it random? - my dad was in the greenjackets.

Mark

[linda c]

Thank you for the link Mark.

I was just reading the National Service thread which might answer your question about servicemen and their regiments. My dad was with the Territorials and he served in North Africa in the Second World War. Perhaps other members of the forum would be able to tell us how when they were called up how their regiments were decided.

[MBrennan]

Thanks Linda,

Will answered my question on the other thread. It makes sense that regiments were made up from people from all over.

My dad never spoke that much about it. All I can remember is his accident, that Michael Aspel was their captain, he was a boxer and that he knitted 

Mark

[Tony Quinlan]

I remember the week long 1962 smog....am I going mad or did they used to light fires every 50 yards or so in the gutters   in Romford Road  to guide the traffic?

[pamela mather]

a friend i worked with in fentocraft said i got lost in east ham park on my way to work because of fog, a man use to walk in front of the bus i can remember my scarf being green when i got home its a wonder any of us are still here our poor lungs must be black
pam

[Byard]

I was working on the Northern outfall at West Ham putting timber hutting my job was to bolt up the corner of a 15ft x 15ft hut, my father the works superintendent came in and called for me, he couldn't see me 15ft away. It was 3pm and the job closed down and we set off in dads Morris traveller for the 18 mile drive home to Barnet, traffic was creeping nose to tail all the way to Whipps cross and the North Circular. Once we got to Friern Barnet traffic thinned out and with dad sitting in the passenger seat looking at the kerb steering and me working the peddles looking ahead we got up to 15 mph!!!!!
Theres was this honking from behind and we were overtaken by an Austin 7 the driver alone sitting in the passenger seat and driving, quick said dad follow him... We got home at midnight 9hrs to do 18 miles. Mum had a huge pan of savoury mince and a pile of toast on the table in no time and we woofed it down with glee.

A friend was followed home by a 117 double decker bus, he lived in Arkley, nr Barnet. Trouble was it followed him right into his farm yard, all the passengers had to get off while they turned the bus round. the driver was a bit red faced from the comments from the passengers but it did raise a laugh.

Next morning on the way to work we saw heaps of soil and hardcore etc dumped on roundabouts and any open space, fly tippers had just dumped there loads in the pea souper. 

[pamela mather]

no change there we dont need fog now for that they dump rubbish in broad day light    pam