A bit windy! (RIP Trampoline)

Yesterday afternoon (25th January), we were all at home just pottering around, when it got a bit stormy, and we had some hail and the wind picked up. Harry was just commenting that the netting on the trampoline might blow off, because it had unhooked from a couple of the upright posts, so we were all looking at the trampoline when suddenly the wind grew ridiculously strong. The trampoline lifted up slightly, then the next thing we knew the whole thing was up and in next door's tree! Some of our fence went too, and I told the kids to get back from the windows, in case anything else was going to go flying. I've never seen wind like it, and I was worried for the huge fir tree on the right, as it was seriously leaning over our garden.

The wind died back to just normal storm levels, as quickly as it had come. I took this picture out of Jack's bedroom window.

A bit later we ventured out to inspect the damage!

Next door's fence panels were rather damaged too (as well as impaled!), plus a trellis in their garden was damaged, and the trampoline was wrecked! I can't believe the force of the wind! It wasn't like the trampoline had just flipped up and was leaning against something - it was totally bent, with snapped metal.

One of the kids said we'd got a nice big back garden now... ie. the whole field behind us!

Lucy seemed the most upset - thinking of all the good times on it, like sleeping out in a tent on it, etc. (though not really upset - I think we all just thought it was exciting and interesting!)
Scott rang the insurance company, and they will pay for a new trampoline for us, though we'll have to sort out all the fencing (it was a bit rickety anyway though.) The woman at the Insurance company had said that they contact our local meteorological office to check the wind speed, and if it's over 46 mph, then they accept our claim. It turns out the met office said the wind in our area was 48mph, so that was OK for the claim, but NO WAY on earth was it only 48mph in our back garden!!!
A bit later, our neighbours returned home, so we slightly sheepishly went round to tell them. They didn't seem too worried at all, and he and Scott managed to get the trampoline down, by putting a ladder up, and heaving it around. The tree was a bit damaged too. Jack managed a little bounce on the trampoline, though most the springs are snapped!!
So that livened things up yesterday, anyway!

The trampoline this morning...