“On 15th January 1952, winds stronger than any recorded in Britain before came roaring in from the south-west. The wind had reached gale force by 3 am and kept rising, peaking about three hours later. It’s impossible to say exactly what speed was reached, as the recorders went off the scale at 127 mph and stayed off for half an hour. Informed opinion estimated the maximum may have been about 135mph; hurricane force begins at 73mph.”

“I saw my barn collapse like a pack of cards, and my winter crop vanishing like smoke. Smaller sheds were going bounding across fields like rabbits, and as for my hens, I was picking them up next day from all over the parish. The chaos was indescribable, and I was frankly terrified. I thought even the farmhouse was going to go. It was rocking like a ship at sea.”