Boat rescue family spend Christmas in rented house

Posted by The Journal on Jan 1, 09 04:17 PM in News

A young family spent Christmas six miles from home after being forced out of their home.

Local government worker Ian Havery, 42, his wife Alison and their six daughters were helped out of their riverside home by boat after it was left under 2ft of water.

an and Alison Havery with their children, Scarlet, 2, Ruby, 1, Rosie, 7, Lauren, 11, Lucy, 9 and Lily, 4

Now Lauren, 11, nine-year-old Lucy, Rosie, seven, four-year-old Lily, Scarlett, two, and baby Ruby are all now living with mum and dad in a rented five-bedroom house in the village of Whalton.

And they have been told it will be Easter before their house is ready for them to return.

But Ian, who lobbied Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg to press for better flood defences in Morpeth when he visited the town following the deluge, said the whole saga had been an adventure for the six little girls.

He said: "We tried to make Christmas as normal as possible for the kids and the fact that we knew for some time we were going to be here meant we could plan for it.

"The house in Morpeth has become more and more detached from us as things have settled down here.

"The kids miss a lot of stuff such as toys which were lost in the flood and some other aspects of their lives such as their friends back in Morpeth. We are quite isolated out here, it is a different way of life and there is nowhere for them to go and meet friends."

We'd like to hear from you.
Send your stories, pics and videos