Devastating and Dangerous weather

Thursday June 28th 2012 Tyneside experienced biblical weather with a black darkness descending mid afternoon followed by several episodes of torrential rain interspersed with spectacular lightening and thunder claps.  There were 1500 lightening strikes recorded in one hour in the area according to official sources.

Although the rain came in again though the alcove ceiling above my desk it was not as bad as happened a few days before and apart from that I was not affected. It was not until seeing the local papers in the morning and viewing the regional news programme in the evening that the full extent of the damage was appreciated and with many families and individuals having their memorabilia of a lifetime destroyed as well as the contents of businesses and schools wrecked. The damage to individual lives and to property is incalculable and yet there were also many tales where the Geordie nation demonstrated Christian and socialist ethics and principles coupled with a spirit of accepting unpredictable freak acts of nature and getting on with it.

The storm is described as supercell and has already been recorded in Wikipedia as one of two in the UK in recent years and third known in Europe. They usually occur on the Great Plains of the USA and in this instance involved the clash of warm air from the south with cold air from across the Atlantic and the super strata of weather activity above. It should be mentioned that the storm swept across the UK and more accurately there were two storms and elsewhere there was hail the size of golf balls and a tornado. However it was the speed and intensive which stunned Tyneside and the wider North East and it was as one relative commented as if one had all the lights on because of the blackness outside and a power cut plunged the house into darkness.

People have used the expression of War of the Worlds and Armageddon thinking of Hollywood films seen than the biblical texts but for once they accurately described the impact of what happened. As much  rain  fell in two hours that is usual for the rest of the month and only once in the past 100 years has more rainfall been recorded and there are a couple of days to go.

The most used video was of lightening striking the Tyne Bridge although elsewhere in the city a house was struck and the upper floor caught fire but the family inside escaped without physical harm. The young man who pointed his phone camera at the Bridge and filmed the event shared a flat overlooking the Tyne and relayed the video to his closest friends. The video has appeared on televisions worldwide including Japan, and a huge photo dominated the background of regional news Friday evening. Only a week before the Bridge was also on national TV as someone abseiled on a wire from the top of the Bridge to the Quayside.

The other dramatic events immediately hitting the headlines was the flooding of the main city station and the closure of the Metro train system with the track between platforms in one photograph a lake. Both were closed several hours so too was the Tyne Tunnel which became a canal at its lowest point and with similar effects on part of the Metro system especially between platforms and in one instance a landslide also prevented use. I am not sure if it was this event or a separate one where the water accumulated on the Metro swept down and swamped housing turning one garden into a boating lake for the young person of the property. There was also film of two  others canoeing down the main street and the out door  artificial ice skating ring at  Tynemouth which I mentioned as part of my recent  visit to the town  was photographed as a swimming pool.

The damage to railway lines affected more people which the East Coast line only able to operate a reduced service between Newcastle and Scotland 24 hours later because of a major land slides on the line. There was a similar problem on the West Coast Line via Carlisle to Glasgow which caused passengers on one train to arrive more than 12 hours late making a journey time of over 16 hours. When the train was held up in Cumbria someone had the idea of taking the train across county from west to east to Leeds where it was not able to make progress north because of what happened on the East Coast Line.  Eventually it was sent back to the West coast when the line was cleared only for electrical failures causing a fire at the front of the train sending the passengers cramped to the rear for the remainder of the journey.

There were dozens of similar tales of multi hour hold ups and similarly on the roads because of closures and of people stranded or unable to reach destinations on time. A group of teenage girls with hair dos and special party frocks were shown trying to make their way to the School Prom at the Assembly Rooms in central Newcastle which had began two hours beforehand. Their once in a lifetime experience irrevocably ruined. Two people from South Shields were given overnight accommodation at the Metro and staff at a Tesco’s car park provided blanket and drinks for a family one of whose members had missed their flight and  was staying on to catch the next in the early morning once roads became passable once more.

