The winter of 1979 when Sunderland was sealed off from the rest of Britain

It was the harshest winter since the 1950s and Sunderland felt the brunt of it.

The Echo today takes a look back to 1979 - but this was no average winter. You might remember it as the year when the region was sealed off by blizzards and rain storms.

Thousands stranded on the roads

It left thousands of motorists stranded. There were no flights or buses in or out of the area and winds, reaching gale force nine, lashed the coast.

Motoring organisations and the police warned drivers to keep clear of the region and they described it as 'complete chaos with nearly all roads closed."

At least 1,500 vehicles were abandoned on the A1. There were floods across Sunderland.

Roads became rivers overnight

Large areas of Wearside and Tyneside ground to a halt as flood water turned many major roads into rivers.   

If that wasn't enough, we were hit by snow storms as well, leaving some areas under 3ft of it.

The worst winter since the 1950s

It might have been great for the children on the local beauty spots which soon became ski slopes but drivers faced bedlam on the roads.

Weather officials said it was worst winter for 26 years.

We may not be facing such severe conditions this year, but we want your memories of 1979.

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