THIS week, Ted McKie from Innerleithen Community Trust looks back at previous winters in the town...

Historically, the recent heavy snowfall has had plenty of precedents, notably in 1947 and 1963.

Over the country such weather conditions cause chaos but even with modern machinery and communications we still struggle to cope, arguably little better than our predecessors.

Somehow, in the past they still won through as these photographs taken in the vicinity of Innerleithen indicate. In some ways they were better equipped to beat the freeze than we are now.

In the 1960’s Innerleithen had two Co-op stores, four butcher shops, four grocer shops, two bakers, shoe and boot shops, market gardens and dairy farms, meaning that essential supplies were within walking distance of the townsfolk. Did we run out of produce in those days? Not nearly so quickly, I believe. And days off school were fewer.

The picture of Innerleithen High Street is from 1906. Apart from the way the folk are dressed and the lack of road traffic there was little difference from a few weeks ago. Note, however, that both the pavements have been thoroughly cleared - different priorities with snow clearing in those days.

The snow-covered view of Leithen Road outside the Parish Church is from around 1900. The snow piled up against the dyke seems to suggest the wind was in the east – an ancestor of the “Beast”, perhaps. The lady standing on the road gives some idea of the depth of the drift but her dress was hardly ideal for the conditions.

The true depth of the snow in the winter of 1963, measured in metres not centimetres, is seen as the snow plough clears the road between Innerleithen and Traquair near the East Lodge entrance to Traquair House.

With snow piled high on either side of the road (B709) the wee car (a Humber?) is heading for Traquair village in that winter, taking advantage of the route provided by the plough.

It looks like there could still be packed snow on the road surface and it’s worth bearing in mind the car could only have reached there via the steep incline of Satyr Sykes. In the background is the East Lodge of Traquair House, which was known locally as Lockie’s Lodge.

At a time when Innerleithen had four dairy farms this picture from February 1963 shows the farmer at Tweedbank Farm clearing the snow on what is now Tweedbank Ley to allow the daily collection by the milk lorry of the 20gallon milk churns. No bulk milk tankers at that time! Today’s farmers, though much fewer in number, still muck in with the snow clearing.