IT WAS a snowstorm that hit Dorset and Hampshire with a vengeance on Saturday April 25 a hundred years ago and was the worst that anyone could remember.

But in those Edwardian days, nobody put it down to climate change.

These postcards, which are part of Poole local historian Andrew Hawkes's collection, show how the snow covered the area that spring day.

The Poole, Parkstone and East Dorset Herald that came out five days later had the story on its front page, describing at as a "severe experience".

A few sleighs were put to use - "an extraordinary sight for the end of April".

It happened on the day of the Cup Final being played at Crystal Palace between Newcastle United and Wolves, and the snowstorm badly affected fans going to the match.

Back in Bournemouth and Poole, snow fell for 10 hours from 4am and it was "disastrous" for local football and any play was "out of the question".

Snowploughs had to be requisitioned in places to clear the streets of snow that fell to a depth of 15 inches in places that gathered "in great heaps" by the sides of tram rails.

All steamboat traffic was abandoned, promenade concerts on the pier suspended and trees were badly damaged by the weight of snow on branches.

In some of the villages the fall was so heavy that the roads became impassable and "many people had to go short of their weekly supply of provisions".

Sadly, many lambs died in the fields and the storm "destroyed all prospect of a good harvest". It was a big story in the local weekly Herald - that many decades later was to merge with the Advertiser - but it wasn't the main story on the front.

What was? The top headline read: " The Church and the Breweries: Interesting Discussion on the Licensing Bill in Poole."

Oh and the Cup Final score: hot favourites Newcastle got beaten 3-1.