The title refers to the wickedly cold winter of 1946-47 which is the time-span of this diary The author was for many years the Advisor on Historic Buildings to the National Trust His work involved chugging around the country in his tempremental car, calling on dilapidated country houses and their (often eccentric) owners Back in London he socialised with some of the leading personalities of his day, including Nancy Mitford, Randolph Churchill and Ivy Compton-Burnett