Alex's Historical Fiction

Fretting at Bridlington

Hurrah! The sun decided to shine, or was at least fair, for the re-enactment weekend. We had a great time, and I learnt a new word - sea fret. It seems to be mist coming from the sea, or at least a penetrating damp. It wasn't too bad, and only came out at night!

But going home was another story entirely. We drove back into this: Flash Floods in North Yorkshire. Visibility was extremely poor at points, and water sheeted across the roads. Fortunately, we didn't encounter a problem that another group member experienced - his car drove into three foot of water, and needed towing out by a local farmer! However, things were much worse in Helmsley and elsewhere, where whole houses were swept away. No lives lost, as far as we know so far. Poor North Yorkshire :-( The pictures are not as spectacular as Boscastle in Cornwall last year, but actually the incident is on a similar scale.

When we finally got home, we were unable to unload the van as the rain was so heavy. Just running from the van and up the steps to the house saw us soaked through. Then half an hour later, all was calm and the sun was out, in York, at any rate. The Ouse (the river running through York) will undoubtedly be rising today, as all the rain water runs down from the high ground.

posted by Alex Bordessa @ Monday, June 20, 2005