No one appears to have died or suffered injury in this region although a man in his sixties was swept to his death in Shropshire. A holidaymaker in Alnwick had a lucky escape as she and her husband got out of the car which suddenly commenced to fill water in the main High Street and she was swept away by the force of the current. She attempted to grab hold of not one but two lampposts without success until an estate agent managed to get hold of her from his shop entrance and with the help of two others got into the safety of his premises. An elderly woman on her own because her husband was in hospital could not thank the young neighbours enough who had rallied round to help her when water filled her ground floor by several feet. An elderly man was taken to hospital after being rescued from his property suffering from hypothermia. There were several reports and one video of bus drivers finding ways around the blocked roads, picking up people often ankle deep in water and getting them to their destinations.

On Thursday evening was limited coverage on the regional TV because reporters could not get out and as one later said it took him four hours to get home from the studio. In fact on the night the presenter appeared stunned like the rest of us. By the morning the event had made national and internal news with the Journal having a front page full of headlines- Homes Flooded, Trains Cancelled, Roads Closed and Businesses and Schools Hit. Inside it was reported that 23000 homes were without power, Later the number was given as 50000 because of lighting strikes on ground based Transformers and overhead cabling. 7500 were reported to have been without power overnight and some 2500 remained affected some 24 hours later with 200 engineers working to restore normal coverage.

Earlier in week I mentioned having overheard that Ocean Road with its restaurants on one side and B and B’s on the other had been flooded but without confirmation. On Friday I saw pictures of what happened when the roadway turned into a lake with photos of other places under water in South Shields and Borough. There was flooding in Hebburn and in Bolden the River Don rose threatening to burst its banks and flood local housing to one inch. Being Thursday there was to have been a show at Amphitheatre but that was underwater as well.

I was puzzled by a report that he Metro Shopping centre Gateshead had closed in parts as the main under cover Malls there are between one and two storey’s of car parking between the main malls and the roadway, but Ikea store had water coming in through the roofing which was said to have been damaged, Youngsters from nursery at Newburn had to be evacuated and taken to the Ambulance shelter HQ to await pick up by their parents.

A significant number of schools were closed for Friday throughout the region. There was film of the damage to schools in North Tyneside and Newcastle with one teacher explaining that they had witnessed a sheet of water 100 metres wide, the length of the pitch approaching and sweeping through the ground floor causing ten of thousands of pounds of damage. Teachers at one school   stayed until midnight rescuing the work of pupils

One of the worst places where shops were affected was the Durham village of Lanchester where flooding has occurred before and where the owner of a hardware store said he would have to beat losses or risk being uninsured or having impossible to pay premiums. There was the damage caused to restaurant business that had only recently opened where the owners wondered how she could pay her staff with no income. In South Tyneside the Leader of the Council made a point of offering help to businesses including the provision of temporary accommodation.

It was evident that dozens if not hundreds of households had been affected. For those involved there was the shock, helplessness and then where do I begin to clear up on finding their irreplaceable lifetime records and memorabilia destroyed. One adviser encouraged everyone to take the initiate admitting that the insurance companies do not have the number of loss assessors on hand to immediately visit everyone. It was evident from previous events in Cumbria and elsewhere that it will time for properties to dry out before repairs can be made and family homes and businesses used as before. The adviser said it was likely companies would pay for the replacement of cars written off on damaged because of the flooding and speed at which it had occurred.

Despite the problems of the alcove ceiling above my work desk which I had repaired after water penetration two years ago, I congratulated myself again for living on a hill although having to walk back up after going out and returning with luggage from the stations (train and coach) or from shopping is not always welcomed especially when caught in the rain.

According to the weather forecast for the region while there was to have been showers later on Friday the morning was expected to be dry and warm although not as muggy as the previous day. It looked reasonable when I went out around 9 having forgotten to get a supply of the hard boiled sweets which I use one a night when my mouth has dried out on waking. I also bought the Journal and obtained a copy of the free morning paper called Metro.

