One hundred years ago
The hope of an extremely mild winter has nearly passed away. Only the South of England has had anything to boast of in that way even up to the beginning of this week, Scotland and the North having had already two little winters of great severity. But in the neighbourhood of London on Thursday night 22 degrees of frost were registered, and as the barometer was rising steadily on Friday, it seems probable that the frost may last. The official prophecy for London and its neighbourhood for Friday was, indeed, of changeable weather, with much snow and sleet. But at the time of our going to press, there was no sign of any break-up of the frost. The usual result of the sudden cold will probably be seen next week, in an epidemic of bronchitis', pleurisy, and inflammation of the lungs. In the meantime, the young exult over the 'bracing' weather and the skating prospects, till now far from bright. Nor are they exactly bright even now, for in the neighbourhood of London skaters will probably have to skate in a fog.
Spectator, 15 January 1881
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