Pictured is Tweedmouth Parish Church, which lost a massive section of roof during the storm - such that water poured into the transept - rendering the church building unusable at this present time.
Revd Rachel Hudson, Vicar at Tweedmouth Parish Church praised the Newcastle diocesan authorities, who were “immensely supportive” in enabling them to seek repair quickly. While the repairs will not happen in time for their Christmas services, they are optimistic that a local builder will be able to complete the work.
Members of the congregation gathered to lament and pray together and are sharing worship across the other two churches in the Benefice, which is strengthening relationships.
Canon Alan Hughes, Sheriff of Berwick writes about the impact of Storm Arwen on their community:
Storm Arwen has not only shown us the power of nature but also how fragile the veneer of complex modern society is. All the things we too often take for granted - power, water, shelter, fuel – were taken out of our control, challenging us within a moment.
On the positive side, after witnessing the destruction of property, uprooting and snapping of huge trees, power and water outages, fuel stations closed, Berwickers swiftly took stock and rallied to face the challenge, as they have throughout the Covid crisis.
Local builders and tradesmen have deserted their own projects to respond to the needs of townsfolk, repairing roof tops and restoring essential services. Northumberland County Council, Northumbrian Water and Scottish Power staff have been Herculean in their response to the storm and Town Councillors have been delivering water donated by Morrisons.
Town Clerk Gareth Davies toured Berwick, examining the damage, and said: “Berwick is a good town, full of good and generous people,” as he viewed the sand cleared on Spittal promenade by Simon Maden.
Pictured below are images of a tree that fell just short of Berwick Parish Church:
