Yesterday I reflected on the story of the Salford and Manchester Floods of September 1946.
And as so often happens, people came forward and contributed their memories of the events.
They make riveting history and here are the stories of Dee Watson and Ethel Waring.
Dee, wrote "I was eleven and in my first term at Broughton Modern ... The first I knew of the flood was when we were called mid afternoon to the Assembly Hall. Those of us who lived in the outer low lying areas, were taken by bus to Higher Broughton.
I’ve learned since we were at St John's school/church hall. I had no idea of the devastation happening to my home in Lower Kersal - not until the floods subsided, and I went back and saw the smelly slimy aftermath”.
What struck me was the way the children appeared to be on their own, which I suppose given that it was only a few years since the wartime evacuation of children the decision to move them on mass made sense, but I wondered if the children’s parents had been told.
To which Dee replied “Our parents had no idea where we were ... no home telephones back then,
It was like a military operation ... I don't know how others felt, but I took it all in my stride; the war and my upbringing had conditioned me to handle adversity ... No trauma counselling, or even words of comfort in such situations.
An older sister was in her final term at the same school, so had I needed any reassurance, she must have been about somewhere ... I learned later that my two youngest siblings had been sent home from primary school before the flood came.
My eldest brother was at home. He worked at the Daily Mail in Manchester and was due to go on a late shift. My two eldest sisters had left for work - before it was known that the river was about to flood. One sister worked at Telephone House, so she must have been aware of what was happening.
When she had finished her early morning shift, she made her way back to Lower Kersal, and swam the last few hundred yards through the floodwater, then she had to climb a drain pipe to enter through a bedroom window .. During the course of the morning, my father had been across the playing fields - to check the height of the river.
He came home and reported that he had seen the river higher, and didn't think it would flood! .. ..
Without warning, the water came up through the drains, and when the river broke its banks, the house was flooded to a depth of five feet“.
And Ethel added “I was 10 years of age at that time the water rushed over at the back of lower Kersal school and we had to paddle home through it.
We lived Monsaii Avenue off South Radford Street were very lucky to what others suffered the playing fields were like a lake for weeks after.”
Now in the absence of Salford flood pictures I have fallen back on some from an earlier flood in Derby.
Location Salford
Pictures; flooded streets, Derby, 1932,from Souvenir of the Derby Floods, Published by the Derby Branch of the Y.M.C.A., in aid of the Mayor’s Flood Fund. May 22nd 1932 the collection of Andrew Simpson and extract from the Manchester Guardian, September 21, 1946
*Rescues By Rowing Boat in Manchester Floods, Salford Rest Centres for Homeless, Manchester
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| Flooded streets, 1932, Derby |
They make riveting history and here are the stories of Dee Watson and Ethel Waring.
Dee, wrote "I was eleven and in my first term at Broughton Modern ... The first I knew of the flood was when we were called mid afternoon to the Assembly Hall. Those of us who lived in the outer low lying areas, were taken by bus to Higher Broughton.
I’ve learned since we were at St John's school/church hall. I had no idea of the devastation happening to my home in Lower Kersal - not until the floods subsided, and I went back and saw the smelly slimy aftermath”.
 |
| Extract from the Manchester Guardian, 1946 |
To which Dee replied “Our parents had no idea where we were ... no home telephones back then,
It was like a military operation ... I don't know how others felt, but I took it all in my stride; the war and my upbringing had conditioned me to handle adversity ... No trauma counselling, or even words of comfort in such situations.
An older sister was in her final term at the same school, so had I needed any reassurance, she must have been about somewhere ... I learned later that my two youngest siblings had been sent home from primary school before the flood came.
 |
| Flood water, 1932 |
When she had finished her early morning shift, she made her way back to Lower Kersal, and swam the last few hundred yards through the floodwater, then she had to climb a drain pipe to enter through a bedroom window .. During the course of the morning, my father had been across the playing fields - to check the height of the river.
He came home and reported that he had seen the river higher, and didn't think it would flood! .. ..
Without warning, the water came up through the drains, and when the river broke its banks, the house was flooded to a depth of five feet“.
And Ethel added “I was 10 years of age at that time the water rushed over at the back of lower Kersal school and we had to paddle home through it.
We lived Monsaii Avenue off South Radford Street were very lucky to what others suffered the playing fields were like a lake for weeks after.”
Now in the absence of Salford flood pictures I have fallen back on some from an earlier flood in Derby.
Location Salford
Pictures; flooded streets, Derby, 1932,from Souvenir of the Derby Floods, Published by the Derby Branch of the Y.M.C.A., in aid of the Mayor’s Flood Fund. May 22nd 1932 the collection of Andrew Simpson and extract from the Manchester Guardian, September 21, 1946
*Rescues By Rowing Boat in Manchester Floods, Salford Rest Centres for Homeless, Manchester
15 monsal avenue
ReplyDeletei lived 15 monsal ave it stopped just near my house i went to tanners for some dubbin
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