Well today has been rather impressive. We have had winds battering the office here. I don't think you all know but we have an office in a Warehouse roof. It is very cool but it did seem like the whole place was going to fall in around our ears today.
I also really feel for Ms Lizzie. I got a message from her today saying 'No trains. No phone battery. Will call you asap!' At this time she was in London on a training course. It looks like the bacon I bought for her breakfast tomorrow will just go to waste. . . . .
We have been getting phone calls from staff here saying that all the transport services were canceled or damaged or gridlocked. I think I will be stuck at work for ano ther hour or so before it all starts to calm down. I really hope there will be a train home today when I leave else I am looking at an hour and a half traveling time.
It has all been getting rather dramatic. A few staff here were worried about getting home, as was I: someone had said there were only single-deck buses running. Not true, as it turns out. There was a woman killed in Stockport by a falling wall, however.
One thing I still don't understand: do other countries not have the same things happen at the slightest sign of bad weather, or is it simply not reported over here?
If it helps, Mike, I can come over and eat your bacon tomorrow...
I left the Wirral shortly after lunch and crawled past overturned lorries and fallen trees and eventually some three hours later got home. The conditions were atrocious.
mrs baker sent the staff home slightly earlier today - despite the fact there was a parents' meeting going on in the hall at the time. apparently we're more important to the school than they are!
Well I had the pleasure of my Dad's company last night. He works at Salford Uni and commutes from Stafford station every day, the furthest he got yesterday was Victoria Station!
Other than that I can't say that I was particularly affected by the wind, although watching the tree outside our office being blown ever closer to our window was entertaining!
Hope Lizzie got home ok.
Nothing says "romance" like a kidnapped injured woman!
All home safe and sound despite a mega journey which included:
- No trains at all running up the west coast
- Trains being rammed packed within 10 minutes of turning up at the station and the doors having to be locked.
- The train running over a tree branch, gaaah !!!!!!! :(
- Train then breaking down.
- Delayed in Derby due to driver shortages !!
- A wobbly journey over the Pennines including a stop at New Mills when the train started tipping from one side to the other.
- Stockport station being closed then re-opened !!
But at least I got home ,although very late. Stockport station car park still had 300 cars in it at midnight of people who were stranded wherever !! We were VERY lucky to get home as I think we were on one of the only trains to get out of London. I dread to think what the alternative was given the queues in Euston for hotel accomodation !!
Well on Thursday we got the call to keep our classes in and not let them out during the change-over because slates were falling off the tiles and it was dangerous.... health and safety issues = bad press, etc. To make sure lower school kids didn't get there we locked the walkway off, closed certain exits, posted staff at various points, etc. After a lot of patience-seeking our classes disappeared after two hours.
They promptly ran to the broken slates and area they were not allowed and had a slate-chucking competition until the deputy came out and went rather nuts.
Andy wrote:They promptly ran to the broken slates and area they were not allowed and had a slate-chucking competition until the deputy came out and went rather nuts.
Did they chuck them at each other?
Nothing says "romance" like a kidnapped injured woman!
I went out for a drink after the gale's rather than trying to get home through the absolute gridlock that engulfed manchester. while I was waiting for my buddy I saw a bus manage to do 50m in 20mins in albert square. Ouch
