Allotments 4 All
General => News => Topic started by: OliveOil on July 05, 2007, 13:22:27
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Flood-ravaged Hull 'a forgotten city'
Hull is a "forgotten city" and needs urgent help as hundreds remain homeless after the devastating floods, a council leader has claimed.
Carl Minns, the leader of Hull City Council, has slammed the lack of attention the city has received compared with other areas and called on the Government for urgent help as the cost of the damage is estimated at as much as £200 million.
Many residents of the 10,500 properties evacuated in the city may not be able to return home for up to a year. Around 17,000 homes have damage ranging from waterlogged gardens to belongings floating in 4ft of water.
He said: "We are the forgotten city in this disaster. Hull has been more affected than all of South Yorkshire put together by these floods. Hull has been the hardest hit - what we are dealing with is a disaster."
"What we have in Sheffield and Doncaster is terrible and my heartfelt sympathy goes out to those people. But their problems have been fairly localised, whereas ours is spread right across the city. Hull also needs help.
"We are starting to rebuild but the city won't recover for around two years. The Government needs to help this city with a large injection of capital, otherwise this city will not recover."
He added: "Quite frankly if this was Chelsea or Fulham, this would have been plastered over the front pages for weeks."
Many people have been forced to stay with friends and relatives, sleeping on the floor or in caravans, or forced to live in hotels, he said.
About 1,500 volunteers and council staff are on a fact-finding mission on Thursday to survey damaged properties and find out how residents' needs can be met.
The council has already diverted £18 million from a home improvement programme for use in repairing flood-damaged homes.
A Flood Hardship Fund has also been launched, but Mr Minns said more money is needed. Insurance companies have told some people they will have to stay away for six to 12 months for their homes to be put right.
Mr Minns estimated the cost of damage to Hull schools at £70-100 million, with some schools unlikely to reopen until next year.
"We're patching up and reopening as best we can but 95 per cent of schools have been affected. We're having to bus students to other schools. At one school they were finishing their GCSEs ankle deep in water."
Torrential downpours made last month the wettest June for almost 150 years, forecasters have said. An average of 140mm of rain fell across England and Wales - twice the long-term average and the highest since 1860.
© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.
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The last lines to this old folk song I used to sing come to mind. They could add a few more verses nowadays.
The Dalesman's Litany
It's hard when folks can't find the work where they've been bred and born
When I was young I always thought I'd bide 'midst roots and corn
But I've been forced to work in town so here's my litany
From Hull and Halifax and Hell, good Lord deliver me
When I was courting Mary Jane, the old squire he says to me
I've got no rooms for wedded folk, choose whether to go or to stay
I could not give up the girl I loved, so to town I was forced to flee
From Hull and Halifax and Hell, good Lord deliver me
I've worked in Leeds and Huddersfied and I've earned some honest brass
In Bradford, Keighley, Rotherham I've kept my bairns and lass
I've travelled all three Ridings round and once I went to sea
From forges, mills and coaling boats, good Lord deliver me
I've walked at night through Sheffield lanes, 'twas just as being in hell
Where furnaces thrust out tongues of fire and roared like the wind on the fell
I've sammed up coals in Barnsley pits with muck up to my knee
From Barnsley, Sheffield, Rotherham, good Lord deliver me
I've seen fog creep across Leeds bridge as thick as the Bastille soup
I've lived where folks were stowed away like rabbits in a coop
I've seen snow float down Bradford Beck as black as ebony
From Hunslet, Holbeck, Wibsey Stack, good Lord deliver me
But now that all our children have gone, to the country we've come back
There's forty mile of heathery moor 'twixt us and the coalpits' stack
And as I sit by the fire at night, I laugh and shout with glee
From Hull and Halifax and Hell the good Lord delivered me
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As I live in Hull and work in a Hull school,I can vouch for everything the first poster said, I don't know what to say to the second one.