I called in at the three bakeries for a cheese and pickle baguette but none were made up and also purchased three of half pounds of cherries. Because the sun was out and noting the queue that formed outside Barclay’s bank for its opening, I took a seat in the sunshine to read the papers before making way home.  It was windy and I had difficult keeping tot he pages and then I noted the sudden appearance of ominous black clouds and would you Adam and Eve it, heavy rain poured forth again. I dived into the small M and S store nearby and could not resist their two can dine for £10 offer. I purchased  an already  part spit roasted chicken with a side of potato cubes, cherry tomatoes and Mozzarella for baking, and a carton of raspberries and blue berries resisting the apple tart and other tempting puddings plus a bottle of red wine, the latter for putting down for the future when the under 16 stone position is reached.  I will return for two coasted fish with a prawn topping and the apple pie (for the freezer) plus a bottle of Rosé in the fridge but also for the future. I was impressed with the selection available and delighted to see that the local store which is primarily food is participating. I returned on Saturday morning and in addition to the planned also purchased a joint of ham with more berries and a further bottle of red plus the side dishes of potato, tomato cheese bake, with only one other left after me. I would have one of the excellent fish meals with one of the potato bake plus another chunk of the melon which has provided seven good portions for the £2 but of the fruit season to--date. Alas I did not get two. I was able to enjoy a cheese and pickle £1 baguette for lunch with some cherries.

I did note that we have now lost a card shops in High Street and that one of the two shoe shop is closing down which together with the other recent and longer term closures begins to reveal the extent of the downturn on our High Street which brings me to writing the politics’ piece or more accurately pieces as a plethora of developments make one integrated note beyond me as a quickly written item.

First as the sun is shining another walk into the  town centre  with an umbrella just in case it rains again on the day of the Northumberland Plate, The Pitman’s Derby at Gosforth with the Hoppings Fair on the adjacent Town Moor. It will be interesting to see if Tyneside does dress up or it is macs and wellies given the forecast for the rest of the day.

Morning in Tynemouth

Wednesday June 21st 2012 was a glorious day with the sun shining from shortly after the dawn until dusk. It was not a day to working at a desk whereas Thursday from mid morning the skies darkened and it has rained solidly until early evening. Knowing the weather forecast for the rest of the month I was determined to enjoy the sunshine and shortly before 10 am set off for the ferry across the Tyne to North Shields taking my over shoulder rucksack with me. I was well on my way down the hill towards the station before realising that I had not brought a notebook with me and having long lost not one but two hand voice recorders in previous years I hesitated but then decided to continue and trust to memory anything which I would otherwise had made an immediate record. Other than taking the decision to cross the Tyne I had no plan although I did have in mind the need for more black display folders for the top copy printing of the Google Blogs.

There was about a dozen waiting with the ferry still berthed on the other bank of the river and about twenty individuals alighted and a similar number boarded when it arrived. I found a copy of Metro which I flicked though with nothing engaging my attention and seated myself outside at the rear with the diesel fumes filling my nostrils on what was forecast as a high pollen morning.

A large area in terms of  the north bank, in length and width, has now been cleared of buildings and other workings in preparation for major development similar to here in South Shields passed the Customs House entertainment centre and  along until Tyne Dock and the Port of Tyne. I suspect it will be years before the finance is amassed to commence the building projects, On reaching the roadway from the landing stage I immediately saw that the new bus turning circle and  bus stop was finished with the road started from beyond the gates which marked the commencement of the development area project. Clearly whatever the intentions for the development the buses would continue to time their arrival with that of the Ferry and then turn round. I went over to the stop with its new shelter and  public toilet facilities only to note that the other passengers divided between going to this stop and staying where the old stop use to be just across the road from the entrance to the Ferry landing. This was because the white 333 bus came and deposited passengers by the landing and then turned the circle to stop here. It was going to the Park Hotel at Tynemouth so instead of the decision to walk to the Fish Quay and perhaps along the river bank to Tynemouth I took this bus. I was not in the mood for a long walk  such as from the Fish Quay along the river bank to the Tynemouth pier which matched that on the other side of the Tyne at South Shields.

The bus is provided by Pheonix Coaches who  only appear to operate this service and about which I can find nothing or published timetables except a note that it operates the service weekdays daytime. From the turning circle the bus went along to the Fish Quay to the turning circle there where the promenade walking commences along the river bank and on the way I noted a restaurant offering a three course meal for £3.98 which is the best value seen advertised for many a day and I would have investigated later had a three course meals been on my agenda.

The bus then climbed the bank to the North Tyneside shopping area and instead of turning right towards Tynemouth it went left following the one way system to the mini bus station and then instead of going the familiar route parallel to the river bank the bus went inland though pleasant middle class homelands until the Park Hotel which is an isolated position on the coast road close to Seaworld and Tyneside Park with Tynemouth Longsand below.

