Well, I don’t know about you but I’ve just about got over the triple wild whammy of three stonking storms back to back wreaking havoc on my home, and my heart rate.
The bizarrely named Dudley, Eunice, and Franklin sent straight from Mother Nature complete with gale force winds had our town trembling as we tried to stay standing from the onslaught.
Truth be told, the middle-aged me’s first thought on hearing ‘red weather warning’ was debating whether it was safe to put the bins out. There was no way was I risking the lid blowing off the grey glass bin – nobody needs to see that.
Turns out bin bag blues were the least of my worries.
After a wet, windy, wild night, Saturday morning saw me catch a coffee, crack open the back door, and get caught up in chaos and carnage.
Power and telephone lines trailing in garden, one side of my eight foot fence fallen into public footpath – and two of my recycling caddies on speed awareness courses next week.
Then I stupidly stepped out to take a picture for posterity and nearly ended up doing a Mary Poppins until I staggered back to safety, dodging the pieces of flying patio furniture enroute.
Seriously though, big shout out to Western Power and BT for swiftly sorting the lines and fingers crossed for the fence fixing – still waiting for Vale Council to safely secure footpath…won’t hold my breath.
Thank you too to all the fabulous friends and neighbours with all their offers ranging from practical help, shoulder to cry on support, copious cups of tea, and even the odd nip of Gin.
So many of us saw our homes hammered and our gardens gutted but it was heartening to see all those stories on the Socials of our brilliant Barry community coming together. So many scenes of Good Samaritans helping neighbours deal with the differing disasters faced. Respect.
Mind you, as I was scrolling from the safety of the sitting room, I was also flabbergasted by the dubious decisions of some of my fellow followers as we braced a trio of weather warnings.
Dog walking, mountain climbing, and sea swimming – was there any need.
Much better to keep toasty inside, enjoy the brief breather before the clear up began, potter around like a Pensioner, and daydream about some sunshine.
Roll on the Summer.
Mrs SVJ
The Voice of Our Community
Sue Vincent-Jones, blogging as Mrs SVJ, is a Barry born journalist, editor, and activist. She writes about Barry – and her life in the wider world, through the eyes of a, quirky and queer, local girl done good.
Written exclusively for the Vale’s newest newspaper, and digital platform, The Glamorgan Star, her latest ‘Passing Comment’ column, an addition to the infamous Sue’s Views collection, can be found here.
Mrs SVJ, Barry’s Boldest Blogger, can be contacted here.