Ian Stewart was born on Brechin’s River Street.
In his 84 years he’s encountered the passing South Esk in all her glory – and frequent fury.
So on the afternoon of October 19 2023, as his home town came under a ‘danger to life’ red weather warning, it wasn’t reckless hubris which led the retired baker to tell the media at his garden gate he wasn’t planning on going anywhere.
It was because Ian and wife Jane had faced worse – on numerous occasions across decades before.
In 2004, floodwater was up to their knees in their home of 40 years. Ian’s garden shed was carried like a cork down the river.
And, since 2016, they’d had the protective barrier of Brechin’s £16m flood wall between them and the South Esk.
As reporters and camera crews swamped the cathedral city, Ian’s priorities were Jane’s wellbeing and securing his own floodgate to offer another layer of defence against Storm Babet’s growing might.
“I’m staying where I am,” Ian told the media that afternoon.
Just hours later, he and Jane heeded evacuation warnings and fled to the emergency centre at Brechin Community Campus.
In that respect they were among the lucky ones – unlike hundreds of Brechiners rescued by boat in the multi-agency operation which was probably the UK’s biggest during Babet.
Couple forced from home for 10 months in 2004
Ian and Jane are now finally back home as the disaster’s first anniversary approaches.
How do they look back at the hell of the storm and the long road to recovery?
Put simply, Ian’s hope – founded on past experience – was that Babet would pass.
“I was born at my granny’s just along River Street and we’ve lived in this house for 40 years, so we’ve seen a lot,” he says.
“I remember when I was just five or six seeing my father up to his chest wading through the water after a flood.
“The worst we had here was when we were flooded in 2004.
“The water was above our knees and we were out of the house for 10 months.”
£16m Brechin flood scheme comfort
And the Stewarts had confidence in the Brechin flood prevention scheme.
“When they built the wall I was out there nearly every day speaking to the men,” adds Ian.
“Once it was complete I thought ‘brilliant, we’re ok now’.”
Indeed, the wall stood firm a year ago. It just wasn’t built high enough to keep record-breaking levels of the South Esk at bay.
“It just rose so fast. We were offered to be taken up to the campus but I wanted to take the car,” said Ian.
“At our age you don’t expect to be camped out on the floor of an emergency centre.”
By the weekend they’d been taken to Edzell’s Glenesk Hotel, where they stayed for three weeks.
Ian recalls the warm welcome he received at morning breakfast from a Sky news crew which was one of those that interviewed him on his doorstep as the river rose.
And by November 15 the Stewarts were in a house at Guild Homes’ Strathmore Fields development in Forfar.
“It was a lovely house and we were so grateful – but it wasn’t our home and we just wanted to be back in Brechin,” Ian added.
Town councillor Jill Scott was instrumental in securing the temporary move.
The couple hailed her support, and that of Angus Council staff. Ian and Jane reserve special praise for community team figures Jennifer Anderson and Graeme Hodge who have been heavily involved in Brechin’s recovery journey.
“People often complain about the council but often their hands are tied,” says Ian.
“They’re only workers trying to do what they can for you. And we can’t speak highly enough of what they’ve done to help us.”
Ian has similar praise for his former employer, Macphie of Glenbervie, for their support despite having been officially retired for almost 20 years.
Mixed emotions over homecoming
But their return to River Street remains bittersweet.
Despite their insurance company also being “brilliant”, the couple have been forced to tackle contractors over poor workmanship in their beloved house.
“It’s upset us because you just want to be settled back completely and able to enjoy your home,” says Jane.
“We’ve lived here so long we just want to be happy in it again. At 77 you don’t want to be having to go through all this.”
And a cloud of uncertainty hangs over dozens of still empty neighbouring houses as Angus Council ponders whether they will ever be rebuilt.
There is also a heightened fear of Mother Nature displaying such ferocity again.
“We give it a lot of thought now – we worry,” Ian says.
“Babet,” adds Jane. “We won’t forget her.”
As the first anniversary of Storm Babet approaches we will be looking back at the disaster, its impact and where Brechin and Angus goes from here in a series of articles.
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