By Avril Done

Published at 11:07, Thursday, 19 April 2012

MRS Hartley began by welcoming everyone to our February meeting, the second in our new venue.

FLASHBACK: The Prince of Wales meets pharmacist Vera Lowry (left) and retired district nurse and volunteer Carol Barnard at Allisons Chemist on his visit to Cockermouth after the floods

She congratulated two members who had celebrated their golden weddings and also one member who has had her 80th birthday – a month of celebrations at Moresby.

Mrs Lockhart was congratulated on producing an excellent programme of speakers for 2012 – a very difficult job much appreciated by everyone in the institute.

The business part of the meeting over it was time to welcome our guest speaker, Vera Lowry. Her talk was entitled After the floods. This was a very personal insight into the devastating floods in Cockermouth in November 2009.

We were shown pictures of the Main Street with the torrents of water destroying homes and businesses and people being helped out of windows into RNLI craft. We were very familiar with these scenes shown on television causing such heartache. Vera told how she saw tins of sweets bobbing down the street after a huge wave knocked the window out of one of the shops and how the pane of glass itself was carried down the street in one piece – an amazing sight.

Vera recalled how when she and her staff needed help to escape from her chemist shop she was identified as old, weak and vulnerable. The force of the water was so strong that they were told to link arms so that they could hold each other up as they were led to safety.

It was Vera’s aim to try and set up a dispensary as soon as possible when she realised that other chemists and doctors were out of action. The staff had managed to move computers, patients records, medicines and other essential equipment to the upper floor of the shop.

Vera managed to obtain space at the Auction Rooms and told of all the help she had been given in getting tables, chairs, filing cabinets etc so that they could get the service in operation again.

She told us her staff worked hard to make sure people could get their prescriptions. She was quick to acknowledge all the help they had received from other services, including former members of staff, nurses etc. It was to be 12 months before they went back home to their refurbished shop.

She delighted us by telling how Prince Charles visited just after that horrendous day when the floods hit and how he wanted to know how they were coping and listened whilst they told him about their experiences. He also promised Vera that he would return to see them when they moved back to their shop. This he did.

It was such a moving talk and although upsetting at times Vera also gave us a glimpse into the lighter side of happenings in Cockermouth. She said it was similar to a bereavement and affected the people of the town in so many ways. Although it has bounced back with newly-furbished businesses, it will never be the same to many people. Many elderly people in particular have been affected and in some cases are unable to live on their own anymore, their lives have been turned upside down. Pat Davies thanked Vera for her extremely interesting talk.

The competition for an item you would rescue in an emergency was won by Messrs Stamper, Little and Moore.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk