Saturday, January 04, 2014

We Came Through*



Flooding at Iford Bridge, Christchurch, Dorset.

Okay it cost us three fence panels and a new broadband hub but aside from some sleepless moments and three power cuts the storms that have raged across the country on and off most of the last fortnight haven't caused us any physical harm.

Watching the tv coverage though has been weather porn. We love the weather in this country, come run or shine we have something to moan about and even the slightest change during a single hour can produce enough material for a series of 'water cooler' moments.

A couple of highlights. Sky TV reporter at Barmouth who just as the link from the studio cuts in is soaked by a wave from the sea crashing over the sea wall and then has to spend the next five minutes trying hard not to spit out the mouthful of sea water he is trying equally hard not to swallow. We've become used to reporters becoming embedded in war zones over the last forty years or so but sending intrepid reporters out to 'feel the pain' of those suffering the impact of storm after storm is a relatively new phenomenon.  Soldiers used to say that they knew the moment things were getting really grim because Kate Adie would suddenly appear in hard hat and fatigues, now you can judge the severity of the weather by the presence of a news reporter.

There was much excitement locally when both Sky and BBC pitched up to shoot the flooding of a caravan park on the River Stour where it forms a natural boundary between Christchurch and Bournemouth. Sky only sent a cameraman but BBC sent out South Today's own Steve Humphries, a man much used to reporting from within the Southampton city boundaries. As a picture of the swollen river appeared on the screen with the word 'Christchurch' in the top right hand corner Nathalie shouted "Wahooy - Christchurch on the tele!"

Now prior to his dispatching from Southampton Mr Humphries must have been called to his editors office and reminded of the BBC guidelines when searching for and interviewing residents of places which aren't quite used to 'our city ways'. "Remember Editorial Guideline 15a paragraph C' the editor must have said, 'If at all possible try to find somebody who speaks clearly, doesn't sound too stupid and who will illicit from our viewers the right amount of sympathy."

Steve Humphries had clearly taken this to heart because as the camera slowly panned left to right from his windswept fizzog, across the river to the two 'residents' of the flooded caravan park there was a sharp intake of breath from more than one viewer. The atypical residents of this site were a black guy wearing a rasta beanie and a woman with a Canadian accent! The guy explained that he had just flown in from Sudan the night before and that whilst this wasn't ideal it was better than being shot at - the Canadian woman was apparently a relief worker who had also been in Sudan the day before. Christchurch residents? Pah!

Actually there was a huge sense of relief because all locals know that the site in question isn't in Christchurch at all it's on the Bournemouth side of the river, but that made it worse, why weren't the two interviewees speaking with Polish accents like most of that towns 'locals'.

There was actually a more serious angle to this story that sadly none of the national news agencies took up, probably due to the lack of time rather than any luck of interest. The residents of the site were told in the late summer last year that they will have to move out of their homes this year because the owner has activated a clause that allows him to sell the land to a housing developer, what the weather did was present a lose-lose situation to all involved, after all who would want to build on land that has had national coverage for being flooded so quickly and easily that people had to escape through windows to save themselves from drowning?  






* Having admired Span's ability to produce post titles starting with the letter 'O' for many years I thought I would try, in 2014, to use musical references - hence an Abba song, a Lydon quote and today the title of track 5 on side one of Scott 3. Scott Walker's 3rd solo album  released in March 1969. I'll probably get bored by around the middle of the month but it's a mental exercise as much as a sign of pretention.

5 comments:

Span Ows said...

Weather porn...NAIL ON HEAD! In discussion with my sister yesterday trying to describe the constant weather reports and the seeming banality of some reports to fill time and Nature herself helping out on occasion; I shall be using your phrase from now on as it is SOOOOO apt.

Thanks for the mention, surely yesterday you should have used an Everly Brother not Walker! Funny how things go, read your post, starting singing The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore went to You Tube and spent an hour listening to Walkers, Everlys, Righteous (my favourite but non brothers!) and the Ronettes!.

Paul said...

Sometimes I type something without thinking and Weather Porn was one such moment.

Re the Everly's I was actually reading over Xmas about how poor they were at managing their own affairs which led to years of drug taking. The Walkers and the Ronettes - doesn't get much better than that for cheering you up.

oakleyses said...

longchamp outlet, nike outlet, michael kors outlet online, chanel handbags, christian louboutin outlet, ray ban sunglasses, tiffany and co, replica watches, coach outlet, tiffany jewelry, michael kors outlet online, nike air max, polo ralph lauren outlet online, michael kors outlet store, oakley sunglasses, polo outlet, christian louboutin uk, christian louboutin, burberry handbags, longchamp outlet, kate spade outlet, prada handbags, michael kors outlet, gucci handbags, michael kors outlet, coach outlet, prada outlet, kate spade, michael kors outlet online, tory burch outlet, christian louboutin shoes, coach outlet store online, burberry outlet, true religion outlet, nike air max, coach purses, oakley sunglasses, jordan shoes, longchamp outlet, ray ban sunglasses, oakley sunglasses wholesale, nike free

oakleyses said...

north face, nike air max uk, sac hermes, hollister uk, nike air force, louboutin pas cher, michael kors, oakley pas cher, converse pas cher, abercrombie and fitch uk, hollister pas cher, nike free run, jordan pas cher, nike tn, burberry pas cher, longchamp pas cher, timberland pas cher, nike air max, polo ralph lauren, nike roshe, lululemon canada, ralph lauren uk, true religion outlet, guess pas cher, vans pas cher, sac longchamp pas cher, nike air max uk, true religion jeans, hogan outlet, north face uk, new balance, air max, ray ban pas cher, nike free uk, true religion outlet, nike blazer pas cher, sac vanessa bruno, michael kors pas cher, ray ban uk, polo lacoste, michael kors outlet, mulberry uk

oakleyses said...

hollister clothing, giuseppe zanotti outlet, lululemon, wedding dresses, abercrombie and fitch, hermes belt, asics running shoes, bottega veneta, celine handbags, soccer shoes, valentino shoes, ferragamo shoes, vans outlet, mcm handbags, timberland boots, nike roshe run uk, longchamp uk, nike air max, north face outlet, p90x workout, new balance shoes, insanity workout, iphone 6 cases, herve leger, instyler, oakley, hollister, nike huaraches, soccer jerseys, nike trainers uk, babyliss, chi flat iron, ghd hair, baseball bats, jimmy choo outlet, mont blanc pens, north face outlet, mac cosmetics, beats by dre, nfl jerseys, reebok outlet, nike roshe run