FLOODING - 8 JANUARY 2005.
There were a number of ironies associated with the river Tyne floodings which inundated Tynedale Park and the clubhouse. Firstly, a Flood Risk Assessment had been commissioned by the club from JBA Consulting, North Yorkshire in November 2004, and it arrived shortly before the floods! The report recommended that any new developments should be set at 26.66m AOD, approximately 1m above the 1995 flood level, to match the existing clubhouse. It also commented that the existing defences known as the Dilston Haugh embankment, extending from Devil's Water downstream to Corbridge bridge, had been improved following the 1995 breach "by importing clay fill to restore the bank profile", and "The risk of a future breach has been reduced by routine maintenance and vermin control."
(The 2005 flood followed the breaching of this same Dilston Haugh embankment where it had been weakened by rabbit burrows!)
(The 1995 flooding had resulted in the grounds being flooded causing slight damage to the entrance drive and equipment stored under the stand - the clubhouse was unscathed)

The second irony was that the Tynedale Park embankment - the flood defence which extends eastwards from the reinforced Little Croft concrete wall - along the length of our land, actually acted as a dam once the Dilston Haugh embankment was breached, and turned the whole of Tynedale Park into a 35-acre reservoir. The flood embankment saved our three containers, one of which had just been installed, from floating downriver and becoming a hazard to shipping!
Wallace Cousin was able to put dramatic pictures of the flooding, and the subsequent mess, on the club's web-site almost immediately - and these photographs were featured in newspapers, magazines and new items for some time after the event.
The clearance work concentrated, in the first instance, on removing fallen trees to provide access to the clubhouse, then removing photographs, memorabilia, plaques, cups and trophies off-site to a dry location.
Thereafter, the priority was to get the dressing-rooms, toilets and showers cleaned down, disinfected and back in order to enable training and matches to take place. In fact, the pitches and changing-room areas were available for use by the first weekend.
Drying-out was helped by the absence of any plastered walls - so that dehumidifiers could be used straight away, as the carpets, curtains, and furniture were being dumped.
Three portakabins were brought on to the site, and with electrics, a sink unit and cooker installed, these acted as the club's kitchen and catering areas until the end of the season. The drying-out of the clubhouse was completed by 25 February when the dehumidifiers were removed and the bar and kitchen fittings were demolished and removed. New skirtings were installed, the sprung maple dance floor was reinstated and non-slip coverings were installed in the bar service area and kitchen on self-levelling screed.
Bar and kitchen fittings which had been fabricated off-site were installed, and by the beginning of May carpets, soft furnishings and furniture were in place in the Bar and Function room and refurbishment was complete.
The Honours Board, shields, International shirts and memorabilia will be gradually returned to adorn the clubhouse walls. In some cases small remedial work needs to be carried out before they are reinstated.
Throughout the sixteen week period that the clubhouse was closed a number of members helped with reinstatement work on the grounds and in the clubhouse, and we are grateful for their assistance, but a special word of thanks needs to be directed towards Tony Curtis who acted on the club's behalf almost as Works Manager on site, and without his input and supervision the work couldn't have been completed so quickly and efficiently. Tony has gone to the U.S. for six weeks - to recover, I presume!
Douglas Hamilton

DIARY OF EVENTS
Sunday 9th January 2005
First view of the club grounds on the morning after the floods suggest that there has been no major structural damage.
The land has drained considerably leaving advertising hoardings, posts etc littered all over the ground. The three large storage containers have been moved 300 yards and dumped on the river's flood bank next to the Colts pitch.
The entire inside of the Clubhouse has been flooded upto approximately 3 feet and a muddy slime is deposited everywhere. Kitchen fridges etc have been tipped over .
Areas of the ground, including beneath the stand and the entrance road are still under water.

Summary of activities:-

• Loss Adjuster visited Monday 10th Jan
• Tree blocking access to the clubhouse removed.
• Electrics tested.
• All bar stock, drapery and other inventories completed - machines checked.
• Photographs, plaques, Honours Board, International shirts packed and stored off-site in a dry location.
• Cups and silver trophies re-insured and moved off premises.
• Archives inspected by Senior Archivist - Northumberland CC. 80% saved, other drying as advised.
• Dressing rooms hosed down & disinfected.
• Bolier repaired.
• Training facilities OK for Thursday 13th January.
• Carpets, curtains etc placed in skips along with rubbish, soiled documents and stock.
• Soft furniture scrapped.
• De-humidifiers and driers installed.
• Colts hut cleared. carpets and furniture dumped.
• Stand pumped out. Tractor a write-off after inspection.
• Two Portakabins installed to provide limited hospitality/catering/bar facilities in readiness for 1stXV home match against Dudley Kingswinford.
• A third Portakabin installed.
• Terry Burwell & Simon Winman from RFU flew up to inspect.
• Meetings with Environment Agency attended.
• Further meetings with Loss Adjustors & Surveyors (24 Jan)
• Damaged goalposts taken down and repaired.
• Function Room floor lifted and scrapped.
• Structural Report received - scheduling of repairs authorised.
• Bottle Store, Car Park A and Toliet Block cleaned.
• Advertising Boards retrieved.
• (10 Feb 2005) Line Marker replaced
• (12 Feb 2005) £10.000 loan received from RFU to help with cash flow. Interest free - repayable December 2005
• (25 Feb 2005) Drying Out completed.
• Schedule of work on Clubhouse approved
• Colts Hut drying out and disinfection conmpleted
• (25 Feb 2005) Ride-on mini tractor, strimmer, mower etc purchased
• (25 Feb 2005) Repairs to beer cellar condensing unit on roof
• (7 Mar 2005) Bar fittings and kitchen fittings demolition and removal began.
• (8 Mar 2005) Work on replacing fixtures, fittings and floor began.
• New tractor purchased
• Scrummage Machine inspected and tempoary repairs carried out.
• Bar and Kitchen fittings being fabricated off-site.
• Doors & woodwork cleaned down and repainted/stained.
• Skirtings replaced and painted.
• New lights installed in Bar (not part of insurance claim)
• Sprung maple dance floor fitted.
• Carpets not available until 25th April.
• Hopefully completion on April 28th.
• FRIDAY APRIL 29th - CLUBHOUSE OPEN.