The Great Smog of 1952: when the familiar became dangerous

I knew I wanted to write a story set in the 1950s – an era that’s always fascinated me. While researching She Came to Stay, I came across the Great Smog of 1952. My parents had often talked about how terrible the weather had been when they’d arrived from Cyprus, but I was oblivious to the extent of the poisonous smog that had lasted five whole days. Imagine – weather that takes over a whole city for five days, that doesn’t shift and makes everything come to a standstill. Think of all the things you could hide in that thick, dense fog. All the things you could do that would never be discovered. 

It was a moment in history when everything that was familiar – the streets, the buildings, the shops – became dangerous. In fact, the perfect backdrop to a story about false friendship and betrayal. 

What happened?

The fifties were well-known for the thick fog and greenish ‘pea-soupers’ that often descended, but nothing prepared Londoners for what happened on Friday December 5th 1952. It had been very cold for a few weeks and the clear sky that morning made it even chillier. As usual, those with open fires piled on more coal, not realising what was about to happen. 

In a few hours, what had started as a thin, unremarkable fog turned a sickly yellowish-brown. It mixed with the tons of soot that had been expelled into the air from factories, households and cars, and the toxic stew was now well and truly bubbling away. 

The fog combined with the smoke made smog and then the weather warmed up and created what was essentially a ‘lid’ on top of London – meaning none of the toxins could escape for five days. The capital was choking in a deadly smog that literally poisoned thousands of people. The government underplayed the fatalities – initial reports stated that around 4,000 people had died during the five-day period. But later statistics estimated that the number was nearer 12,000, possibly higher.   

Pedestrians blundered home, arms outstretched like sleepwalkers, desperate to find their way. Traffic seized up, factories closed and crime rose. After all, it’s amazing what you can get up to when nobody is watching.  

A wind finally took hold on Tuesday December 9th and the smog lifted, but not before it had wreaked havoc and gone down in London’s history as the deadliest five days ever.

Watch this clip from Youtube to see what it was like.

With thanks to www.history.com