What's that smell?

Before the rain . . .

The storm hits Brighton seafront.

Patcham flooding - latest

Following the recent heavy rainfall, the Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for ground water flooding in Patcham. Residents are advised to be prepared as flooding is possible.

 The ground water level is now at 44.39 metres AOD (as of 6.30am on Thursday 13 February). Environment Agency estimates suggest that we may see some surface level flooding following the rainfall this week.

 An information point and helpline for residents is open every day from 10am to 4pm including the weekend. The information point is at the Black Lion, London Road, Patcham, Brighton, BN1 8YQ. The dedicated helpline number is 07825 387380. Our Adult Social Care and Housing Teams are continuing to visit residents in the area identified by the Environment Agency as at risk of flooding.

 Previous post: Pumping at Patcham

Pumping at Patcham

So far, apart from a few persistent puddles and a local estate agent pumping out his cellar, there has been none of the predicted general flooding in Patcham Village.  This may be due to the timely installation by Southern Water of a temporary pipeline  down the main London Road. This has pumping equipment at Patcham Place Lodge and diverts surface drainage away from the main sewer serving Patcham Village. The temporary pipe returns the water to the main sewer ¼ mile south opposite the Brangywn Estate. 

See also: Patcham gets the sandbags out.

The Marina cinema

The cinema in the Marina has excellent car-parking facilities. in fact it is nearly surrounded by covered parking space. It has parking to the east, to the west and above. The south side pictured above, fully exposed to the prevailing wind and weather, contains the only entrance to the cinema. 

The free parking is a great attraction, but the potential cinema-going driver, tempted out in bad weather, has to face a 50 yard walk along the south side from either direction, to gain the shelter of the foyer. This gives ample time to arrive at the cinema with dripping umbrellas and raincoats. 

Many non-drivers might be tempted to dismiss this situation with a sardonic "hard-cheese". This would be fair comment if it were not that a simple inexpensive remedy was readily available to the original architects. Namely that of incorporating into the design a direct indoor entrance from the car park to the foyer. It is difficult to see that the omission of this feature is due to anything other than incompetence.

Rough seas at the Albion groyne

A brilliantly captured instant by Paul Cahill

Concrete groynes (in calmer weather)

Patcham flood alert update.

According to a Council leaflet, circulated to properties in Patcham Village today, the ground water level is still rising, although now at a slower rate than several days ago.

The Council remains concerned that flooding can still occur. The first signs will be water in the basements of buildings along the Old London Road and at the bottom of Church Hill.

Using sandbags to combat rising ground water is not effective, and may actually trap water and make the situation worse. Council engineers have identified a few locations where sandbags can be used to some effect and will deploy them if necessary.

Patcham flood alert

1st. January 2013

Patcham in the snow

Bandstand sunset

Goodbye "Indian summer"

West

East

Summer cloud

See also: Winter sunshine.

Concrete groynes

The first two concrete groynes to be built were the East Street groyne (in the distance) in 1867, followed in 1876 by the Albion groyne (lower right) which also carries a storm water outfall. The seawall between them which carries the Grand Junction Road across Pool Valley (upper right) dates from 1829. Before its construction Pool Valley shelved gently into the sea and was liable to flooding at spring tides and high tides in stormy weather.

Related post: Wooden groynes

Wooden groynes

It is interesting to ponder that a few simple structures like this began in the 1720's to stabilise Brighton's seafront along basically the same line we have today. A great storm in 1703 had destroyed the old fishing village below the cliffs and, along the south coast, was said to have cost 8000 lives. There was a further bad storm in 1705 and the sea continued to encroach to such an extent that Brighton appeared on the verge of being devoured by the sea. It must have been a fairly wretched place but, for some reason, maybe good fishing, was thought worth saving, and money was raised to build two groynes adjacent the old town. These were spasmodically maintained and supplemented for the next 200 years until gradually, from 1867 onwards, they became supplanted by concrete structures.

There were several wooden groynes still to be seen on Hove beaches until well into the 20th Century. Their remains may be there yet, buried under the shingle. This photo is of one of two still visible near where the Hove-Portslade border enters the sea.

Coffee morning

The 1911 coronation

100 years ago, on the 22 June 1911, the country awoke on the coronation day of King George V and Queen Mary and it seems that Brighton had eagerly seized on the excuse for a celebration.

Read more: Royal Pavilion & Brighton Museums.

Unfortunately, someone forgot to inform the weatherman; not only did the sun not shine but the celebrations were shrouded in mist throughout.

Winter sunshine

Click on photo

Church Hill, Patcham

Preston Park 3

In the north-eastern corner of the park the original gate pillars still stand together with a small section of the original railings. They are looking rather knobbly on the southern side (see "The South West Wind") but considering they have been standing there for 126+ years their condition says a lot for the quality of Victorian wrought ironwork.

Rain!

At the time of posting, I wondered if an ironic reminder about past flooding might just do the trick . . . It has. Over the last 24 hours the ground seems to have had a good soaking and hints of green are already reappearing in the grass.