I am going into meetings daily and we do feel like the forgotten city.Ours is one of the worst hit primary schools, our children are being bussed around starting Monday ,and they are coming from homes that have been severely flooded, our staff are valiantly trying to make arrangements to teach in temp classrooms, and deal with that trauma while also dealing with the floods they have had in their own homes.
Our morale is high considering what the situation is but it is difficult to stay cheerful when you are surrounded by the devastation,everyone in the city is touched by it in some way.
I was lucky, the waters got to 18inches from my house but not in,however I lost all my garden,the contents of my garage, my 2 lotties and my school , we will rebuild, but I do think we have been somewhat forgotten.
When I go round the estates that I work on and visit with our parents it is hard to know what to say to them, in many cases the school is their home , a place they can go when things get tough, and it too is not there for them. I waded over my knees to visit some of my families and many just don't know what is happening.
The government need to be here to see it first hand, for goodness sake, I think that would have helped the folks a bit if someone high up had at least popped in and had a look. Sutton, about half a mile from me, which is part of Hull is the home of our deputy prime minister and Sutton was badly hit, I might add that his residence is on a hill and was OK. I doubt if anyone in the government can visualise the trauma it is having on the residents here, we had kids hanging over the school fence crying as they saw workmen and their teachers covered in filth carrying all the destroyed contents of the whole of our school to the skips for dumping.
We realise that we are not the only town affected and we can understand and relate to the others, but I do believe we are in a very bad position and yes, Hull is frankly a disaster.
There is a severs shortage of workmen to do repairs and insurance assessors seem to be almost non existant, therefore everyone is in limbo. Teachers are wading through debris and helping to clear at school and then going home to do it again.
It is not good and many folks are starting to crumble now.
XX Jeannine
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Stumped for words Jeannine..
:-[
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So glad you posted that, Jeannine.
If you were a Tsunami you would have had millions by now?
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hmmm tim the debate is still out on the millions going to the tsunami victims... alot went in government pockets...
But yes, Hull has hardly been mentioned and it was a shocking read... not that we didnt believe you Jeannine - its just reading a report makes it so much more real.
Hope they come to the rescue soon Jeannine - you are all stars soldiering on the way you have been.
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Tim, Saddad and Olive.
I am in tears now which is good because we have all tried not to be, but it is impossible to explain to someone who has not seen it here.
The devastation has touched all levels of income, water does not stop and think before it goes into homes. I mostly work with parents who don't have insurance, now we might say "why, for goodness sake " but it is low on the totem pole for someone on benefits trying to rear a family. Many of our Mums are single and trying to get second homes together with what little they have. Mostly their furniture is used or hand me downs, not all of course, but certainly a great many. They have been joyful even managing to decorate a room, now what do they do, many just don't know where to begin.
Three weeks ago there was an air of excitement on the main estate I work on as the council who renovating the houses. are nearly finished. They have all got double glazing and central heating recently and over the last month the new kitchens have gone in, most residents are thrilled with the new surfaces, new floors, the council even plumbed in their washing machines etc, now they are all filthy and spoilt. They have gone from elation and excitement too.......well it is like pricking a balloon with a pin.
I help Mums who can't read, they just don't know which way is up.
The folks with insurance are waiting day after day for something, an assessor, a drying out firm, an insurance man, and day after day they are let down as they are put off to another day. Insurance has told one family I know that have just had new carpets laid that the down stairs and hall will be replaced but not the stairs as they were not under water,yet they have paddled over sewage soaked carpets and then walked upstairs,It is not fair, these folks don't need more trauma.
You can't get a hotel room in Hull as so many people have had to move into them.
Many are scared to leave their homes in case they are vandalised and they lose the bit they have so they are living in them as they are.
I shouldn't go on like this, but if we were declared a disaster area officially I think it may be different.
