News

.... a weekly column from Michael Howard MP

3 May 2007

 

Well, we certainly made the headlines last Saturday. Not, obviously, in quite the way we’d have wanted nor in a way anyone could reasonably have predicted. But it happened – a real earthquake and Folkestone got the brunt of it.

We all have our own account of where we were and what we experienced. I was just finishing breakfast when I, quite literally, felt the earth move. “I think that was an earth tremor,” I told Sandra. She was very sceptical, pointing to a fallen tree in the garden and suggesting that that had caused the picture to fall of our wall. I gently suggested that was the earth tremor that had caused the tree to fall but she was not convinced.

After my advice centres – which I could not cancel, given the number of people with appointments to see me, I went to the Salvation Army Centre in Canterbury Road and had a look round the area. There was obviously a lot of damage and it was clear that quite a few people were likely to suffer real hardship. But the fact that there were no serious injuries was something of a miracle. It could have been so much worse.

I cam back on Sunday morning, saw some of those who had spent the night as guests of the salvation Army and again looked at the damage. There was a real community spirit in evidence and everyone I met was determined to get on with the work of repairing this damage.

All praise is due to the Salvation Army and Kent Police and Fire and Rescue Service together with Kent Social Services and Shepway District Council, all of whom seemed to have responded magnificently. We are all deeply in their debt.

Of course much remains to be done and there will doubtless be many in need of help. If you think I can help in any way, please get in touch at the House of Commons, London SW1A OAA or email howardm@parliament.uk. I shall do all I can to help.