Earthquake in Lincolnshire
A rude awakening….
Last night saw your host propelled out of bed by an earthquake in the nearby town of Market Rasen. Measuring 5.2 on the richter scale it struck just before 1.00 am as I lay sound asleep in a riesling fuelled dream.
Actually it wasn’t the force of the earthquake that got me out of bed, I thought my house was being burgled! Despite the sudden shock I managed to compose myself with the full intention of knocking the would be invader out, only to find all was as normal.
I had no idea it was an earthquake until I watched Sky News this morning! Shows you how good I would be in the event of a natural disaster. I am pleased to say that the local residents seem to be largely unaffected by it, I cannot imagine the noise and tremor at the epicentre.
Anyway, no damage to me or my property though I fear some pyschological damage may have been inflicted on my chillies, so if they don’t fruit you know why 
Miles
pleased all is OK
a topical post !
Regards
Rod
February 27, 2008 @ 8:35 am
Rod,
The best bit is watching Sky News trying to make it newsworthy!!
‘Paint, dry and watching’ springs to mind.
Miles
February 27, 2008 @ 8:41 am
Update,
Yesterday I damaged my shoulder in an attempt to beat my own personal dumbell press. I went to bed fearing my grip on the Mr Universe title would be forever lost. I’ve just realised it doesn’t hurt anymore! You never know…
February 27, 2008 @ 8:46 am
Miles,
I felt my heart jump as well as the house, under normal circumstances I’d have put it down to watching George in Michael Clayton late at night. I must away and count my chimneys…
Cid
February 27, 2008 @ 8:55 am
Miles,
.
Glad you are not out of action - your chillies need nursing and the blog needs to be typed, never mind all those people expecting to be fed.
As for the earthquake, I am only just starting to recover. The rocking sensation of my bed was quite an experience
Makes you think of the poor people though who get killed or homeless through these.
Elsie
February 27, 2008 @ 11:21 am
Miles
The best bit is watching Sky News
I was watching it at 2am at least they had the story.
The BBC news 24 made no mention of it - all American election
Rod
February 27, 2008 @ 11:57 am
Miles,
Glad we got out of this one o.k. I have decided that the earth does not need to move for me!
Just a thought, those little creatures living underground must have had a scary experience. No counselling for them.
Christine
February 27, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Earthquakes are thrilling experiences if you live to tell about them. Here in California we have come to the point where we say we have three seasons–fire, flood, and earthquake. Most times I just stay in bed and enjoy the ride. Quite an experience, huh mates?
Annie
February 27, 2008 @ 5:42 pm
Annie,
.
“I stay in bed and enjoy the ride” .
I’ll try and remember that next time
Elsie
February 27, 2008 @ 8:18 pm
All right, listen up. It is clear to me that my expertise in surviving an earthquake is clearly needed in Lincolnshire. While still working in education, I and my students had to do regular earthquake drills. Modeled on the old “duck and cover” drills from my Cold War/nuclear blast childhood, I would dutifully duck under my desks, and then would clasp hands and arms around the back of my neck to protect it from falling objects (like the refters in the ceiling). Once the shaking had stopped, one climbed out from under the debris, and would proceed in an orderly fashion outthe door and away from the buildings. The injured and dead were to be duly noted and reported to the proper person. As an adult on campus, I had an assigned special duty (such as triage, morgue, digging latrines) in addition to trying to keep my students calm and in some semblance of organization. After taking roll of my students, I was to send a student to carry my tallies and names of the missing to the attendance area for recording. One of the schools I worked at had special large cargo containers filled with emergency supplies such MREs (meal ready to eat donated by the local air force base), water, first aid supplies, blankets, plaastic bags for use in the latrines, shovels, etc. We had been briefed that we had to be ready to be self-sustaining for at least 72 hours, the estimated time before help could begin to arrive. Teachers were not allowed to leave until all of their students had been released to parent (or at least the ones who hadn’t jumped the fences and run for home). This presented problems for those of us who had children, because their teachers couldn’t leave until we came to get our kids, so you can see the effect caused by this rule. Some teachers were assigned to search and rescue in areas where there weren’t downed power lines or fires. Presumably, the custodian had already turned off the gas mains, but if there was leakage from gas still in the lines, the potential for explosions was always a possibility. I think you can imagine trying to keep 2600-3000 teenagers calm and quiet in such a situation. Some rise to the ocassion and become helpers, others become hysterical, or combative. Oh, the humanity!
The usual schedule for these drills was 4 times per year, usually requiring the duck and cover, plus evacuation, but at other times, the entire emergency system of the area came into play, and we did full on drills, complete with students/teachers playing the dead or injured. Because the school I mentioned earlier was located at the convergence of two tectonic plates, we knew the devastation would be significant. These drills were also a run-up to the time when missles would innundate the local air bases which was a Strategic Air Command location (meaning nuclear warheads were stored nearby). We knew we would be at ground-zero for any enemy attack, so I didn’t see the point in drilling because we would be among the first killed. I did not mention this to my students, but those whose parents were military already knew that.
