chris moore
chris moore
chris moore
@chris-moore

Not a good day in Bordeaux

user image 2011-08-03
By: chrismoore
Posted in: these things are sent to try us...
Not a good day in Bordeaux

August 2nd 2011, not a good day in Bordeaux.  You don't want to look out the front door and see this when your studio is in the basement...

The morning started fine, hot and sunny, the clouds arrived in the afternoon, temperature in the nineties, suddenly it got very dark, and then about 3 inches of rain hit the city in half an hour.  The water started rising in the street and had just about crept up to the bottom of the basement window, then the rain died off and I breathed a huge sigh of relief... but a little too early.

Suddenly, across the road, a man-hole cover decided it had had enough and jumped into the air, followed by an enormous fountain of "used water" as the French like to call it, and the level started to rise again, but this time not with clean fresh rainwater but a grey looking sludge that didn't smell too great. Luckily it stopped 2 inches below the top step at the front door, (some of my neighbours weren't so lucky) but that is about 6 inches above the basement window, and a little above the level of the extractor fan outlet from my studio.

Panic ensues, me running up and down the basement stairs carrying guitar, synths, amps, computers, speakers, mics, anything I could get my hands on as the stinking grey water started its inexorable rise around my feet.

In the end it only got to about six inches (my defences are better than the last time it happened) and the electricity stayed on, so I was able to pump it out within a few hours, but not much music is likely to be made in there for a little while, I think.

Ah well. There are good days and bad days that go to make up a fulfilling life, I guessUndecided

Digger
08/04/11 02:24:49PM @digger-stone:
that really suck man....

but look on the bright side, you were able to save your gear and you'll be able to make music again shortly.

peace,

songdoc
08/04/11 12:16:36PM @david-c-deal:
Chris, that sounds like a day from hell to me. The mere thought of all of my equipment getting drowned brings cold terror to my bones. Glad you saved everything.
bri-an
08/04/11 11:38:14AM @bri-an:
e-gads!!,... not a good scene. Glad all is ok though Chris....
josephrodz
08/04/11 08:59:47AM @josephrodz:
Thanks God you're ok,here in Puerto Rico still raining for about 3 days thanks to the storm Emily.
Farrell Jackson
08/04/11 10:49:34AM @farrell-jackson:
That stinks Chris! (pun intended, lol). Seriously, I'm glad you didn't loose any recording equipment and that your abode appears to be fine with a little clean up. Wow, three inches of rain in thirty minutes! I've never seen that any where.

Farrell

chrismoore
08/04/11 03:56:58PM @chris-moore:
Thanks everyone for all your messages of support! When Joseph said that in Puerto Rico it was the third day of rains of tropical storm Emily I realised just how lucky we are here in Europe, this sort of stuff doesn't happen too often here, thankfully.

Humidity in the basement is already down to 74%, hopefully I'll be able to get my stuff back down there over the weekend, strengthen my defences and cross my fingers again. In any case, sitting here in the courtyard after a bottle of champagne and a seriously good meal to celebrate our wedding anniversary, life seems pretty good!

Thanks again my friends,

Chris

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