Swain House School memories: 'We just got on with it - in all weathers'

Swain House School memories: 'We just got on with it - in all weathers' reflects on how Bradford’s Swain House Primary School operated during extreme weather in the 1950s and 1960s. The article recalls that the school, where the writer studied from 1959 to 1965, closed only for designated holidays, unlike later complaints during hot spells when several Bradford schools shut. It describes severe gales and torrential rain on the night of February 11–12, 1962, when slates detached from the roof shattered glass verandahs and exposed doors were wrenched from hinges; the prefabricated canteen building reportedly lost its roof. Additional dangerous conditions followed on February 16, including instructions for pupils who left for lunch not to return. The winter that followed is described as among the most severe on record, with blizzards, heavy snow, and thick ice making the playing field unusable for weeks. A head teacher’s log from January 1963 is cited, noting snow blowing through a window crack beside an unmelted “hot” water pipe, and children were said to provide the only efficient heating.