Without the help of machinery to dry houses out we are told 1 inch of water = i month of drying time, and in the meantime doors don't close and plaster is coming off walls. There just isn't enough drying machines to deal with the numbers that need them and I am not sure but I think if you don't have insurance you don't get one. I haven't seen one on a house on the estate yet.
There are tons on volunteers doing what they can though and that is wonderful to see.
Sorry if I sound a bit down but it is very difficult not to be.Red tape unwinds so very slowly.
And it has just started to rain again, we have not had a rain free day for three weeks.
XX Jeannine
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All I can do is send my best wishes-I know Hull well enough-and The Land of Green Ginger will sprout again.
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I read this article today as well :(
Lots of love to the people of Hull. Hard to know what to say really XX
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Jeannine and all affected.
What can we more fortunate lotty holders do??
Perhapse i can contact our local schools and see if there is anything they can do to fundraise for your school?
If we all arranged something in our respective areas then we might be able to raise a little money??
There is always stuff being given away on freecycle that might be useful if we can arrange transport and storage in Hull?
Lets look at being positive :)
Cambourne7
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It's about time attention turned to Hull. Just because it's not on the main railway line from London like Doncaster the journos don't cover it. And -it makes me so angry when I hear people say (as they apparently were on a radio phone-in today) "if they choose not to get insurance it's their own fault". As if people on a low income have a choice! Your words brought tears to my eyes, Jeannine. Hope the media coverage today, late as it is, puts some pressure on the government.
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I have just emailed my MP (Andrew Landley) as hes a conservative they will be happy to throw this inaction at the govenment i suggest that people email there MPs as well.
I have also just emailed my local bbc station to see if any fundraining can be done though the bbc local radio network. I suggest that you email your local stations as well.
Lets spread the word!!
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There has been a Hull Disaster Fund set up now, I don't have the details but I am aware it is force. I will try to find the info and post it for anyone who wishes to contribute.
There are quite a few wanted ads on Freecycle just now too.
I also have heard that it seems people are now focusing more on Hull than they were a couple of days ago.
XX Jeannine
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I have just emailed my MP (Ann Keen)
Thinking of you - not much in the scheme of things tho.
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Not before time Jeannine. Sincere thoughts and wishes to all who have sufferred through the terrible floods.
Lorna
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It is an absolute disgrace the floods in Hull and elsewhere haven't been front page news every day since they happened. / shades x
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Not wanting to jump on the band wagon but I can only confirm (not that it is needed ) what Jeannine is saying.
As I have said elsewhere I was not in Hull for the floods but kept a contant eye on Sky News and Hourly phone calls home.
I know the first death due to the floods last week was in Hull but as soon as other areas became affected Hull was soon forgotten about as it normally is (unless we are the bottom of a league table crime/schools ect).
I was lucky I was within about an inch of been flooded but a lot of my friends and family and fellow plot holders were not so lucky.
I hope I can say this as being Hull born and breed, but Hull is not a very affluent area, lots of people struggle on a day to day basis. Not just on the estates but in private housing as people struggle to get upon and to keep a hold on the housing market.
Being a self employed plumber I deal with people with major problems, (leaking bath takes kitchen ceiling down) and the number who do not have any insurance.
On the flip side of the coin I have only had a few work calls since these floods. Who wants a new bathroom whilst waiting a year for their downstairs to be re built. Could be the end of GK Plumbing as we know it. Good job I start college in September.
Gary
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I heard this on the news this morning too. The lack of support and silence from the Government is deafening.
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Just heard Gordon Brown has promised some financial aid for flooded areas- no figures yet, though. Reckon we need a Hull-aid gig- plenty of good bands hail from Hull!
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Jeannine, I feel for you with all this anguish. I hope aid comes soon and that your school is soon on its feet. My heart goes out to the people of Hull and other areas that have been flooded. What a nightmare it must be.
