BLOG – 35 YEARS AGO BLOG 14

When we bought the building that houses “Glass Creations” we didn’t appreciate the location. Sure, there was the river but so what? Since then, the river has burst its banks at least fourteen times! My workshop has been submerged many time. Thankfully, its tidal floods so water may pour in but also retreats quickly. Quite a few times I have found seaweed mixed up with my glass!

Sandbags have provided some kind of defence and over time I have learnt how best to pile a barrier made of sandbags. Hessian, the material used in such bags tends to decompose after a few months and I did stupidly think of using bags made of plastic. This of course did not work as water just rushed through the gaps that the bags had made.

I thank the Highland Council for providing sandbags and deliver them to my workshop. In the early days I was given empty bags and told to fill them myself. I went to the beach and “nicked” some sand. I forgot how heavy the bags were until I started to lift them into the car. I could see the car lean backwards due to the weight. Not a problem until I drove off up a hill and got stick on the ice. As I revved up to move off the car slipped backwards. Behind me was the river to which I was getting closer and closer to. I managed to swerve the car away from the waters edge with about three metres space. One minute later the river flooded as I placed the sandbags into position I was hit with the first wave!

The damage done by the water wasn’t restricted to just the water itself. It was the debris that was swept along the road that hit other objects and smashed into walls. I remember the police had closed the road where “Glass Creations” was situated due to the water rising to waist high. I distracted the police to navigate myself around the cordon only to be hit by a floating dustbin.