Was 10 at time. Slept through most of it, shocked when I got up and saw the damage. Went out for a walk with my dad along the road from Lee to Blackheath village next morning. Stagger at the devastation - entire road was impassable, trees down all the way along.
I almost slept through it. I remember waking up in the middle of the night, thinking it was a bit draughty, and pulling the window shut.
Next morning I couldn't get in to Sevenoaks by car and couldn't find anywhere to fill up with petrol so in the end I had to drive back to Orpington and bike it. Negotiating my way over or under 6 trees in the first mile (Park Avenue, Orpington, pictured on the front page of the following day's Telegraph) and then down Polhill I finally made it. Then it p****d down on the way home!
To this day Polhill looks different. Before the storm that side out towards the valley could have been the end of the world. Since then there has always been some kind of a view.
Dear old Michael Fish Face as my Nan used to call him.
"Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way… well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't"
Some things always stay with you, i remember this,was living in Catford at the time, can remember being woken up and sitting by my window just watching it all unfold. Will try to find time on Monday to watch it.
I was at secondary school (John Roan) lived on Foyle Road, tree's down at the top and bottom of the road, Slept straight through it all, woken up by Dad in the morning to see the destruction.
Dad went off to work and I guess walked to New Cross and probably bused in from there to the city.
Been out for a beer with my brother tonight, reminded him about the storm and how me, mum, dad and (baby at the time) sister slept though it. He said he remembered too. I asked how much he remembered, he said 'the shed falling down'. I said, so you don't remember shitting the bed then? He looked at me in a way only a brother can do and said. 'I remember wanting to get out of bed, but being scared fucking shitless!
At times I love that bloke, especially when he says stuff like that louder than the jukebox in the pub!
I was a bloody student at Manchester Poly & had been out on the lash the night before, got up early to catch the first train down to my folks in Brighton. Didn't know there had been a storm , didn't read the papers or see any news (probably too hungover) - started to notice all these trees lying about as we headed further south. Got to Euston & there was no underground service to Victoria, took a cab to Victoria - no trains to Brighton, went to the Coach Station & there were several hundred people battling to get on the National Express - finally got the last one & arrived home at 4am - it was dark so didn't see the full devastation through Surrey/Sussex. A 20 hour journey it turned out to be...........
I lived just off Bromley High Street at the time in a ground floor flat. I was lumbered with writing a report for a client and like the good diligent child that I am, and it being needed for the following day, I decided to do it at home. As I sat in my front room as the evening wore on I could hear the wind howling around and things clanging and banging around. It got to sometime after two in the morning and I crashed out exhausted. My bedroom had an old Victorian Fireplace and the noise of the wind was awesome, it sounded like the roof was going to blow off. I must have nodded off and the next I remember is the phone ringing. I rushed to answer it, still half asleep. It was my boss who lived near Southend.
"You alright?" he said,
"Yes why?",
"The storm last night has flattened alot of trees and I can't get to work" He replied
"Yes is was windy here as well"
As I said this, the sleepy cloud from my eyes cleared and I was staring at what was left of my garden. Somebody elses seriously damaged shed was there upside down. My garden wall on the right was flattened, the fence on the other side had gone. A huge tree at the end of my garden had fallen towards my house missing it by a small distance. The shock was like a slap across the face.
I agreed to check out how I might get to work. There was no power, the only access to information was via the car radio. I went to the front of my house and saw that virtually all the avenue of tree's in my road were down and I couldn't get my car out. I went down to the station which was locked. Basically there was no way I could go to work. Gradually from listening to the radio it became clear the scale of the destrucion.
Eventually by the afternoon, we got some power back and our road was re-opened as they cleared enough of the fallen tree branches so that cars could squeeze through.
I drove towards my parents house out on the edge of the North Downs the between Orpington and Sevenoaks. The devastation was incredible. Many side roads were blocked. My parents live in an area with overhead power lines and these were flattened. They did not get their power back for two weeks.