Pauline x
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what is needed is a major kick up the a**e to ALL the politicians of all partys............we were lucky in our area.well....close to our area...........we had bonnie prince charlie tut tutting over the damage!
i live in donny.we were close to the flooding...........but no homes were affected...unlike bently.
like jennine says................the most unfortune thing here is the folk who have lost everything......and bently isnt one of the most affluent areas of doncaster.............
funding should and must be made available to those who need it..........no matter where the location...........
the insurance companys.....the local councils.....all agencys involved in helping to clear up this mess are going to be streched full time to deal with the situation..........and this all takes time...........someone is always going to be "last on the list".........not much help to those who are still waiting, i know........but thats how it is!
hull was very much in my thoughts too as all this unfolded..i have family in hull.........but thankfully they were unaffected.or should i say unaffected personally.
hulls mp is right to be shouting that they are being left out of all this...........but so he should be..........its his bloody job to get the best for his constituants.........if he wasnt shouting for funds.........id be very angry!
as a side thought................i wonder if all those left homeless or in temp accomadation will get maybe a free year or two of council tax?
lets face it................
this country isnt geared up to deal with the unfortunate events of the past few weeks.
what the few people have done is great.............but sadly.........its not enough!
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Olive - point taken, but I do hope that it would be honestly applied in the UK?
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jeannine, and everyone affected by the crazy weather and flooding: my heart goes out to you all.
I can't begin to imagine how you're coping with the devastation. the shock when it happened must have been bad enough but to be faced with the enormous clean up afterwards... it just breaks my heart :(
it's all very well seeing a bit of footage on the news but reading your words has brought home to me how dreadful the situation is.
(and it's made the flood defences in East Anglia hit the local headlines again. the budget has been cut over the past couple of years: apparently the government has decided to let nature takes its course and for the sea to reclaim miles of coastline, and properties and businesses with it. not sure where the £20 million they cut has gone, but pretty sure that they won't be cutting the flood defence budget for the Thames and letting nature take its course in London any time soon...)
thinking of you all.
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I've emailed my MP too. Hope it helps. It makes me think of what life must have been like during the blitz.
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I found out today that in the area I am in all but 5 streets off the main u shaped main street were damaged, we were in 1 of the 5. I feel uncomfortable about that now XX Jeannine
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Please don't. It wasn't something of your doing and it isn't something you can change. Don't do the guilt when you're not to blame.
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Thanks Anne, I think our minds conquer up all sorts of funny ideas when we are under stress. I laughed when I read about your dinner, it is good to have friends that you can laugh with like that. So you can have the fun of doing it all over again. XX Jeannine
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Your house may have escaped, but your school, which is your life and your career, and your allotment, which is your passion, have not- I think you've had your share and you have nothing to feel bad about, Jeannine!
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If you had not been spared, you would not have been able to give such support?
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Exactly Tim - you were spared for a reason Jeannine - someone is smiling down on you.
Hull has a great community spirit as a city - you will all pull through.
But I appreciate what a bloody awful time this must be. Wish I could help somehow - feeling pretty useless just reading... But honestly I have a library full of books that I am culling - Non Fiction... Could you use them??? I feel i need to do something.
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When my village (East Sussex) was flooded in 2000 but my house was not, I assuaged my guilt by taking in 2 flooded families who stayed for 3 months, and briefly sheltering those who I found in the street with their babies, cats etc.. Saw inside their houses - absolutely ghastly and FILTHY, and no amount of helping them to clean seemed to make any dfference. Much sympathy to those now in that situation.
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Hi Olive O, thank you for the offer of the books, I am going to pass that on to someone,as I didn't get flooded I am fine, in fact we are going through our house as we speak and packing up stuff to give away.It is amazing how many things we keep and will never use. My airing cupboard door actually closes easily now!!
We have now got into our garage and the water didn't get further than a couple of inches in the door which is on a steep slope, so what we thought was trashed actually isn't, and that is good because it is usually full of furniture and stuff that I get donated to hand over to others. It will all be going in the next little while to other folk so I might even manage to get my car back in it.
