Leeds in 1947: How your city coped with one of the snowiest winters on record

Leeds felt the full force of Mother Nature for two months in 1947 as daily snowfall and freezing temperatures caused untold chaos and inconvenience for residents in a city still recovering from the Second World War. It proved to be one of the worst winters on record, with the heaviest snowfalls since 1814. The extreme weather conditions were aggravated by the immediate post-war shortages of food, fuel and materials. Leeds resident Les Levi was seven years old and living in Harehills when the harsh snowstorms started leaving rivers frozen and cattle starving to death. "When we opened the front door we couldn’t get out, the snow was 8ft high in drifts! I managed to get to school though, nothing could stop me!" recalled Les, who has been sharing his memories with Leeds Homeshare, a scheme which matches people who are looking for extra help and company at home, with vetted sharers needing affordable accommodation who move into provide the support. The photos are published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. They also run heritage blog The Secret Library Leeds, which provides a behind the scenes look at the Central Library and highlights from its special collections, including rare books hidden away in the stacks. READ MORE: 40 photo gems of Leeds city centre from the 1940s LOVE LEEDS? LOVE NOSTALGIA? Join Leeds Retro on facebook