Rushden Research Group: Weather snippets

Weather Snippets


Snow clearing in 1947 in Wellingborough Road	Fun in the snow at Eaton's Field, Irchester Road. Sitting in front left is Arthur George (undated)

Rushden Echo, Friday April 20, 1906

Mr. Cook remembers very distinctly the dry summer of 1826, when men had to go up the trees with ladders to cut off the young leaves for the cattle, and whenever they saw a man with a ladder the stock would follow him, panting for the moist leaves. [part of a longer article]

January 18th 1881 - It was the day of the famous storm of “Black Tuesday,” one of the heaviest snowstorms in history, which wreaked havoc throughout the country. Roads were blocked with snow barriers many feet deep and shepherds in the country at the time were trapped.

The first signs of the approaching storm came when the bride and bridegroom were returning from Podington Church, where the wedding ceremony had been performed by the Rev. J. Geldart. [From a longer article - Golden Wedding - Hobbs]

Wellingborough & Kettering News, October 8th, 1881, transcribed by Kay Collins

NATIONAL AND CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL SPORTS
In consequence of the wet weather when the tea feast was held the sports were put off until the feast, and last Tuesday week they took place, the weather being beautifully fine. The children greatly enjoyed themselves.

Wellingborough News, 6th May 1882, transcribed by Kay Collins

THE STORM—A Cow KILLED—On Monday evening a fine cow belonging to Mr. H. Currie, of Rushden House, was found dead in a ditch, a mark across the back indicating that it had been killed by the lightning.

Wellingborough News, 14th January 1887, transcribed by Kay Collins

THE SNOW—On Sunday last snow fell the greater part of the day, making a depth of six inches on the level. A thaw set in on Tuesday morning, and the roads and paths are all but impassable. Some of the householders have thought it too much trouble to clear the snow from the fronts of their residences, and pedestrians have now the choice of slipping over uneven mountains of hardened snow, or walking in the road in accumulations of snow and slush. Text for the day, "O for the wings of a dove, that I might fly away."

Wellingborough & Kettering News 11/10/1889, transcribed by Peter Brown

THE GALE—The gale which, raged on Monday was felt in full force at Rushden, where it held "high jinks" with the loose slates and tiles on the various buildings, and put to the test the work of the thatcher on houses and ricks; but fortunately no serious damage has been done in this vicinity.

Northampton Mercury, 30th October 1903

Extraordinary reports come from Raunds and Rushden of great floods, streets and roads being rendered impassable and many downstairs rooms being swamped. In some of the factories at both places the engine rooms were flooded and work was stopped. At Raunds it is said that there has been no such inundation since August 1881. At Rushden people had their breakfasts handed to them through the upstairs windows. It is curious that at the time the lower part of Rushden was submerged people in High Street were complaining that there was no drinking water in the mains.

Rushden
In common with most other places, Rushden suffered from the excessive rain on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. In Duck-street the water was upwards of two feet deep, the houses being flooded and in some cases the furniture floating about. It is not given to everyone to have their breakfast handed through the bedroom window, but this was the case in this part of the town in some instances. The culvert at this part of the brook was running full bore, but the rush of water from the higher parts was so great that it came up the gullies and manholes with considerable force. In other parts streets were quite impassable, owing to the depth of water, and work was stopped in some of the factories owing to the engine rooms being flooded. By afternoon the water had fallen and business was resumed as usual. Strange to say, complaints were loud and long from the residents of High-street and vicinity about the scarcity of water, and on enquiries it was found that for some cause or other water in the mains had been turned off.

Rushden Echo, 28th February 1908, transcribed by Kay Collins

During the Gale on Monday afternoon three sheets of zinc—the roofing of a hen-roost, the property of Mr. John Willmott, junr., of East-grove—were carried by the wind to the top of the factory adjoining, occupied by Messrs. Phipps, leather merchants.

1915 Rushden

Sept 17. An aeroplane went over Rushden Church towards Bedford about 4.50 on Friday evening, Sept 17, 1915. A grand day, hot, clear & still. J. E. Smith

Rushden Echo, 18^th February 1916, transcribed by Gill Hollis

The Weather
The weather this week has been wonderfully erratic, even for England. We have had samples of all the four seasons during the last few days. For instance, on Tuesday morning the ground was covered with snow to the depth of three or four inches, which was rapidly dispersed in the brilliant sunshine, and 24 hours afterwards the dust was blowing about the streets.