Thank you all for caring, you are a real good bunch you know!!
XX Jeannine
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whenever the piddley things in life get me down i think of what the hull people are going through and count my blessings. reading about it here has made to very real words are failing me at the moment and that is a rare occurence
marg
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Come on Marg, buck up sweetie,we survived the blitz, it is so good to hear that people care.
When all this is over I have a very funny mock newspaper article about Hull that I am just dying to post but not now 'cos the time is not right, but when folks are in a better position to laugh at themselves again.
XX Jeannine
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I just returned from holiday yesterday and have only just caught up with this thread. My heart goes out to all in Hull.
I was wondering if there is a central contact point where we could send things that may help? Clothes? I don't really know what people may need, but would like to help.
I have looked at the Council website and seen the fund details, just wondered if there is anything else people could help with.
Jeannine, you are a star, don't feel guilty about being relatively unscathed...you have our admiration for all you have done so far.
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Is there anyone in Hull who has any Mothers' Union contacts through their local church? Our branch would like to contact and offer whatever support we can. No one at our commitee meeting had friends or family in Hull, so I offered to put a plea on the forum. I have total confidence in you all!!!!!
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Hi Olive O, thank you for the offer of the books, I am going to pass that on to someone,as I didn't get flooded I am fine, in fact we are going through our house as we speak and packing up stuff to give away.It is amazing how many things we keep and will never use. My airing cupboard door actually closes easily now!!
We have now got into our garage and the water didn't get further than a couple of inches in the door which is on a steep slope, so what we thought was trashed actually isn't, and that is good because it is usually full of furniture and stuff that I get donated to hand over to others. It will all be going in the next little while to other folk so I might even manage to get my car back in it.
Thank you all for caring, you are a real good bunch you know!!
XX Jeannine
I was actually thinking of the school to be honest jeannine, most are suitable for year 4-6.
Emma
xx
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Oh that is lovely, can I get back to you a bit later in the year when we have a building. I maintain a library in my my parents block, I allow kids to borrow them if they don't have books of their own and I have always found these books myself from community donations, the same with all the toys in the creche area of my building. All of those have gone as would take me years to build up again. Thank you XX Jeannine
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Hi Tin Shed, I am not sure about your question, our school is connected to a church close by and they may have a Mothers Union group, I will make enquires fir you today and get back to you,thank you XX Jeannine
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Thanks for trying to find out for us, Jeanine. I have looked on various websites, but as I don't know Hull at all, I don't know where the most affected areas are or which churches to contact.
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Hi Tin Shed, I have been charging about all day and not had time to make many calls, take a look at
http://www.hullcc.gov.uk/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/HOME/ALERTS/FLOOD_HULLINPRINT.PDF
There is a ;ot of info on here.I will try and get chance to pop in to our school church tomorrow and get some more info for you
Thank you XX Jeannine
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Jeannine and all those up north - we've been thinking of you all the time, we see it all on the news, and it's so sad to watch, but even more soul destroying for those who are living the nightmare. You just have to give thanks that you are alive, it could have been worse, and hopefully it will dry out.
The big worry is, this is not the first time, nor will it be the last. If this weather is setting a pattern then we are going to have to be more proactive in defending ourselves against floods, and that doesn't mean just increased insurance premiums.
We're thinking of you :-* :-* :-*
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Jeanine, many thanks for looking for us, we do appreciate it. I will keep trying other avenues and hopefully we will find a branch and be able to offer some support.
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This is wasn't I'd expected to be my first post but.....
Situation in Hull is still totally confused. There are almost no tradesmen to do any work and those that are (round here anyway) seem to be doing the annual of student houses as per their contracts. Whether you got damaged or not was literally a matter of luck and inches. We flooded the workshop and garage, next door both sides flooded their kitchens, we all got two foot of water in the foundations. The Council (like all Councils) doesn't insure it's properties, the bill is toomuch for it's insurance fund and the reserves won't stretch that far, looks like 9schools are out for a long count.
