What if things had got REALLY bad in the Brigg area over the past 10 days? What if food and other essential supplies had been cut off? What if the ambulance and fire services hadn't been able to function?
THOSE QUESTIONS GOT THE OLD MEMORY CELLS INTO OVERDRIVE...
Back in the early 1980s, Glanford Borough Council had a standing committee with a very strange title - it dealt with prepardeness for war and peacetime disasters. Rumour had it there was a "nuclear bunker" deep under what's now Hewson House, off Bigby Street (pictured above before the snowfall), housing a control centre for key council personnel who would govern us in the event of a major emergency.
The current spell of bad weather, this early in winter, just might have done us all a favour. No way could it be regarded as a peacetime disaster, but an urgent national and local government review of how we respond to such situations will allow alterations to be made for next time the weather turns really nasty.
Was Brigg's "nuclear bunker" just an urban myth? Was it a ruse fed to the press so they could laugh at our futile attempts, and abject failure, to get a sneak preview of it? More to the point: What happened to it? Is it, perhaps, still there?
Hopefully, someone may be able to throw some light on this dark secret of the Cold War? "Cold" being the operative word in the current climate!
North Lincolnshire Council should be keen to review how it has performed during what's been an extremely rare extended spell of snow and severely low temperatures for this time of year. Things haven't been bad enough to merit the term "crisis" - never mind "disaster". However, there has been widespread concern about the council's reluctance to clear roads (except primary routes) and footpaths. Even today, with a thaw well under way, cars in Brigg are still stuck fast in icy side-roads. Indeed, partly-thawed slush, which froze overnight, has resulted in worse driving conditions today on some estate roads than when the newly-fallen snow was deep and crisp and even.
Following the floods a few years ago, national and local government looked at how they had performed during the difficulties and took steps to improve things (eg unblocking culverts and gulleys and moving council computer servers to new locations floodwater cannot reach).
We trust the same will apply to the present spell of severe wintry weather. In which case the government should be telling councils that there are emergency funds available to call in farmers, with their tractors, and contractors, with suitable diggers, IMMEDIATELY, to clear secondary roads when these sort of conditions are experienced. It surely wouldn't be too difficult to draw up a list of farmers and contractors willing to be called out and help. Levels of payment, insurance and the invevitable "elf and safety" risk assessments can be put in place now so there is no red tape holding the job up next time the Boys from the Blackstuff are needed to clear the whitestuff!
There's a clear practical problem of there being a secret bunker under Hewson House.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in a house on Bigby Rd, the water-table was about 2 feet below the surface.
Should there be a nuclear bunker, it would have to be very water-tight.
Of course, it could have been Brigg's secret submarine base off the Ancholme.
The idea is a bit like the notion that there exists a tunnel from the Lord Nelson to Newstead Priory.
Practically, such a tunnel would have to cross under the Ancholme and, historically have been contructed before the surrounding quagmire was drained......but the Gilbertine monks/nuns (as Newstead was a mixed gender community) could have been good at snorkelling.
On a serious note, Nige, the now defunct Royal Observer Corps (ROC) disbanded in the early 90's used undergound nuclear bunkers.
ReplyDeleteTheir purpose was to monitor emergency situations if this country came under nuclear attack. ROC staff would lock themsleves away at weekends and organise various exercies.
I think the nearest bunker of this type is in a field in Fiskerton to the east of Lincoln.
It is now obviously disused and becoming derelict.
It may also be interesting to note that the Fire Station HQ in Lincoln along, is it, ?South Park has been constructed as a blast-house emergency control centre - allegedly capable of withstanding bomb blasts - but this facility is mostly above ground level.
Before the early 90's the location of these bunkers were a bit secret, but to a trained eye, the disinctive radio mast. the windowless entrance and 'keep out' signs would give their position away.
Since their retirement from 'active service' some have been sold, while their location, construction and purpose have become the fascination of the Nuclear Bunker Geek Groups.
The best example of a 'bunker' in Brigg is the Black Bull cellar - 'If the End is Nigh - Go Out Happy!'
Ever had a look at the underground reservoir between Wrawby and Brigg via the Days farm to Churchill Ave footpath ?
ReplyDelete