b'Memories of the Great Flood of 1983Andrew SeftonT he newspaper report published in Bulletin 14 of the Worst floods in living memory revived my memories of that Sunday afternoon. It was one of those dark and wet Sundays. We had just finished Sunday dinner that Mum would cook for us all - a traditional roast dinner usually comprising a plate of Yorkshire pudding with onion gravy, followed by a roast, usually chicken, with roast potatoes, bread sauce, sprouts and veg and gravy. All served on a large table that we could all just squeeze around in the front room of no. 96. It had a serving hatch through to the kitchen, through which all the tureens of veg would be passed. All the family, Bob and Ruth with Jamie, NickA raging torrent.and Debbie from Worsendale Road, and Dick & Lynne with Tom from next door, would all sit round most Sundays to enjoy Mums Sunday dinner. She was used to catering for a large family and had done the same thing for many years, ever since she lost her own mother at a young age forcing her to take the role of mother and cook for her own brothers and sisters.It rained and rained, and I remember how very dark that day was, we had to have all the lights on for our meal. The rain was bouncing on the road, and suddenly I became aware that the beck was getting rather full. By mid-afternoon the rain eased but we could not believe our eyesFlood water rushes through Mill House.when the family went outside to see the water coming down the street, but mostly down the beck. It just looked like a river. I remember looking up to Ken Sissons house to see the water flooding through his front door. The flood soon passed, I remember, and within a couple of hours most of the worst flooding had reduced, but I remember the beck was swollen double in size for a few days following the rains. Everyone looked on with astonishment, and Mike Pratt even tried to swim in it! I decided to dash inside and grab my camera and record the scene. The shots here are what I took that day. Mike Pratt wades after having a swim!264 BULLETIN 15'