Firsthand Account of Grayrigg Crash
The following is a first-hand account from one of the members of Windermere branch of the Women's Royal Voluntary Service.
The first call came at 10.30pm on the Friday night when we'd just heard about the accident on the 10 o'clock news.
"Could you pick up two members of Kendal's Emergency Services team and go to the Village School at Grayrigg?". We were turned off the A685 near Mealbank and told to find our way by back lanes. Fortunately we met only one other vehicle and were very thankful when we finally regained the main road at the church beside the School. There we served tea, coffee and biscuits along with the locals and the Salvation Army.
The School became the centre to which passengers were brought and then either taken North by coach or reunited with friends or relatives who had come for them. At 3.30am we were stood down as the Centre closed and we went home, feeling sorry for the Caretaker clearing up the mud and mess over the weekend.
The second call came on Monday afternoon. "Find four people and meet at Morrison's to collect food for 300 Police and other workers" As it was a nice afternoon nobody was at home so only two were available to meet Julian Dearden (Emergency Services Co-ordinator for the North West) and Janet Ford (Meals on Wheels Co-ordinator) and two volunteers from Lancashire.
WRVS tabards helped to identify us and persuade Police to let us through the road blocks and on to the crash site. Here a mobile canteen had been set up by Eddie Stobart. Our pies, sandwiches and so on were welcomed and after feeding those who came we were asked to take food and drink to a posse of reporters. Slipping and sliding in the mud and dark, clutching a 3 litre pump pot in one hand and milk in the other together with other helpers bringing tea, coffee, food and another thermos, volunteers served the Press who hadn't had a hot drink all day.
On Tuesday other Windermere WRVS members collected food from Morrison's and made their way to the site under Julian's direction.
What an experience and what a privilege to be able to help in some small way!