The Park Hotel is regarded as a Northeast flagship hotel Art Deco in style with rooms from £60 to £90 a night for a double with full sea view. I had only been to this part of the north bank sea coast a few times before, the latest four to five years ago having taken the Metro to Whitey Bay and then stopping off the Coast liner bus to  visit  St George’s Church. I had then taken the bus to Tynemouth. This time I walked on the grass overlooking the Sands, continuing past the Rocky headland which separates the Sands and King Edward Bay.

The coastal areas either side of the Tyne have more in common with Cornwall than the southern beach resorts I had visited the previous week although the perspective and feel of the coast between Tynemouth and Whitely Bay and between South Shields and Seaburn beach Sunderland is very different. One is still trade union labour working class and the other Tory middle class and this is how the voting works out in local and national elections when the battle remains between the two national parties, North Tyne going briefly Tory. Interestingly the Lib Dems only making inroads and taking Newcastle for a time. 

Similar to the coast road between Roker and the River Wear in Sunderland the beaches between Cullercoats and Tynemouth Priory are  a long way down below so that from the grass bank at road side pavement one has extensive views towards Whitely Bay and to the ruins of the 7th Century Castle and 11th century Benedictine Priory.  While some had made it down to the sands there were acres of space to sit or walk without other humans in view if one wished.

The Longsands is regarded as one of the top Surfing beaches in the UK with national events held annually. On the other side of the road is the impressive Tynemouth Park with a pedalo boating lake, a 9 or 18 whole adventure mini golf course populated by lifelike dinosaurs and the largest outdoor synthetic ice skating rink in the UK. There is a licenced restaurants overlooking the three featured areas so that the grown ups can relax while keeping an eye on the youngest participating in activities if they wish.

There is a fine semi circle three or four storey Georgian Terrace before reaching the Gibraltar Rock Pub which I visited over the past five years for the annual Mouth of Tyne Festival as traditional Jazz and swing bands play on the outside stage in the adjacent gardens on both afternoons.  Before then I had passed the Grand Hotel Tynemouth where I had attended the first meeting of the Association of Directors of Social Services after the 1974 local government reorganisation and the displaced Director for Tynemouth was the host, He was retiring after failing to gain the post for the new local authority of North Tyneside. I had speculated if the Director at South Shields would be attending. He stayed away while the new man coming from outside to North Tyneside had not yet arrived. The extraordinary Brian Roycroft from Newcastle acted as a kind of crown Prince. I have moved on from the years when I speculated if what was said about him was true.

Of interest now was whether there is to be another Mouth of the Tyne Festival with Jazz bands playing outside the Gibraltar Pub. I checked online later and learned the Festival is flourishing and expanded on this bank of the Tyne with South Shields opting out and holding one of the free concerts with Scouting for Girls in Bents Park on the Sunday afternoon. There is to be a parade on the Saturday as part of the Family Fun weekend, the weekend before when full use will be made of the performance areas along the new boardwalk.

The Mouth of the River event at Tynemouth has been expanded to make full use of the vast undercover area at Tynemouth station and I will head here for at least one day given the range of cultural events with have been posted including Flamenco, Jazz, a Choir and the Sage Academy of Performing Arts a steel band and other local performers.
The jazz sessions are also continuing with six instead of four sessions each day but with bands playing two sessions each day, providing the opportunity to visit and participate in the full range of streets events and performance which will take place along the wide Grand Parade normally used for park cars.

The other change is that instead of free concerts on the main stage by the Priory on the Sunday afternoon there will be a charge of £10 for adults and £5 for children in addition to holding to major band concerts at £25 a ticket on the Friday and Saturday evenings with McFly and Wanted. The Undertones are also at the Whitely Bay Playhouse on the Thursday. I wonder if they will also have the firework display which used end the event at South Shields.

On Wednesday there was no concern about the weather which has badly affected the Mouth of the Tyne event in the past, with the pavements cafes were full of people enjoying midmorning coffee with toast/teacakes and such like. I was very tempted but resisted. I took the Coastliner bus  back to North Tyneside shopping centre going though the rear of the Beacon centre to Wilkinson’s Store to see if they had the black display folders. There was major reorganisation of their stationery and related supplies with little on view. I hoped for better in South Shields on the return journey. The Coastliner bus goes from Gateshead and the Newcastle Bus stations via Biker and Wallsend to North Shields, Tynemouth, Cullercoats and then Whitely Bay. This service can take 90 minutes plus given the route goes through the heart of Newcastle over the Tyne Bridge.

