Curse this wind:

[BobMurphy]

Extremely strong gales here today, the worst we have seen (in 24 years).

Came down this morning to find this

Some of the Scottish members know my garage / workshop . . I guess I won't be repairing Landcruisers in there for a while .

Looking on the bright side:

1. The house is OK (apart from losing some galvanised coping from the main roof).

2. The other two trees that blew down landed inside my property so I don't have claims from neighbours.

3. We used the farm's teleloader to clear broken branches from the road so access to the farm is restored.

4. The ground floor is OK, now I just need to get the Landcruiser, tractor & two BMW Motorcycles out without the lot landing on my head.

Now to contact the Insurers . . How I hate that process

Bob.

 

[Chris]

OOOF!

Bob, not much more I can add. That is comprehensively clobbered.


Chris

 

[Andrew Prince]

Bad luck, Bob - hope you get everything out intact, including yourself! I'm guessing that the building is likely to be condemned?

 

[chadr]

Look on the bright side though.....no one was hurt or injured.

 

[AndyCook]

not nice Bob..
hope you get the landcruiser and bikes out, and your workshop i sorted out
i read that winds over 100mph were recorded near Edinburgh

this morning at 10am we had the "eye" of this storm right over us in Aberdeenshire, blue sky, sunny, no wind, and i could see the clouds in the distance forming a circle all around is.. clearly defining the depression/storm
i was replacing a brake pipe on the landcruiser in the garage and about 11ish the wind suddenly ramped-up in minutes to a gale, and things started blowing around in garage.
come inside now.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Sheesh - looks like I got away just in time this morning, though I could swear we took off sideways or maybe I planned it wrong - I could have been stuck at home for a day or two

Apparently my car-port roof is no more though, thank goodness the roof-rack seems to have taken the brunt and SWMBO says no other damage (although the hound nearly got taken out!!) and we have some damage to the main house roof.

What fun - not!

 

[adrianr]

Owwww. Thats not going to be a quick repair!!

Good luck to all of you.

 

[Gav Peter]

Hells teeth Bob - glad you weren't in it at the time...

 

[silvercruiser]

i hope have a smooth transaction with the insurerance co.


Joe

 

[Ecoman]

Damn that could have been sooo much worse. Glad nbody was hurt and the vehicles survived

 

[Chas]

That's a real bummer Bob, like others have said at least nobody got hurt.

 

[Chris Green90]

Sorry to hear of your hassles bob, but if I could just inject a lighter note...The wind we had here saved me taking down the Christmas decorations

 

[BobMurphy]

If I could just inject a lighter note...The wind we had here saved me taking down the Christmas decorations

Thanks . . I need a lighter note .

We have our Grandson's first birthday party here on Sunday - about 8 cars expected.

I have to fence off all the dangerous bits before then. Fortunately the farm has some cones that I can borrow.

The Landcruiser is out and a shipping container is in place for my stuff .

Another container will be delivered soon (for my bikes ).

Tomorrow I intend to start cutting branches off the tree - I climbed (walked) up it today and its not a bad-looking job.
I have felled about 40 mature trees and lopped others over the years so have a fair knowledge, good experience and the equipment. I'm not a great risk-taker, so no-body start worrying .

I'll call the Insurers tomorrow just to check that I'm not about to invalidate anything .

Bob.

 

[Crispin]

Bummer to hear but might I suggest not parking the LC next to a tree?

 

[Nuclear Chicken]

A tricky start to the New Year Bob. Bad luck on that one. Fortunately not the main house so in relative terms you were reasonably lucky. On the positive side, you have plenty of nice fire wood to keep you going for a while. Looks like Beech if I'm not mistaken?

Hope the insurance works out...typically that's the hardest bit. We had phenomenal wind here too (no damage here this time thankfully) but Scotland definitely got wallopped hard.

 

[BobMurphy]

Looks like Beech if I'm not mistaken?

Its actually an Oak, about 5ft diameter at the base and probably 150 to 200 years old (if I remember the calculation correctly). It was about 70 ft tall and very healthy.

I thought it was one of the Beech trees when I first went out to investigate as the yard was covered in Beech branches. However the Oak tree brought down a lot of big branches from the adjacent Beech.

I have two Oaks and an Ash down this time. The ground is waterlogged and the Oaks have just toppled over, leaving enormous root plates in the air.
The Ash snapped near the base. Its a bit of a relief really, its very old and on the corner of the busy road into the farm. Its now lying safely in my garden

We burn wood in the house, so it will all come in useful. We are still burning the 30 Elm trees I had to fell 15 to 20 years ago when Dutch Elm Disease went through the place.

I'd hate to lose any more trees (but probably will as the weather becomes more extreme) .


Bob.

 

[Nuclear Chicken]

Ah, I see.
Shame nice mature trees like that fall, especially Oak, and the irony is that sometimes when they do they leave areas exposed and others fall some time later. The wind this year has been nothing short of mental. My house and site are relatively new with only smallish trees and shrubs but in future years, when the trees I have mature, (no doubt I'll be under at that stage) there'll be fun when/if they fall....

Best of luck chopping. I'm nearly out of wood and could do with a nice tree for next winter!

 

[BobMurphy]

I'm nearly out of wood and could do with a nice tree for next winter!

I suspect there will be a lot about at the moment so you don't need to bring a trailer up here

Just stick a chainsaw in the back and go offer to help someone clear their garden



Bob.

 

[BobMurphy]

Might I suggest not parking the LC next to a tree?

Everywhere in my garden is near a tree .

That Beech is quite small (compared to the others) and is sheltered from the Westerlies by an enormous Ash and a row of Limes that are out of shot.

The LC should be OK there ( ) but, as ever, "if your numbers on it"

Bob.