The River Thames has frozen over!
Hurry up and put on your skates! Back then, normal courting rituals involved little contact between men and women except for the occasional hand holding during a short portion of a dance set. Skating, therefore, offered a rare opportunity for more thrilling, perhaps even full body physical contact. After all, one might need a gentleman’s assistance while crossing that slippery ice. And if a lady needed steadying by a strong pair of arms, a bit of cuddling even, to keep her sa