Problem seems to be that it wasn't dramatic, no rivers bursting their banks, tidal waves rushing down the street, it was just a slow inexorable rise as the rain fel and went nowhere. There's no news value in that.
The nearest allotments to here suffered badly, the water just sat there for days and it seems as if a number of tenants are going to pack in. Theoretically there's a waiting for that site but we'll see what happens.
Down the road there are a lot of issues here about drainage, development on flood plains etc but I fear that when the dust settles it will be expedient to call it a once in a hundred years event and do nothing and I fear it will happen again.
All the best
Steve
PS I've just taken the lease on two plots on National Avenue (for those who know Hull) but that's a different story, be well.
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Good luck with your plots Steve... why not say hello properly in one of the other areas. Don't know Hull well but hopefully they aren't on the flood plain!
:)
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Welcome Steve, I hope you enjoy the forum and your new plots.
The morale around the folks I am dealing with everyday is on the whole good which is amazing considering the situation.
Both my lotties are toast this year as were so many others around me but the mood is positive on our site and folks have no intention of packing it in, everybody is helping everybody else and the usual mood prevails.
In the school I work in we are all coping in temporary accommodation at other schools and working hard to rebuild our own one, we are very tired and stressed but the morale is high too, there are frustrations of course due to waiting in for folks who don't come on time but things are moving on,several of our staff were flooded out, in fact one was flooded again the night before last. Our children and their parents have been wonderful during all this upheaval with no complaints, and have worked with us in all ways possible.
I do hope you enjoy the site here, you will find loads of info and fun,please let me know if I can help you,we are on the Bude Road site by opposite Asda.
Good lick with your new lotties XX Jeannine
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Just a quick update.
Hull has missed the last bout of flooding and rebuilding is happening all around.
Sadly we got the news this morning that our school will not open in September as we had hoped,the damage is too extensive and is going to need much longer so we will continue to camp out in two other near by schools.
John went down to the lottie again yesterday and would you believe it some of the flooded beans that appeared dead are showing growth and the huge squash bed that we stuck in about 2 weeks ago in pouring rain have actually hung in and some have flowers.
This has made me laugh. All the careful potting on ,and tender care usually taken with planting out went out of the window. The squash were dying in their pots and needed chucking but in a break in the rain we planted them. No time for fuss, just a spade hole, bunged in, covered up and move on to the next one. We planted 80 plants in an hour, no labels, no manure, just stuck them in!!!
Good we can laugh eh!!
XX Jeannine
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It is a shame about your school Jeannine. It must be very disruptive for pupils and staff. The shot of a Hull primary school on the news made Gene sigh when he saw all the children's work floating around ruined.
Your plants are obviously as tenacious as yourself!
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I'm doing much the same as you, Jeannine; it looks as though squash are going to be the last survivors this year.
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have you seen this
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6919362.stm
(Funding plans for flooded schools)
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Thanks Cambourne for the link, actually the Mum and boys in the photo talking to the PM was taken in our school when he visited us a couple of Saturdays ago.
The Mums home was also flooded by the way, hers was one of the homes I waded in to visit.
We will not be open for September, it is just impossible.
All the wood fittings, doors,floors , skirting and fixed cabinets have been removed now but the school is still very damp and they will not give the building a safety certificate to do repairs until it reaches a certain degree of dryness. Apparently disinfecting a damp building is useless as the damp causes the bacteria to grow again and it becomes unsafe again very quickly. Even the ducting had to be fumigated before some workmen could start working, another unexpected hold up.
So like many others around the country we wait and keep our fingers crossed.
Most of the schools in Hull are up and running, i think there are 5 of us in this position.
XX Jeannine
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Its so sad probably easier to knock the building down and start again!!
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Steve's point about tradesmen - we can't even get them within months without being flooded!
A big worry for all - whatever the scale of damage.