Guardian: Apart from the “little ice age” that held Britain in its frosty embrace between the 16th and 19th centuries, allowing frost fairs and bull-baiting on the Thames, the UK has largely escaped the savage winter weather that afflicts our more northern neighbours. The four coldest winters of the last century were, in order of chilliness: 1963, 1947, 1940 and 1979. But it is 63 and 47 that remain the benchmarks for seasonal suffering. It was 1963 that had the distinction of being the …