There is a great series of books by a bloke called Bob Ogley called I think, "In The Wake of The Hurricane" which is worth a look. Lots of pictures and stories of that day.
I saw Bob Dylan at Wembley the night before and drove across London back home. I thought it was a little windy but thought no more of it. I went to bed. I did not stir at all (nothing changes). I woke up and saw news of big winds, but thought nothing of it. I set off for work and hit a traffic jam within 200 yards as a tree blocked a side street. I went back home and had some coffee.
Was living in flat in Hither Green with Kev 'Goodbye Horse' Portch. Got wasted the night before, slept like a baby, got up walked to the station, tried to get on the platform, chap says there is no trains, 'why not' says I, bloke looks at me as if I'm an idiot (which happens quite a lot) and says 'I dont 'spose you saw that most of the cars round here have trees on their roofs, did you'. Anyway went to the caff for brekkie and back to the pub! Great day!! They should do it again.
I drove to work- i was a peri teacher at the time, row of trees down in this road, resting against houses and as far as i could see, not a broken window.
Got to the school and only a few of the (salaried) teachers had managed to make it to work, dispite presumably being a lot more local that i was.
Amazing how only being paid if you turn up gets you to work.
I was living at the time in Sawbridgeworth. I was manager of a Boots store in Oxford St just down from Selfridges. It had formerly been a shoe shop and had huge windows 6ft wide and about 20 ft high. I got a call from my early morning porter at 5.30am to say that both windows either side of the doors had been blown in top to bottom as if they had been blasted out by a bomb. There were no trains into Liverpool St so I went down to my wife's pharmacy in Harlow to see if I could help any where but found I was suprlus to requirements so I too proceeded to get absolutely smashed ( a common theme!) I can remember playing spot with tomato ketchup in a fish and chip shop at tea time before having more beer and getting an almighty rollicking from my wife for being in such a bad state. That evening she made spag bol for tea but I forgot to come home especially as I had eaten so when I finally turned in at 12ish I thought hey I'm a bit peckish and put a pan of water on to cook some spag and turned the heat on to warm up the sauce to eat the left overs. Settled down into my comfy chair only to be woken by our cat clawing away at me 2 hours later to find the house full of smoke as everything had boiled/cooked dry. Legged it upstairs frantically telling wife we had a fire opening windows all over. House stunk for ages, had to get new cooker and saucepans and decorate throughout. Wife managed to call fire brigade off from turning up. Thankfully my assistant manager sorted out the window problem which was an incredible scene of devastation.
So yes I do remember that day quite eventful for many reasons
Was inbetween jobs so was helping a mate on his milk round and our float got overtaken by a shed!!! We were stopped by the police and sent back to the yard. Never found out what happened to the shed lol.
I was working in The City - still am same job and back at the same company now.
Woke up and wondered why my clock radio hadn't gone off. There had been a powercut in the night and so it had reset.
Decided to drive to work, Blackheath was wild,fallen trees everywhere. I remember my old Vauxhall Cavierler wobbling form sode to side as I went over London Bridge.
Got into work and was treated as a hero,one of only a handful who got in. The boss paid my car park fee and we all went home again as the BOE declared it a Bank Holiday for trading purposes.
Comments
I remember the Michael Fish broadcast.
Next morning I couldn't get in to Sevenoaks by car and couldn't find anywhere to fill up with petrol so in the end I had to drive back to Orpington and bike it. Negotiating my way over or under 6 trees in the first mile (Park Avenue, Orpington, pictured on the front page of the following day's Telegraph) and then down Polhill I finally made it. Then it p****d down on the way home!
To this day Polhill looks different. Before the storm that side out towards the valley could have been the end of the world. Since then there has always been some kind of a view.
"Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way… well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't"
Will try to find time on Monday to watch it.
Dad went off to work and I guess walked to New Cross and probably bused in from there to the city.
I went to the Pub; which was full of my peers.
At times I love that bloke, especially when he says stuff like that louder than the jukebox in the pub!
