The Great Storm. We were ok here, couldn't get to work, no trains. Went to the station and met our neighbour who had been waiting for an hour. Walked home with him m, 3 trees fell, luckily away from us. How did it affect you (those who are old enough).
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Yes, 1987 not 1985. Sorry Mrs B, getting ahead of yourself
..... and yes I do remember it! Living on a housing estate with mostly tree lined Avenues, few streets were clear of 'lumps of tree' if not complete felled trees, as well as fences and other debris, getting the car through to go to work was a tortuous maze of a drive.
It was a sad time to see so many trees lost or damaged. Don't recall much local serious property damage though, mostly dislodged tiles and blown down fences IIRC.
Indeed 1987 and I remember it well, being a year of significance in my professional life.
I was living in rented accommodation near my pre-registration placement hospital at the time in Wood Green.
That evening, I went into Central London for an event, and thought the wind was a tad strong when I left to go back to Wood Green.
Later that evening, I thought the big sash window in my room would cave in due to the wind, however, it did not.
It was eerily quiet in the morning with lots of loose leaves and branches.
I took the bus to work, and saw the devastation with broken branches, collapsed trees and fences etc...
A number of colleagues did not make it that morning due to obstructions on the roads and loss of electricity supply etc...
More news and footages of the aftermaths appeared, and reports of deaths and how Sevenoaks turned into just One Oak.
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
DOH, indeed, 38 years! There was a man on Jeremy Vine whose house had blown away and I could have sworn he said 40 years, but I wasn't really listening.
Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 15/10/2025
DOH, indeed, 38 years! There was a man on Jeremy Vine whose house had blown away and I could have sworn he said 40 years, but I wasn't really listening.
Never mind dear,so long as you can tie your own shoe laces, all is well
My parents had taken me and my sister camping in their frame tent. While travelling to Wales they missed the weather reports on the radio.
All I can remember is waking up in the car with my sister and looking out of the window at my parents holding onto what was left of the tent for dear life.
I was living in a village in Norfolk. I got up as usual, went to the coach yard next door, got in my coach and set off to pick up the students for Kings Lynn Tech, but my route was blocked by a tree across the road. So I tried another route, but that was blocked by a tree too. Only one other route out of the village so I tried that. No luck there either, so I phoned the boss who lived just up the road and she told me about the storm. Apparently I had slept through it!
We were living in Hereford at the time and not affected. However, my mother, who lived between Orpington and Sevenoaks, was without electricity for several weeks. Her neighbour next-door-but-one had power, so they ran an extension cable between the two houses, so my mother had a lamp she could put on. Luckily, she had a gas cooker, so could manage otherwise. She was in her late 60s at the time.
------------- Freedom is a light caravan and an open road.
We live on the coast, facing south with nothing twixt us and the sea. so the full force of the hurricane was felt.
Interestingly, our house still had lead light windows. Sand and leaves somehow came through the windows but the structure was intact. Posh neighbours had their double glazed sealed units sucked out by the vacuum caused as the wind rushed over the top of the house.
Also the new builds, post WW2, lost roofs and most of their tiles were ripped off. The old houses lost the ocasional tile.
I went to the Netherlands the day before (on a ferry!), so missed it - when I was there everyone was warning me about the weather back in the UK (I was there for a wedding).
I couldn't believe how everything looked in London when I got back.
I had just got a new job at the Ipswich Hospital and was staying in temporary accommodation across town, got up in the morning to cycle to work and had to chuck the bike over loads of fallen trees blocking the road.
Quote: Originally posted by Lukeledge on 23/10/2025
Pre-reg placement for what role? Pharmacist by any chance?
DK
------------- Apple The Campervan - A Van For Work, Rest & Play!
- 2027: ? NL+DE+FR
- 2026: FR+DE
- 2025: 17/77
'24: 10/49; '23: 9/47;'22: 8/46; '21: 9/34
* Ex-tenter
* Treat life events like a dog: if you can't eat it, play with it or hump it, p1$$ on it and walk away!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: 40 years ago tomorrow
via mobile 15/10/2025 at 11:14am
