Flood, 1991
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Flood, December 1991 – Rescue from sports clubhouse
With what was described at the time as one of the wettest weekends in years, torrential rain and gales in the North-west caused havoc throughout the region. The Mersey reached such a dangerous level that the river authorities decided to open the floodgates at the Millgate Fields Sluice Station, east Didsbury, to allow the Didsbury flood storage basin to be used in order to relieve pressure of the river and to avert the flooding of homes, properties and businesses further downstream. Some newspapers reported that the Mersey had burst its banks – but it didn’t. It was a controlled flood operated by the river authorities.
The floodgates were opened on Saturday night, 21st December 1991. At the same time, a football club party was in full swing at Burnage High School Old Boys’ pavilion in Simon Field, Ford Lane, where revellers were enjoying themselves unaware at first that they were being surrounded by water which eventually reached a depth of four feet. The party continued even after the fire brigade arrived on the scene.
Firemen anchored a lifeline from the clubhouse entrance to a point near the car park entrance on Ford Lane and used a dinghy to ferry more than 60 people to dry land. The firemen’s rescue took two-and-a-half hours.
There was a hive of activity at the Fordbank Road/Ford Lane junction with fire engines, equipment, saturated partygoers, offers of towels and dry clothes etc.
This was one of over 200 calls dealt with by Greater Manchester firemen.
This event was reported by the South Manchester Reporter which carried a short article and photograph.
Water sports: Burnage Old Boys’ ground, Ford Lane
Bradley Fold Allotments – was flooded as usual.
Withington golf course – was also flooded although it took several hours over the Saturday night and early part of Sunday morning to be inundated to a level just below Palatine Road. Incidentally, the club was holding its Christmas Dance in the clubhouse as the course was being flooded. Groundstaff would have been contacted to report to the club in order to remove tractors, mowing machines, equipment etc to the higher ground and safety of the club car park.
Britannia Country House Hotel, Palatine Road
Although some distance from the Ford Bank estate, what happened there may be of interest to some so it is included here.
The unluckiest flood victims of all were jet-setters who had left their cars at the hotel while they holidayed in the sunshine. Over 60 cars were stranded in seven feet of floodwater caused by Fielden Park Brook backing up from its outlet into the Mersey. It was heartbreaking news waiting for dozens of holidaymakers who had escaped the bad weather but whose cars – many top quality – were left submerged in the dirty, sandy water.
It is believed that many of the cars were so badly damaged having been submerged for so long that they were beyond repair and had to be written off.
Would the owners of cars… please grab a snorkel and flippers and rescue them from the Britannia Hotel, Didsbury
Well, I parked my car here somewhere, dear: Victims of the Britannia Hotel flooding
(Captions under photos as written in local newspapers)
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