I was feeling peckish although it was only 11.30ish and looked in at the nearest bakery where unfortunately the £1 cheese and pickle baguettes had already sold out and I did not fancy the egg and tomato. I checked out the buses to see if there was one for the Ferry, suspecting that the stop for the 333 would be the same as for the 19 service which goes from the Ferry to the  town centre and then on to Silverlink and Cramlington, a journey of an hour before   going back into the town centre. I checked out the Asda store suspecting that it was too small to have a good range of stationery items similar to those at Shields or Bolden. Before reaching the store I passed a greasy spoon cafe called the Cottage which offers an all day Breakfast of Bacon, Egg, Sausage, Mushroom Tomato and Beans, plus pot of tea or coffee and slice of toast for £2.20 or with double helpings £3.20/40. The amazing value ever. Pity about my dieting and I was greatly tempted.

I took the upper deck on the homeward ferry having confirmed that the 19 and 333 buses left from close to North Shields Metro station. At the North Tyne stop the bus was approached by two women who wanted to know if the bus went to the coast/beach  and the driver sent them into town centre, It was not clear if they wanted the beach on the Fish Quay but they had departed before I was able to intervene. It occurred that if strangers to the area they had confused North and South Shields. Outsiders can think that because of the common name both communities are at the mouth of the River and therefore have coastal beaches. There is a good beach at North Tyneside in the mouth of the River as there is in South Shields but the coastal beach is at Tyne mouth a good couple of miles further along the riverside. I will never know if they found what they wanted and where.

When a group including an inquiring middle aged woman and a man with a walking disability inquired puzzled when the ferry ended its journey across the river I responded. She had come with her parent’s years before when they had stayed as now at Whitely Bay. Now she did not recognise the location. This is because the new Ferry Landing has been created with the buildings demolished creating a grassed bank between here and the Customs House. I explained that the huge contemporary glass and panel building was a new 400 staff BT centre and the church looking buildings on the  frontage by the new yuppie housing in the former  east docks was also a call centre with the housing and the boardwalk and its sculptures replacing the east docks. No sooner they were on their way after telling them about the £3 million spent recreating the original Victorian South Marine Park did a young Asian young clutching a map wanted to know the location of the Metro station. I escorted across the road into Market Square pointing to the trees with the track above the High Street beyond before going to Wilkinson’s where yet again a major reorganisation and restocking of the stationery area was taking place.

Fortunately they had 7 of the required display volumes at £1.40 an item. The nearest bakery also had several Cheese and Pickle baguettes and I enjoyed one on a bench seat close to W H Smiths. I purchased two ready bagged half pounds of cherries (£2 in total).  I walked back via the Morrison escalators arriving after one. It had been a good outing and I perspired during the walking but I needed two or three such outings a week to begin to have some effect.

It stopped raining but the roofs remained watery. Next I will begin write about recent sport with England cricket one day games against the West Indies with the third game tomorrow at Headingley although the weather forecast is poor. Ireland play Australia on Saturday and there is a 20 20 against the West Indies on Sunday afternoon. The 20 20 season is now fully underway with Durham‘s game against Derby on the TV last night and a home game last Tuesday evening, Yorkshire also at home tomorrow, and away to Lancs on Monday.

I have been watching Ascot every afternoon including the amazing horse Frankel. The Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix is from Valencia this weekend. I am half watching Portugal play the Czech Republic in the first Quarter Final of Euro 2012 while of greater interest is the match between Germany and Greece tomorrow evening, then Spain and France on Saturday evening followed by England against Italy on Sunday.

However I will have a choice to make as Sky and the Arts channel have three evenings at the Island of Wight Festival in 3D from 6pm until 11pm. The opening day of Wimbledon is on Monday with Murray also setting his sights on the Olympic competition. I will use both working TVs and the recoding button to try and capture the best of everything. There will be a  lot to write about. I achieved  over 9 hours sleep using the  Apnea Treatment machine last night and feel good.