The Great Smog of 1952

[Arese]

I've been having a read of a few things on Wikipedia today (during my lunch hour, honestly) and found myself reading about the Great Smog of 1952 in London. Estimated fatalties are around the 12,000 mark, and this was only 50 years ago. Not a long time at all in the grand scheme of things.

I know pollution control has evolved so that this kind of thing shouldn't happen again, but just imagine not being able to see more than a few yards in front of you, and struggling to breathe any clean air. Horrid, yet fascinating.

Any PH'ers or their family remember it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Smog_of_1952

Another win for The North

[Shaw Tarse]

It's the car drivers I tell you, bloody emissions will cause global warming climate change!!

[Arese]

Shaw Tarse said:

It's the car drivers I tell you, bloody emissions will cause global warming climate change!!

Well, diesel buses were blamed for contributing, as they'd just recently introduced them after stopping electric trams.

[shirt]

Shaw Tarse said:

It's the car drivers I tell you, bloody emissions will cause global warming climate change!!

nah, it was the candles on mybrainhurts' birthday cake that year. they banned him from doing it shortly afterwards

[Jonny671]

I'm glad i'm not the only one who reads random things on Wikipedia

Thats pretty amazing it was only 50 years ago!

[motco]

Diesel buses were not new then, and electric buses known as trolleybuses were common in some areas. Trams were still used a little, but the main single cause was coal fired home heating. Almost all houses had open fires burning coal and there was no such thing as 'smokless zones' at that time.

[Arese]

Jonny671 said:

I'm glad i'm not the only one who reads random things on Wikipedia

My Wikipedia trail was:

Bolton School
Bolton
Bolton Wanderers
Burnden Park
Burden Park Disaster
Ibrox Park Disaster
United Kingdon Disasters
Great Smog of 1952

[Eric Mc]

And what about the Great Flood of 1953?

Officially, 1,835 people were killed in the Netherlands, mostly in the south-western province of Zeeland. 307 were killed in the United Kingdom, in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. 28 were killed in West Flanders, Belgium.

Puts into context the terrible catastophic "trickle" we had a few weeks ago.

[Arese]

Eric Mc said:

And what about the Great Flood of 1953?

Officially, 1,835 people were killed in the Netherlands, mostly in the south-western province of Zeeland. 307 were killed in the United Kingdom, in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. 28 were killed in West Flanders, Belgium.

Puts into context the terrible catastophic "trickle" we had a few weeks ago.

"In combination with a tidal surge of the North Sea the water level locally exceeded 5.6 metres above mean sea level."

Blimey.

[Hugo a Gogo]

there was another flood in germany in 62, 60,000 people's homes destroyed

[mybrainhurts]

Yes, I remember it...

But let's not dwell on that, eh...?

[Shaw Tarse]

mybrainhurts said:

Yes, I remember it...

But let's not dwell on that, eh...?

Thank you for building your Ark

[mybrainhurts]

Shaw Tarse said:

mybrainhurts said:

Yes, I remember it...

But let's not dwell on that, eh...?

Thank you for building your Ark

Don't mention it, always room for a monkey like you...

[motco]

The Lynmouth disaster

[Arese]

motco said:

The Lynmouth disaster

A bit of tin-foil-hattery in there

[Eric Mc]

mybrainhurts said:

Shaw Tarse said:

mybrainhurts said:

Yes, I remember it...

But let's not dwell on that, eh...?

Thank you for building your Ark

Don't mention it, always room for a monkey like you...

What about the lady monkey?

[Jonny671]

Arese said:

Jonny671 said:

I'm glad i'm not the only one who reads random things on Wikipedia

My Wikipedia trail was:

Bolton School
Bolton
Bolton Wanderers
Burnden Park
Burden Park Disaster
Ibrox Park Disaster
United Kingdon Disasters
Great Smog of 1952

Good work!

I was on G650 Jet earlier, then to the B2 Spirit, then to the new russian planned bomber, then to some new russian missle thing thats been a failure..

Finished there, that was my last look around, I do this 3/4 times a day

We'd make a great Pub Quiz team!

[RobCrezz]

Arese said:

Eric Mc said:

And what about the Great Flood of 1953?

Officially, 1,835 people were killed in the Netherlands, mostly in the south-western province of Zeeland. 307 were killed in the United Kingdom, in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. 28 were killed in West Flanders, Belgium.

Puts into context the terrible catastophic "trickle" we had a few weeks ago.

"In combination with a tidal surge of the North Sea the water level locally exceeded 5.6 metres above mean sea level."

Blimey.

If this happened now, you can bet it would be blamed on global warming caused by Range Rovers.

[Steamer]

Were those the days when we had an industry to actually create a bit of smog?

[shirt]

Jonny671 said:

Arese said:

Jonny671 said:

I'm glad i'm not the only one who reads random things on Wikipedia

My Wikipedia trail was:

Bolton School
Bolton
Bolton Wanderers
Burnden Park
Burden Park Disaster
Ibrox Park Disaster
United Kingdon Disasters
Great Smog of 1952

Good work!

I was on G650 Jet earlier, then to the B2 Spirit, then to the new russian planned bomber, then to some new russian missle thing thats been a failure..

Finished there, that was my last look around, I do this 3/4 times a day

We'd make a great Pub Quiz team!

i tend to pick a topic then hammer it. not been on for a while but i was going through the monarchy and european history. wiki is ace.