The Front Page Splash...

Before I go any further, just a quick note to say, following on from Gordon Brown's election climb down, our national newspaper subs must have been thanking their lucky start that here we have a PM whose name is so transparently open to puns about brown stuff / underpants / etc. Still, on with the serious stuff...

A few people in my area, just north of central London, have remarked how lucky we are to have a series of 'quality' newspapers that cover the area. Namely, the Ham & High series.

So, a couple of weeks ago I put on my best shirt, which, being a student, is not actually a very nice shirt, but is still my best, and went along to see if I would be able to help out one day a week.

The staff were very welcoming, and were happy for me to begin going in every Friday, where I would be working on the Wood & Vale, the specific title for my area- St Johns Wood and Maida Vale. It has taken a couple of weeks for the stories to make the blog, because the paper comes out late every Thursday, so my first weeks work only appeared a few days ago.

So as it turns out...I got lucky. My first day, Maida Vale was flooded due to a burst pipe, and the editors were also happy for me to conduct an interview I had previously arranged with Amanda Sharp, the organiser of the Frieze Art Fair, held that same weekend in Regents Park.

What follows is my original copy. The flood story was the front page splash (excuse the pun). The version which went to press was brought up to date by Susannah Wilkey, the Wood & Vale's full time journalist, shortly before deadline.

FLOOD WATERS DEVASTATE MAIDA VALE

Around 50 properties were damaged and 400 homes were without drinking water in the Clifton Road area of Maida Vale on Friday, after an aging water pipe burst in the early hours of the morning, spilling millions of gallons of water onto surrounding streets.

Flood debris littered the area, and surrounding streets were cordoned off by the Fire Brigade as the road surface began to break up under the sheer volume of water.

Local businesses experienced huge damage to stock, and were forced to close their doors when power was cut to the area around 10am.

Six hours after the pipe burst, Thames Water were still seeking to pinpoint the source and cause of the damage. Spokesperson Nicola Savage said:

“We are having difficulty isolating the source. The Fire Brigade are diverting the flow of water away from local businesses, and we will look into whether the pipe can be fixed, or whether it needs to be replaced.

“We have had to cut off the supply to the pipe, and there is a possibility that these disturbances may continue into tomorrow.”
Warwick Avenue tube station was also forced to close following the power cut, bringing disruption to the Bakerloo Line.

Twelve elderly residents had to be evacuated from Melbourne Court, in the Little Venice area, after flood waters rose dramatically to around two metres in the buildings garage space. The garage, the lowest lying point in the area, stands directly above an electricity substation.

Fearing for the resulting mix of petrol from the parked cars, flood waters, and electricity in the substation, the Fire Brigade evacuated residents at 10am, who gathered at a nearby pub.
This is not the first time the area has experienced such problems, leaving residents less than impressed.
Melbourne Court Porter Broderick Mills said: “This is the fourth time we’ve had a pipe burst in the area. It’s no good replacing these pipes now. They should have been replaced 20 years ago.”

Residents were deeply concerned for their property in the worst affected areas. “I have two Ferraris, two BMWs, and a Ford Mustang, and they’re all under water,” one elderly lady complained.

Responding to the wave of criticism a Thames Water spokesperson said: “We are spending half a million pounds every day replacing pipes as and when required. Unfortunately, sometimes, pipes burst.”