IT IS GETTING frightfully cold across Denbighshire and Conwy and temperatures have plummeted. 

This photograph, by Phil Micheu, gives an insight on how news photographers and reporters covered treacherous conditions in the mid 1960s, and they certainly weren't frightened to get out there to get the story!

Phil, of Kinmel Bay, a former freelance photographer, was working for North Wales Press Agency in Prestatyn at the time.

"We were all much younger then," he said.

"It was 1965 to be precise. Us intrepid press folks would actively seek out the worst weather possible, get stuck in and take pictures before digging ourselves out and getting back to the office to meet newspaper deadlines. 

"The road on this occasion was from Denbigh to Bylchau, between the Denbigh Moors. Before you get to Bylchau, you get to a village called the Groes. This road became impassable. Even farmers with their land rovers got stuck and they had to get tractors out. 

"We got as far as we could in the car. We had to dig ourselves out afterwards and push ourselves out a bit. We all considered it to be hilarious fun. 

"We knew there was snow down on the coast, so we decided to go out a look for snow. Chris Seager [who went on to present the consumer affairs programme The Ferret] jumped in the car with a shovel. I was driving.

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"As I drove, the snow got thicker and thicker. It was a bit scary but we just wanted to keep going. Suddenly, I had to come to a halt. There was no way through. This is where I got out and took a photo, and then we thought we would head back.

"The farmers pictured were helping to dig people out. 

"Today everyone panics when there is snow, but some people don't have the advantage we had, of driving in all types of conditions. A lot of the time, we are told to avoid those conditions at all costs.

"I've been out in everything, 'the lunatic press photographer!'"