Guest 731- Registered: 8 Nov 2011
- Posts: 241
#1
So 25 years on who can recall that night. The scariest night Ive ever experienced and never want to again. I lived in Sussex then and went two weeks without electricity
http://www.channel4.com/news/the-great-storm-of-1987-25-years-onGuest 698- Registered: 28 May 2010
- Posts: 8,664
#2
We were in Canterbury. We lost over 30 mature trees in the garden and never had to buy logs until we sold the house in 2002. Many tales of bravery that night, the one that sticks in my mind was Pip Madge, assistant harbour master at Folkestone who was woken by the storm at 2am, although he was not due on shift until 8 he got in the car to head down to Folkestone to lend a hand, found trees blocking his way so abandoned the car and walked back to his house in Shepherdswell, got on his bike and cycled to work in a 120mph hurricane.
I'm an optimist. But I'm an optimist who takes my raincoat - Harold Wilson
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
#3
All I can say I was working that night on a ferry at sea.
Guest 1694- Registered: 24 Feb 2016
- Posts: 1,087
#4
I was on a 172,000 tonne bulk carrier called Ironbridge in the English Channel enroute from Sept Iles, Canada, to Redcar. We got through it, but not intact. Had to spend 3 weeks in dry dock repairing significant cracks to the hull and maindeck. The 4th Engineer and 2nd Mate left the ship whilst we were in dry dock and never went to sea again. Crazy, frightening and exhilirating. The ship was on her second voyage, having left Harland and Wolff in Belfast earlier in 1987 where she was built.
Guest 705- Registered: 23 Sep 2010
- Posts: 661
#5
I was working in Ashford as a rep for a glazing company-nuff said!
Never give up...
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#6
I was working in Europe as painter and decorator. Didn't feel the storm at the time.
Guest 672- Registered: 3 Jun 2008
- Posts: 2,119
#7
If I get round to it I have some very good photos from this event, IF I get time I'll put them on here for you.
grass grows by the inches but dies by the feet.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#8
My husband was stuck on his ferry in the Channel he said it was not too bad out there but he never did mind the rough weather.
I was at home with head under the bedclothes listening to the bangs and thuds coming from the roof while hoping the ceiling would not give way. All three of my children slept through it the lucky things.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
#9
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#10
Many trees lost here in Hackney. I had my mother and brother staying, they were due to fly back to Scotland that morning. I called Heathrow to ask how things were and was pleasantly surprised by the very tired but helpful response from staff manning the telephones, they had clearly had a hellava night.
I slept through it all, even though we lost a mature spreading-chestnut in the park twenty feet away. Later I went over to the park in search of magpie nests, I have heard they pick up shiny things, but no luck. I did collect a few samples of branches to make sticks and shillelaghs...they're maturing yet.
25 years, eh?
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
#11
I was working for Natwest at their computer centre in London. It was a Thursday night and I was on nights - we were oblivious to it all until theday shift came in and said it was quite windy outsiede !!
There were many trees blown down in north London ( I lived in East Barnet, Herts then, so had to drive through Manor House etc. I'm trying to remember the route, but can't) and in my street quite a few trees down and difficult to get home.
Roger
Guest 730- Registered: 5 Nov 2011
- Posts: 221
#12
I slept through it as well. I remember waking up and thinking it sounds a bit windy outside, by which time it had died down of course. Then finding there was no power and looking outside to find my fence laying on it's side. I escaped fairly lightly though, lost a couple of slates and the fence but that was about it.
Guest 774- Registered: 1 Oct 2012
- Posts: 498
#13
I was 17 and doing a YTS computer skills course in Ashford. I don't remember anything about the actual night, but do recall telephone wires swinging about on my way down Folkestone Road and finding the trains weren't running from Dover Priory when I arrived. I just went home again...
"If it ain't broke, fix it til it is."
Guest 731- Registered: 8 Nov 2011
- Posts: 241
#14
if anyone has any pictures I'd love to see them especially as I am not originally from round these parts
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#15
Poor old Seven Oaks too, I wonder how the replanting has progressed.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 650- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 542
#16
I was very ill in hospital in Milton Keynes. I heard the wind and the windows rattling, but my room overlooked a very small courtyard, so didn't get the full blasts. Even so, it was bad enough for me to wonder if the house was going to be okay - my mum was staying there with my children, looking after them. Several weeks later, once I had finally escaped from hospital, I was absolutely amazed at the devastation still to be seen, especially all the trees lying flat. They were like it for years afterwards, I remember, and on the journeys to Dover I'd see swathes of matchwood by the roads.
Guest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#17
I'm glad I checked. I had associated the injury to Gordon Kaye with this storm, but no. He was injured in the Burn's Night storm of 1990.
Perhaps we get more of these things than we realise?
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
#18
I knew nothing about it until I drove my wife to work !
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
#19
My wife was called to William Harvey to hold her sisters hand while she had twins, her sister's husband had declined to go in with her.
We had a caravanette back then and on the way home, we went through Capel-le-Ferne, the wind blew us onto two wheels, like in the movies, very frightening and very glad to get home safe that night.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
#20
Although I was living in London at the time, I was house sitting in East Grinstead for my parents that night, as they were on holiday abroad. As it happened, I had changed franchise within the same car rental company that day and had to go to Gatwick Airport the next morning to change my company car; all was going to plan until I was awoken by a tree banging against the bedroom window. It was apparent that the power was off but the radio was battery powered and therefore usable, so I put it on and heard what had happened; the local station was saying there were trees down everywhere so to allow lots of time if driving.
I got dressed in the dark and went outside to my car, which had the bough of a rather large tree sticking out of the back window! The neighbour helped me get it out and I found the car driveable, so set off for Gatwick Airport to hand in the old car for one belonging to the Central London franchise I had just started with. It took three hours for a journey that would normally have been 20 minutes and when I got there, I found that had dressed myself in the most revolting Hawaiian shirt that was only ever for daft parties!
True friends stab you in the front.