20 years on - The Great Storm of 1987

[Interpol Shrimper]

Well, 20 years ago today we woke up to find most of the trees of the south-east of England had blown away. I personally slept through the whole thing & was surprised to find a rather upset mother (she's a bit of a tree-hugger) when I got up to go to school as usual.

Despite my school being shut, those of us who lived nearby were asked to report in to help clear fallen branches etc. - can you imagine the PC nanny state letting schoolkids get involved in such a dangerous task now? After that, I remember me & a couple of mates went for a bike ride around the few closest villages (if we could get past any fallen trees) and the one strongest memory that has come flodding back thinking about that morning today, was that the air tasted of freshly snapped wood and burning electricity (where I lived at the time had no power for 6 days).

What can you remember about 16 Oct 1987?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Nothing. Much like you I slept through it all.

 

[MrB]

My Dad sold his car the night before, in the morning there was a tree across our driveway where the car would have been (and where his new car would have been after he picked it up later that day) so we only lost a wall and a fence. A lucky escape!

 

[Cricko]

I was sunning myself on a beach in Mombassa and only heard about it a day later...The good bit was my son was conceived in Kenya ..the bad bit is he became a Teenager..:rolleyes:

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

I was sunning myself on a beach in Mombassa and only heard about it a day later

Ah, the days before worldwide satellite news channels!
Remember the crowd in the local shop/hotel reception when the English papers would arrive, especially on a Monday to get the football results?

 

[Slipperduke]

Did Rene from Allo Allo almost snuff it in this one? I remember something about that. And I seem to recall the roof of my Dad's wooden shed taking off and migrating.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Did Rene from Allo Allo almost snuff it in this one?

Think that was a later storm, maybe the one of winter 1990/91?
In fact I read about this the other day & it said the winds of that storm were stronger than 1987 but did less damage as all the trees (well those that were left obviously) had already lost their leaves!

 

[MrB]

Think that was a later storm, maybe the one of winter 1990/91?

Good call.

Scotland also played a part in his life-changing car accident. It was during the Burns' Day storm of January 1990 that Gorden suffered serious head injuries.

Driving in London during the gale, a piece of wooden advertising boarding smashed through the car windscreen. He still bears the scar on his forehead.

He admitted: "I try and forget January 25 each year. I don't do anything to remember it and try not to think about it.

"Hopefully, I may well be rehearsing for 'Allo 'Allo! next year when it comes around again."

Still recognised wherever he goes, people also ask him how he is, even though it's 17 years since it happened. Despite the severity of the accident, he was back on stage doing 'Allo'Allo! 24 weeks after the smash as he didn't want to let the producer down.

But it's clearly part of his life Gorden wants to forget.

During our interview, it's the only time the affable actor's voice gets steely.

He said: "I don't want to be remembered when I do pass as the actor who had the accident.

"I don't know what I would have been like if I hadn't had the accident.

"My life was changed but I wouldn't have known what it would have been like if I hadn't had the accident. I might just be like I am.

"Something has come into my life that has altered it but the experts put me back together again."

 

[Flaiming Moe]

Did Rene from Allo Allo almost snuff it in this one? I remember something about that. And I seem to recall the roof of my Dad's wooden shed taking off and migrating.

I think you might be right Slipperduke, I think something went flying through his windscreen, but he recovered.

I remember my Dad trying to keep a straight face when knocking on our neighbours door asking if he could have his fence panels back.

Didn't a house in Chalkwell Avenue lose it's roof or something ?

 

[SUFC_Al]

I slept right through it but spent the following day surveying the damage down Southchurch Boulevard where there were untold upturned trees.

 

[MrB]

I slept right through it but spent the following day surveying the damage down Southchurch Boulevard where there were untold upturned trees.

I probably walked past you! Took the dog for a walk down there, it was quite surreal.

 

[SUFC_Al]

I probably walked past you! Took the dog for a walk down there, it was quite surreal.

probably did! I remember there being quite a few people about. Walked right down Thorpe Hall Avenue as well.

 

[Cricko]

probably did! I remember there being quite a few people about. Walked right down Thorpe Hall Avenue as well.

What were you doing walking about on your own at 8 years of age Al?

 

[SUFC_Al]

What were you doing walking about on your own at 8 years of age Al?

I was with Rich and Ian as well, John!

 

[Mad Cyril]

Did Rene from Allo Allo almost snuff it in this one? I remember something about that. And I seem to recall the roof of my Dad's wooden shed taking off and migrating.

No - it was Leslie Crowther.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Our house in Ashingdon was without electricity for 7 days.

The roof blew off the King Edmund school swimming pool leaving us poor students unable to swim for six months and the smokers one less place to hide at break times.

Which reminds me, one of our teachers used to creep up on smokers and jump out with a camera and start taking photos. These would then be enlarged and posted on the school notice boards to shame the culprits.

There were some great action shots of blokes in slip on shoes, white socks and skin tight farrahs/tarrahs/sta prest running across the yard with bomber jackets over their heads in an attempt to conceal their identity.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

We were lucky only minor roof damage at my parents house. The local builders & suppliers had a field day with the cost of roof tiles & fence panels going sky high.

Southend actually played a game later that day as it was a Friday against Rotherham. You would have thought the game would have been called off but it still went ahead. I remember having trouble parking my car near the ground as there was so much debris all over the place. The game was a 1-1 draw & the crowd was a 2,217.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Which reminds me, one of our teachers used to creep up on smokers and jump out with a camera and start taking photos. These would then be enlarged and posted on the school notice boards to shame the culprits.

Lucky they didn't creep up on swimmers. Knowing some of the perverts who masqueraded as teachers in my school, they would probably have rather done that!!!

There were some great action shots of blokes in slip on shoes, white socks and skin tight farrahs/tarrahs/sta prest running across the yard with a bomber jacket over their heads.

The joys of late 80s school uniform, brings it all back, other than my shawl-collared cardigan!!! :p

 

[Mr. Benedict]

All I remember about the storm was that I woke up the next morning to find most of our back fence gone and the patio littered with tiles. The garage roof had also partially blown off, thankfully (for him!) the old man was in Scotland on business so the car wasn't there.
We got a day off school as well, so I thought it was all rather good!

 

[londonblue]

I remember being awake and not being able to get back to sleep. I was therefore pleased when I got to school the next day to be told to go home. I went straight back to sleep!

I also remember looking out of one of the front windows in our house at about 3-4 in the morning to see a tree lying on the ground. I remember thinking that will have to be cleared up! In the morning the tree was perfectly upright and OK. It was such a small, thin tree that I guess the wind blew it over, but didn't break the trunk. When the wind died down it just popped back! As far as I know it is still standing...

I also remember (vaguely) the roof of a building on London Road near the Cricketers blowing off, and onto a building next door. It was something like that anyway. I think that was when the flats there were built.