"You alright?" he said,
"Yes why?",
"The storm last night has flattened alot of trees and I can't get to work" He replied
"Yes is was windy here as well"
As I said this, the sleepy cloud from my eyes cleared and I was staring at what was left of my garden. Somebody elses seriously damaged shed was there upside down. My garden wall on the right was flattened, the fence on the other side had gone. A huge tree at the end of my garden had fallen towards my house missing it by a small distance. The shock was like a slap across the face.
I agreed to check out how I might get to work. There was no power, the only access to information was via the car radio. I went to the front of my house and saw that virtually all the avenue of tree's in my road were down and I couldn't get my car out. I went down to the station which was locked. Basically there was no way I could go to work. Gradually from listening to the radio it became clear the scale of the destrucion.
Eventually by the afternoon, we got some power back and our road was re-opened as they cleared enough of the fallen tree branches so that cars could squeeze through.
I drove towards my parents house out on the edge of the North Downs the between Orpington and Sevenoaks. The devastation was incredible. Many side roads were blocked. My parents live in an area with overhead power lines and these were flattened. They did not get their power back for two weeks.
There is a great series of books by a bloke called Bob Ogley called I think, "In The Wake of The Hurricane" which is worth a look. Lots of pictures and stories of that day.
Anyway went to the caff for brekkie and back to the pub! Great day!! They should do it again.
Woke up in the morning to a few trees over cars in the close that i live in Greenhithe. Kent was a mess for months afterwards.
Loving the posts people. Especially Carters.
Got to the school and only a few of the (salaried) teachers had managed to make it to work, dispite presumably being a lot more local that i was.
Amazing how only being paid if you turn up gets you to work.
20 years ago, blimey!
I was living at the time in Sawbridgeworth. I was manager of a Boots store in Oxford St just down from Selfridges. It had formerly been a shoe shop and had huge windows 6ft wide and about 20 ft high. I got a call from my early morning porter at 5.30am to say that both windows either side of the doors had been blown in top to bottom as if they had been blasted out by a bomb. There were no trains into Liverpool St so I went down to my wife's pharmacy in Harlow to see if I could help any where but found I was suprlus to requirements so I too proceeded to get absolutely smashed ( a common theme!) I can remember playing spot with tomato ketchup in a fish and chip shop at tea time before having more beer and getting an almighty rollicking from my wife for being in such a bad state. That evening she made spag bol for tea but I forgot to come home especially as I had eaten so when I finally turned in at 12ish I thought hey I'm a bit peckish and put a pan of water on to cook some spag and turned the heat on to warm up the sauce to eat the left overs. Settled down into my comfy chair only to be woken by our cat clawing away at me 2 hours later to find the house full of smoke as everything had boiled/cooked dry. Legged it upstairs frantically telling wife we had a fire opening windows all over. House stunk for ages, had to get new cooker and saucepans and decorate throughout. Wife managed to call fire brigade off from turning up. Thankfully my assistant manager sorted out the window problem which was an incredible scene of devastation.
So yes I do remember that day quite eventful for many reasons
i've emailed my mates who were out on that bender with me so we're all reminicsing now.
I was doing a paper round at the time and clearly recall dodging fallen trees and chimney pots cycling to the shop on my racer!
The old boy that ran it couldn't believe I had turned up.
On a sadder note, I am led to believe that a friend of mine's uncle was killed by a fallen tree on his car that evening.
Anyone????????????????????????????????????????
sorry !
Apologies mate
Thanks for that.
Well done Bill.
Woke up and wondered why my clock radio hadn't gone off. There had been a powercut in the night and so it had reset.
Decided to drive to work, Blackheath was wild,fallen trees everywhere. I remember my old Vauxhall Cavierler wobbling form sode to side as I went over London Bridge.
Got into work and was treated as a hero,one of only a handful who got in. The boss paid my car park fee and we all went home again as the BOE declared it a Bank Holiday for trading purposes.