The coal was frozen solid in the railway trucks and could not be delivered on time to people.
As well as electricity cuts, coal was in short supply. We had two terrible winters in 1941 and 1947. The coal was frozen solid in the railway trucks and could not be delivered on time to people. My brother Howard and I used to take our sledge to Howdon Gas Works and stand in a long queue. Then, with a sack of coal on board, we pulled our sledge back home – a round trip of some two miles. The coke burnt well if you mixed it with some coal.