When I first started out in business in 1984 burst pipe jobs were fairly common throughout the winter months. They were the typical 'Emergency' job associated with plumbing. Our winters were colder then, than in recent years and many properties didn't have central heating.
Today almost all homes have central heating and this coupled with the milder winters {until this present one} means burst pipes aren't as common. These days a central heating boiler which has broken down seems to be the new 'Emergency' though I haven't quite figured out why this is so yet? I guess that our society is becoming weaker and softer.