Sorry for the red top type headline, I really couldn’t resist that one. I was woken from my slumbers last night by an indeterminate noise and the ceiling visibly shaking. Confused I was. What was happening, not the plumbing playing up
again or my partner performing a tap dance in a pair of clogs upstairs? Removing the redundant laptop computer from my knee and heading off upstairs I encountered said partner asking me if I’d heard the earthquake? Tempted to say no out of devilment, I indicated yes, checked the curtains to see if the street was still in place then headed for bed.
Of course the media was full of the big story this morning. An earthquake with it’s epicentre in the town of Market Rasen, thirty miles south-west of Hull in Humberside had occurred to a literal tune of 5.2 on the Richter Scale. The quake had erupted at around eight miles beneath the earth’s surface.
Dare I say that this was a very British earthquake? Along my cul-de-sac, neighbours could be heard chattering out on the cold pavements shortly afterwards, comparing notes and anxious to understand what had happened. (It’s just an earthquake folks – go back to bed).
Apparently emergency services were inundated by calls from confused and frightened people disturbed by the quake. Unbelievably Midlands police alone received over 5000 calls in the first hour whilst in the town at the epicentre of the UK’s last major earthquake, Dudley in the West Midlands, 12 people presented themselves at their local police station in their pyjamas!
A Market Rasen resident commented in a national newspaper:
“I was woken at about 1am with a violent shudder, the house seem to be moving from side to side and the mirror rattling against the wall. I knew it was an earthquake due to the sheer movement that had taken place. I got dressed and went outside, there were people out of their houses along the main street.”
Top work, Sherlock.
All joshing aside, let’s look for one moment at the report and subequent appeal after the appalling carnage in Dudley back in 2002.
At 00:54 on Monday 23 September an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale hit Dudley,UK causing untold disruption and distress –
- Many were woken well before their giro arrived
- Several priceless collections of mementos from the Balearic’s and Spanish Costa’s were damaged
- Three areas of historic and scientifically significant litter were disturbed
- Thousands are confused and bewildered, trying to come to terms with the fact that something interesting has happened in Dudley
One resident, Donna-Marie Dutton, a 17 year old mother-of-three said “It was such a shock, little Chantal-Leanne came running into my bedroom crying. My youngest two, Tyler-Morgan and Megan-Storm slept through it. I was still shaking when I was watching Trisha the next morning.”
Apparently though, looting did carry on as normal.
The British Red Cross have so far managed to ship 4000 crates of Sunny Delight to the area to help the stricken masses.
Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings including benefit books and jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- £12 buys chips, scraps and blue pop for a family of four
- £10 can take a family to Stourport for the day, where children can play on an unspoiled canal bank among the national collection of stinging nettles
- 22p buys a biro for filling in a spurious compensation claim
PLEASE ACT NOW
Simply email us by return with your credit card details and we’ll do the rest!
If you prefer to donate cash, there are collection points available at your local branches of Argos, Iceland and Clinton Cards
THE TEARS OF A CLOWN 
Market Rasen Quake Relief Fund
At 01:00 on Wednesday 27 February, Britain’s worst quake for 25 years hit Market Rasen, Lincolnshire measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale and causing untold disruption and distress. The tremor decimated the area causing approximately £30 worth of damage. Several priceless collections of mementoes from Cleethorpes were damaged beyond repair.
* Residents of Market Rasen and neighbouring Lincoln and Grimsby were woken well before their giros arrived
* Several priceless hedges were damaged
* Three areas of historically and scientifically significant litter were disturbed
Local radio stations reported thousands of people wandering confused and bewildered among the debris, trying to come to terms with the fact that something interesting has happened in Lincolnshire.
One Lincoln resident, Ashleigh-Marie Dutton, a 17 year old mother-of-three said “It was such a shock, little Chardonnay came running into my bedroom crying. My youngest two, Tyson-Morgan and Aguilera-Amy slept through it. I was still shaking when I was watching Trisha and Kilroy later that morning.” Apparently though, looting did carry on as normal. The British Red Cross have so far managed to ship 800 crates of Sunny Delight to the area to help the stricken masses. Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings including Benefit Books and jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and bone china from Poundland.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
This appeal is to raise clothing and food parcels for those unfortunate enough to be caught up in it. Clothing is most sought after. Items required include blankets for stricken racehorses at the Market Rasen track and baseball caps, hoodies and other clothing from TKMaxx.
£5 buys a fish dinner and blue pop for a family of four
£10 can take a family to Cleethorpes for the day
25p buys a biro for filling in a spurious compensation claim
£20 buys Grimsby Town FC
PLEASE ACT NOW!!!!
Simply email us by return with your credit card details and we’ll do the rest! If you prefer to donate cash, there are collection points available at your local branches of Argos, Aldi and Clinton Cards. Please do not send tents for shelter, as Market Rasen racecourse will not allow camping.
(Market Rasen Earthquake Appeal)