Rushden Echo, 30th November 1917, transcribed by Gill Hollis

The Gale on Saturday night and in the early hours of Sunday morning did a good deal of damage of a minor character in this district. A heavy blind at the Co-operative Stores in High-street was blown down at about 3 a.m., and in its fall it smashed a large circular sheet of thick plate glass in the window of the outfitting department. Under existing conditions it is practically impossible to replace the glass, and for the time being the window is boarded up.

Rushden Echo, 10th December 1920, transcribed by Kay Collins

Gales - During the great gale in the early hours of Saturday morning a poplar tree near Bencroft Grange, on the Bedford-road, was blown down, falling right across the roadway.

One or two motor cars which were returning from a dance at Bedford were "held up" for a while, and the travellers called up Mr. Whittemore, farmer, who helped to lop off the top of the tree and to remove the trunk to the side of the road. It was interesting to note that one of the occupants of a car, though wearing dancing slippers, still managed to render his share of assistance in removing the tree.

Rushden Echo, 13th April 1923, transcribed by Kay Collins

Snowstorms on Monday brought a return of wintry weather to the Rushden district after the genial sunshine and temperature of the previous few weeks.

1927 Rushden

Monday August 1. Wet day. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday very bright & very hot. Friday, fine morning, wet evening. Saturday, thunder storms. Sunday, fine. Monday 8th, thunder storms. Tuesday, today I am writing this is raining.

22 Church St. - J. E. Smith

Rushden Echo, 16^th November 1928, transcribed by Kay Collins

Ripe Raspberries—A good dishful of ripe raspberries in excellent condition were gathered on Saturday in Rushden.

Rushden Echo & Argus, 3rd Frebruary 1956

Playing in Talbot Road - Plenty of ice and plenty of high spirits
made sliding a popular diversion at Rushden on Wednesday.
Popular, that is, with the schoolboys........

Evening Telegraph, article by Carolyn Underwood, 14^th July 1988

Treat for Old Folk ends in Terror
A group of about 150 pensioners escaped injury by feet when lightning struck a church hall chimney and sent masonry crashing into the room next door.

The group, some in their nineties, had been watching a film show in the main hall of Park Road Methodist Church, Rushden, last night. Sparks flew across the hall where the pensioners were sitting, showering like a firework skyrocket — but luckily the brickwork and debris from the ceiling fell in an adjoining empty room.

Arthur George, photographer and local historian, who was giving the show said: "We had a very lucky escape. There was only a few feet in it. The lightning had struck a chimney and the debris all came down in the next room.

The film show had been arranged as a special treat for pensioners from Age Concern's Rushden South Ward.

Bert Catlin, retired Rushden headmaster and chairman of South Ward committee, said: "The old people were absolutely marvellous; so calm. I could see the lightning whipping across the roof and sparks dropped down like a skyrocket. Everyone was stunned but there was no panic at all. It reminded me of the war days."

Doris Tompkins, 80, of Southfields, former chairman of Rushden Urban Council, was sitting on the front row at the film show — closest to the room which received the worst of the damage.

She said: "There was a terrific bang which made our ears go funny. It was very frightening indeed.

"Everyone jumped and the lights went out. It was very frightening, especially while we were in the dark. The windows had been blacked out because Mr George showing his film. I was sitting next to my neighbour and we grabbed each other.

Her neighbour, Rose Harris, 76, also of South-fields, said: "We heard the thunder but then it was just as if a bomb had gone off."

Pensioner Kitty Salter, of Mannings Street, Rushden. said: "My first thought was for my dog who was with me. It was very frightening and there was a smell of burning although there was no fire. "Only 90 minutes before the freak storm, ET chief photographer Glyn Dobbs was in the room which was showered with heavy masonry, taking photographs of youngsters from the church who had recently organised a sponsored chair cleaning session and also of pensioners who were presenting wheelchairs to the town's Serve volunteer bureau.

John Spavins, chairman of the church's property committee, was shocked at the extent of the damage.

The force of the blast threw masonry over a wide area, including the garden of dentist George Osborne, whose home is next to the church.

Mr Spavins said: "We have been very lucky that no-one was injured. Normally the room which was damaged the most — the Guild Room — is used by the Girls Brigade for their meetings at that time. They are there each Wednesday night, but the meetings stopped for the holiday last week.

"There could have been youngsters in the room and the masonry could have killed them."

Mr Spavins said the fire brigade had said no more events must be held in the hall until what remains of the chimney stack was made safe.

A builder was called in last night and he described damage to the roof as extensive. Mr Spavins said he believed it would cost several thousand pounds to repair.

A planned repeat of the film show was to be held in the church hall tonight for another 107 pensioners from South Ward, but this has had to be postponed.

The builder plans to put up scaffolding on Saturday and hopes to carry out the repairs next week.

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