During the winter of 1946/1947, one of the harshest in decades, my brother and myself (five and six years old, respectively) were living with an aunt at Greatstone-on-Sea, in Kent.

Every day, throughout the long weeks that deep snow covered the area, we walked (on our own) a mile and a half across the marshes to and from school in New Romney, where we sat through lessons in our coats, scarves and gloves because there was also an acute shortage of coal for the fires (no central heating in those days).

The school never closed and we did not miss a day's schooling.

More to the point, we did not regard ourselves as being hard done by, even when we were waist-deep in snow with a blizzard howling around us – but looked upon the whole experience as a great adventure.

I'm not advocating that today's generation of children should be forced to endure the same conditions, but I do think that many, if not most, of the school closures that occurred during the recent bad weather were totally unnecessary.

We are in great danger of raising a generation of wimps who will carry a lack of fortitude and ability to cope with adversity into their adult lives.

Robert Readman Bournemouth