Drifts from blizzard halted Swiss rolls on Dunstable Downs

The Gazette that week was full of news about the blizzard. The Watling Street was blocked by a deep drift at Hockliffe Hill, where a beer tanker overturned, and there were large snow drifts by the Travellers Rest, causing the road to Aylesbury to be closed for two days.

The problems for car and bus travellers caused the local railway to come into its own. The Dunstable Flyer, travelling along the branch line from Leighton Buzzard, found itself accommodating 250 passengers on its early-morning train.

> In case you are still puzzling over that Showbiz XI football team featured in Yesteryear a few weeks ago, here are the names of the players: back row, left to right standing, Tommy Steele, Ronnie Carroll, Glen Mason, Andrew Ray, music publisher Franklyn Boyd, theatrical agent Pip Wedge, Spurs star Len ‘Duke’ Duquemin, referee Eddie Edmunds, linesmen Ron Millett and Norman Williams. Kneeling are recording managers Siggy Jackson and John Burgess and singer Kenny Lynch.

> Yesteryear is compiled by John Buckledee, chairman of Dunstable and District Local History Society.