And here you thought teaching was a simple ten month job, with lots of vacation time.
February 29, 2008 @ 6:20 pm
Annie,
I’m already there with the digging of latrines the rest however is another story. An old man said to me after our quake that he knew it was coming…. could tell by his bowels
Your comment tells us all that we’re lucky to be here what with mother nature and manmade missles. Lots of my friends are teachers and I don’t know how any of you cope with the pupils let alone earthquakes.
Cid
February 29, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
Annie,
Truly awsome! Thank you for showing us your reality. We are all very fortunate.
Elsie
February 29, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
Cid,
We should get an emergency kit bag ready, just in case. Mine would need to include the usual beautifying utensils, hairspray - must keep some decorum and a trowel to dig myself out of a hole. Some cake for sustanance and some Schnapps to steady our legs after the shocks should do for a starter.
Elsie.
February 29, 2008 @ 8:26 pm
Annie,
That is a tour de force of a comment! Don’t envy you in the slightest with all of those pesky kids-give me an earthquake anytime-it’s less noisy
Miles
February 29, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
Elsie,
That sounds like our sort of kit although if my sewage system is anything to go by we’ll need more than a trowel
Let’s not forget the gas masks, not a great look but far be it for us to underestimate the situation 
Cid
February 29, 2008 @ 10:27 pm
Dear Cid and Elsie,
Chapter 2 of the Annie Guide to Earthquake Survival includes the items to be packed at home (and in the car) as personal earthquakes survival kits. I have a rucksack filed with first aid supplies, toilet paper, change of clothes, jacket, flashlight, shoes, toothbrush, etc. It is not as complete as it should be, but it is there. I also keep several gallons of water on hand. My gas bbq will help with the cooking needs, but I need to replenish my stock of food. I used to have a complete camping kit (tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils, etc) put in a safe place, but that went the way of all good things in one of my moves. I really should assemble it again, but I am waiting until the ground stop shaking. Oh sorry… false alarm; that was the massager on my rocking chair.
March 3, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
Annie,
Now you have mentioned the camping kit we will be reminding you to replace it. As resourceful women we can’t allow the forces of nature to get the better of us!
As for the massaging chair, I am deeply jealous. The nearest thing I have is wheatbag designed to heat up in the microwave, instead of a hot water bottle. Looks like today I might be needing it too, overnight a light covering of snow… who knows what will happen later?
Cid
March 4, 2008 @ 8:40 am
Cod and Elsie,
What does the fashionable woman wear to an earthquake survival? Maybe Big Brother Rod can advise us on our satorial statment.
Annie
March 4, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
Annie,
The fashionable women in these parts are constantly amazed when they catch sight of Elsie and myself…. we cut a fine silhouette in our combat/earthquake/woodland survival kit. For summer quakes we thought we might go Hawaiian, the grass skirt allowing full movement. In short we are Ray Mears girls (what a guy) and Miles does well to put up with us. As for Rod, I can almost see him now leaning provocatively in a doorway wearing his best polo shirt… glass of claret in one hand and cheque book in the other, not a hair out of place. I hear he has built a bunker for his hard drives
Cid
March 4, 2008 @ 8:45 pm
Hi Miles
I eat your fabulous food at least two nights per week! - I was staying in room 114 on the night of the earthquake - I hung on to the bed watching the room swaying - I thought the whole hotel was going to collapse - I was the only guest to rush into reception in pjs only to feel the aftershock rumbling through the wooden floor!!
March 4, 2008 @ 9:10 pm
Hi Ant!
Didn’t realise that! I seemed to have missed the boat on this one, I was more preoccupied with catching a burglar! I remember feeling a bit out of sorts but I put that down to the Riesling!
A great comment, thanks a lot.
Miles
March 4, 2008 @ 10:50 pm
Cid & Annie,
In the light of Ant’s comments, serious consideration is required about our night attire. Was Ant wearing Bart Simpson pyjamas, I wonder? What a shame that he was on his own in reception
This will not only affect our emergency kit bag but also standards in general. We can be taken by surprise any time!
Elsie
March 5, 2008 @ 11:39 am
Elsie,
What about those of us who follow the old Marilyn Munrow philosophy and wear only Chanel No. 5 ?
Yes, there’s no doubt about it the night kit has to be reviewed for the sake of any innocent passers-by who up until now had no cause for concern in the heart department. So, on the hook next to the Nigella black satins, there we’ll hang our combat gear and grab bag. In future, comfortable winceyettes will be de rigeur and will double up as tents 
Cid
p.s. there’s only one person we know who wears Bart pj’s, presumably half mast and very short in the sleeve!
March 5, 2008 @ 4:54 pm