It’s coastal proximity means our town swerves the worst of heavy snowfall but that hasn’t always been the case. Looking back through the archives, the notorious winter of 1963 was the year which saw massive snow drifts and the rare event of the sea freezing over off the Fylde Coast. The winter of 1947 was described as being the hardest in living memory and in more recent times, the winter of 2009-2010 was recognised as being the coldest in decades. Other notable times were 1981 and the mid 1950s. The photos are fascinating, particularly the ones from the 1940s which show incredible depths of snow and people having to dig their way out.
14. Freezing Blackpool
This wonderful shot was taken from the balcony of the Winter Gardens in 1952. The white building on the left is the Adelphi Hotel Photo: Submit
15. Freezing Blackpool
This is what a snow day is for... kids enjoying the Blackpool freeze of 1985 Photo: Submit
16. Freezing Blackpool
After the second world war, families from Blackpool made the trek to Durban to begin a new life. They were known as the Durban Trekkers and accounts of their journey were published regularly in the Gazette. It's an emotive picture from 1947 and they were leaving the snow behind Photo: staff
17. Freezing Blackpool
The snow cleared from the pitch for Fleetwood's game against Newport County in 2010 Photo: Bill Johnson
18. Freezing Blackpool
St Annes Square in the early 1960s under a blanket of snow Photo: submit