From coldest ever to a walk on the mild side

Thirty years ago today, Shropshire recorded the lowest temperature ever seen in England as the mercury fell to a staggering -26.1 C (-15F).

What a difference three decades make – these pictures, taken at the exact same spot in the south Shropshire village of Cardington, paint a dramatically different picture.

Today, daytime temperatures were not expected to fall lower than 8C (46F) as the county continues to enjoy one of its mildest winters in recent memory.

But it is a far cry from January 10, 1982, when the record-breaking low was recorded at a weather station in Edgmond, near Newport, by Bill Burrell, who provided daily readings for the Met Office.

"I had frost on my eyelashes," he recalled. I knew it was cold that day, but it came as quite a shock when I saw it was – 26.1C. It had snowed the night before, but had cleared up and it was a lovely day – just bitterly, bitterly cold."

This year, however, snowdrops are already in bloom, daffodil shoots are bravely starting to appear, and forecasters said there was no sign of a blanket of snow or a big freeze heading in Shropshire's direction for at least the next couple of weeks.

Met Office spokeswoman Alison Richards added: "The mild westerly flow from the Atlantic has been unimpeded – allowing milder Atlantic air and changeable, often stormy, conditions to take charge."

Do you remember the winter of 81/82? Share your memories below.