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Anyone have date of the Greeat Flood of '47. Must be coming up to 60 year since.

When they build the Meadows, they enclosed the River Lean in a tunnel. Or so I heard tell. It was supposed to flow under top end of Summers Street. There were steps down to the backyards of some houses just down from Arkwright Street, and it used to flood there regular. But Greeat Flood was something very different.

My sister has a photo of me Dad pushing her and meself in a tin bath out from alleyway that lead to our backyard. He was up to his waist in water.

Hugs Alison

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wilflood.jpg

That was from the proweb site looking towards Clifton Colliery from Colliery Road.

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Ayup John,

This might sound a stupid question but, How would the mines get dewatered in a situation like the flood of 47? I know how we dewater in the "surface mining" industry but thats easy to reach higher ground, underground having a lot more issues, was work suspended, how efficient was the pumps, and what measures if any were in place should such a disaster happen?

Rog

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!rotfl!

Me bruvver-in-law who worked down pit, reckons they had a big cork which they stuck in top to keep water out. That was Clifton pit too.

He don't know date either - thinks its's probably Spring '47. Could be Feb or March sometime.

Hugs Alison

:Kiss::Kiss::Kiss:

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The Cliftons were well aware of the Trent's tantrums, pit top and the boiler houses, winding engines and power house were about ten feet higher than the road outside, so the pit was safe from flooding.

The power house was later converted to the electrical workshops when power was introduced from the grid.

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Ayup Alison,

Just looked in my book called "The Meadows Remembered" Under the heading" Rising Tide and Soggy Cake" Quote: It was 19 March 1947. I was a 15 year old apprentice hairdresser working at Rita's No7 Wilford Road, overlooking the railway. We saw water coming along the railway lines about 3 O'clock. I recieved a phone call from home telling me to "come home while I still can"Unquote This was from an extract by Mrs Marj Bunfield (nee Harris) Hope this as answered your question

Cheers

Rog

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Thanks Rog for the actual date.

On the 18th March I will be walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to help celebrates it's 75th anniversary. And on the 19th March I will attempt to cross the harbour in a tin bath to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Nottingham Floods.

Given that my Dad pulled the tin bath last time, with my sister and myself in it, I would appreciate any suggestions as to how I should propel the bath in an acceptable manner so as to adequately commemorate the occasion.

Hugs Alison

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How about a vat full of good old mushy peas Alison,that's sure to give you some propulsion !faint!

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A small trolling motor would propel it safely.

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Ayup Alison,

May I suggest,( If your'e in the UK at the time ) To stand outside the houses of parliament with a suitably sized dustbin liner and capture some HOT AIR that eminates from the doors at PMs question time, there should be enough to float you back to OZ with plenty to spare to make you're own hot air balloon and use you're tin bath as the basket/gondola. Is there a possibility of being taxed on this tin waterborn craft of your's or are you still allowed to fulfill ones dreams in OZ just like the UK in the 50s?

Rog

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i can remember standing where the photo was taken just as the water reached the top of the wall , we hurried down briar street and got to the pillarbox on kingsmeadow rd as it came swirling round hawthorn st, we made a run for it as we,d got to get to midland cres next to the rof , it was frightening how quick it came up

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I remember the 1947 floods very well , Iwas 9 yrs old at the time. the water just came up to our front doorstep but further down the crescent it came into the houses, midland crescent that was. my cousin , uncle and aunt had to come and live with us , they lived on castleton street and the water came up above thier fireplace, as kids you dont think of the dangers but it must have been terrible . i remember the tractors touring the streets passing bread and milk in baskets up to bedroom windows on ropes and fishing with string on a stick out of the window

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I'm not old enough to remember that flood, it was the year I was born, but I do recall the year we moved down to the "medders" was when the Trent got pretty high and destroyed all the north side embankment. I remember going down to see how high the Trent was most days after school.

What year was that?? 1960???

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I remember the 1947 floods very well , Iwas 9 yrs old at the time.

Hi Zacsmum welcome,

I was three at the time, and whilst having no precise memory I have seen photographs of myself and older sister in a tin bath floating along.

I have tended to think of Summers Street as being at the top end of the Meadows, being so close to the Midland Station on Arkwright Street, and have always thought of Queens Drive as being inclined upwards from the Trent.

If the flood was a couple of feet above street level where we lived then it must have been all of ten to fifteen feet deep closer to the river.

Hugs Alison

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I think everything took people unaware those days. You just learned to cope. There was very much a "community spirit", we were all in it together, and everyone helped each other out.

We had a coal cellar under the house that was always wet. Probably from the river Leen which flowed under the houses. I vaguely recollect it being a common occurrence for there to be a few feet of water down there late winter early spring most years. In '47 it just got deeper. Very!!

Hugs Alison

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Funny thing, if you read back through Nottinghams history, that area has always been prone to flooding. Some real nasty floods before any houses etc were built down there.

Some of the problem in modern times probably comes from the weir.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The BBC news website is warning it could happen again. See

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6448525.stm

All those nice new swishy places where the Meadows used to be. thumbsup

Do they still call it the Meadows? or is it something like "River Park Estate".

Alison

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Ayup Qfive,

Got mine wet that year, I was working at the quarry in Attenborough, the water level rose that quick by the time I got the main gate locked the water was up to my knee's and the mainline railway was under water. From what I heard it could have been avoided if the Colwick sluice gates were opened earlier

Rog

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