Posted by Peter Ceresole on February 11, 2006 at 22:08:52 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.
In Reply to: Re: Flag at Beckfoot posted by Laurence Monkhouse on February 11, 2006 at 11:52:46:
In amswer to Ed's earlier query the big lakes freeze very rarely. Even the great winter of 1962 didn't produce conditions as described in WD.
There's a nice photo (among many nice photos) reproduced in Roger Wardale's 'In Search of Swallows and Amazons' which shows Evgenia standing on the ice of a frozen Windermere, leaning against the bowsprit of Maid Marion. It's not quite clear whether she's using the bowsprit as noncholant support, as in the bar at the Savoy, or as security in case the ice isn't quite up to the job... The year is given as 1929. It's hard to tell if the lake is frozen across, but there are people clearly visible in the far background, on what would be open water.