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Keith Dancey · November 15th 04, 04:46 PM posted to uk.sci.weather

In article , John Hall writes:
In article ,

"danny(West Kent)" writes:

It definately was a 1 in 250... a real freak, and on another level to 1990,
'but' like I said, only in such a small area... extremel local (Kent,
Sussex). Other areas it was just a normal gale\storm, whatever.

The area severely affected was considerably larger than that, including
at least Surrey and the eastern half of Hampshire.

In Oxford, there was structural damage to buildings as well as the loss of
valuable trees.

Friday, October 16th 1987 was the day of my vasectomy!-) I had taken a
sleeping tablet on Thursday evening to get "a good night's rest". Upon
awakening around 8 AM my wife informed me that she'd had a terrible night
because of the noise of the storm...

The fence surrounding the grounds in front of our block of flats had
"exploded" outwards, caused by the turbulance of the winds hitting our
west-facing building. One part lay to the north, in a school playing
field, one part lay south, in a neighbours garden, whilst the third part
lay west, in the road. Buses were driving over it.

The journey to the clinic was interesting for the variety of debris which
littered the roads.

Upon arrival we walked through the grounds of the Churchill Hospital,
looking in amazement at the number of trees which had been felled. When we
arrived at the Elliot Smith clinic we had to step over the splintered
remains of about one-third of its roof, which had been lifted off and
dumped on the grass.

This seemed to be just the entrance area so we joined the ensemble of
nervous "clients".

The operation went ahead, in itself a strange and surreal experience:-(

As you know a green cloth is placed over the patient, with an opening for the
"area of the incision, which is shaved clean". I looked like an extreemly
small christmas pudding on an unusually bumpy snooker table.

The surgeon was not in a good mood. He hadn't slept well, either.

Locating, and gripping, the vas deferens is not always easy, and once found
should not be released: they don't let it happened twice.

My surgeon had my vas deferens, all right, but no knife.

He shouted for a nurse (we were all alone). He shouted again.

I could hear laughter way down the corridor. Everyone was preoccupied with
the storm, and the tales of destruction.

"Florence!" he shouted at the top of his voice. At this point, my wife told
me, she could hear him, and she was still in waiting area.

Through the slit between his mask and his "cap" I could see anger, frustration
and panic.

He apologised for what he had to to do. Keeping a firm hold of my now
rather sore vas deferens, he dragged me and the operating trolley to the
closed door, opened it and bellowed so loudly that the receptionist let
out a squeal.

I was then pulled by my vas deferens back into the centre of the room
before Florence arrived waiving a plastic bag. "Are these what you want"
she smiled, opening the bag to reveal a surgical knife. I tried to look
suave.

Unless something went wrong with mine, never let anyone kid you that the
operation is entirely painless. An electric shock delivered to somewhere
tender raised me body, vas deferens and green cloth a good two inches above
the trolly bed.

The surgeon pushed me back down. "I perform a destructive method" he said,
and the smoke from cauterisation rose and circled on the ceiling. "Look
at this!" he grabbed my shoulders and pulled me up into a sitting position
where I could inspect the removed length of vas deferens at closer quaters.

Was I supposed to comment? Finest vas deferens I had ever seen?

One down, one to go....

I did not walk properly for four days. I was off work for three. So I missed
seeing the damage in countryside.

However, Harcourt Arboretum (Nuneham Courtenay, just south of Oxford) - now
part of Oxford University Botanical Garden - lost the tops from its pair
of Redwoods. These were the oldest Redwoods planted in England, from the
same batch of seeds used to plant them in Kew Gardens, and among the tallest
trees in England.

You can still see the damage today. Not to my vas deferens, though... but I
was attached to 'em;-)

Cheers,

keith

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