BELOW IS A SHORT DESCRIPTION AND PICS OF OUR TIME HELPING IN THIS DEVASTATING TIME

IT STARTED ON FRIDAY THE 27TH OF JULY DAVE WAS ON DUTY AT THRUXTON AIRPORT AND PHONED ME TO SAY THAT ROGER KENDALL OF PUDDING LANE HAD PHONED TO SAY CAN WE GO TO GLOUCESTERSHIRE

SO WE PACKED OUR BAGS AND GOT THE DETAILS FROM ROB PORTER FROM ALERT FIRE WHO HAD ARRANGED FOR THE TANKERS TO GO UP AND HELP

17.30 DAVE ARRIVES AT HIS HOME IN SOUTHAMPTON WHERE IM ALLREADY THERE DRINKING A NICE CUP OF TEA

18.00 WE SET OF TO ROGERS YARD IN KENT TO PICK UP THE TANKER

20.15 ARRIVE IN KENT AND LOAD UP THE TANKER WITH OUR FIRE KIT AND CHANGE OF CLOTHES ETC AS WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN WE ARE RETURNING

20.30 LEAVE FOR WARWICKSHIRE

22.45 ARRIVE AT LONGBRIDGE STRATFORD ROAD WARWICKSHIRE AT THE SEVERN TRENT WATER WORKS FOR CLEANING AND FILLING THIS WAS 1 OF 5 WATER CARRIERS FROM LONDON FIRE BRIGADE SUPPLIED AND DRIVEN BY ASSET CO

03.15 WE FINNALLY GET CLEANED AND TESTED AND FILLED WITH FRESH CLEAN WATER AND NOW ABLE TO DEPART FOR OUR HOTEL THE CHELTNAM PARK HOTEL IN CHELTNAM

05.15 GET TO THE HOTEL AFTER 23 HOURS OF NO SLEEP AND NO FOOD OR DRINK SINCE 17.00 THE HOTEL ARRANGE FOR A SANDWICH AND JUICE AND WE WENT OF TO OUR ROOMS

10.00 UP AND SHOWER BUT NO WATER IN THE HOTEL CAN NOT EVEN SHAVE

10.30 LEAVE FOR THE HQ AT STAVERTON AIRFIELD TO GET THE WORK SHEETS

11.00 ARRIVE AT GET SENT TO CHELTNAM RACECOURSE

11.30 SENT INTO CHELTNAM TO FILL BOWSERS THE OTHER GUYS FROM THRUXTON HAD GOT THERE THE DAY BEFORE AND STARTED AT  07.00

ON GOING AROUND THE ROUTE THE RESIDENTS WOULD COME OUT WITH BUCKETS TO GET WATER BUT THEY WERE ALL GRATEFULL TO US

WHEN WE WERE EMPTY WE WOULD GO BACK TO THE RACECOURSE TO FILL UP FROM ARTIC TANKERS SHIPPED IN FROM WARWICKSHIRE AND GO OUT AND START AGAIN

23.00 ON ROUTE BACK TO HOTEL

23.30 ARRIVE BACK BUT NO FOOD AS NOW KITCHEN IS SHUT

05.30 ALARM GOES OF UP FOR A SHOWER WE HAVE WATER FROM THE TANKS

06.00 BREAKFAST IN BED

06.30 LEAVE FOR THE RACECOURSE

07.OO START THE DAYS WORK ONLY TO FIND THIS NO IT IS NOT THE RIVER ITS THE MAIN ROAD TO INNISWORTH

YOU CAN SEE THE FIELDS ARE TOTTALY COVERED IN WATER

AS YOU CAN SEE  THIS BOAT WAS IN A GARDEN MILES AWAY FROM A RIVER

AS THE WEEK WENT ON IT WAS GETTING BETTER AS BOWSERS WERE EMPTY WHEN WE ARRIVED BUT NOW WE ARE KEEPING THEM FULL UP

WE MANAGED TO GET BACK TO THE HOTEL AT 20.00 ON TUESDAY AND MET UP WITH STU AND JEZ FROM 1ST DEFENCE FIRE AND ALSO CREW FROM DDA EUROSAFETY AT PINEWOOD SO DOWN FOR SOME FOOD AND AN EARLY NIGHT

05.30 AGAIN ALARM CALL AND CORNFLAKES

07.00 GET MOVED TO GLOUCESTER HUB AND A DIFFERENT ROUTE

AS YOU CAN SEE IT WAS NOT EASY TO FILL THE BOWSERS

AND SOME OF THE ROADS WERE VERY TIGHT TO GET A TANKER DOWN TO THE BOWSERS

1 OF THE DECORATED BOWSERS

SOME OF THE AREAS WE COVERED INNSWORTH , MEADOWLEAZE , CHURCHDOWN , ELDERSFIELD, OAKLEAZE AND MANY MORE

AS YOU CAN SEE WE WERE MADE SO WELCOME BY THE RESIDENTS WHO  COVERED THE BOWSERS IN FLOWERS

ON FRIDAY AUGUST THE 3RD WE GOT THE CALL TO SAY WE CAN GO HOME AS WATER IS NOW BACK ON AND CLEAN

19.00 LEAVE FOR KENT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT

21.30 ARRIVE IN KENT 

22.00 LEAVE FOR SOUTHAMPTON

24.00 ARRIVE AT SOUTHAMPTON AND I LEAVE FOR BOURNEMOUTH

02.00 I FINNALLY ARRIVE HOME AND GO TO BED

WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANKYOU TO THE RESIDENTS FOR THE CONSTANT SUPPLY OF TEA AND BISCUITS AND THANKYOU MESSAGES  

THE TEE SIDE WATER CARRIER FROM PUDDING LANE FIRE COMPANY IN KENT ,WITH ME AND DAVE FILLING THE BOWSERS .                           THE 2 PICS HERE WERE TAKEN BY A RESIDENT MR D SEED AND GIVEN TO US WITH A THANKYOU NOTE FROM THE RESIDENTS