THIS week marked the 30th anniversary of Farnham’s most infamous weather event of the 20th century, the freak hurricane that took its vicious toll on October 15 and 16, 1987.

For many Farnham residents and villagers, the occasion will have brought memories of the wartime spirit that prevailed in the days after they woke up to a changed landscape, unimaginable to those that did not witness it.

Thousands of trees were uprooted or snapped, blocking all roads out of the town, crushing roofs and cars, halting all public transport.

Many homes, and even schools, coped for more than a week without electricity, telephones and water, fortified with soup and hot meals by neighbours.

Southern Electric faced a mammoth task, with 7,000 faults to cope with, and shops reported shortages - notably of chain saws and candles.

And while the Forestry Commission closed all its forests, the desolation of Farnham Park was clear for all to see, with mature beeches and a whole avenue of chestnuts floored.

On the plus side, views of Farnham Castle that hadn’t been seen for generations were opened up.

Many individuals had tales to tell The Herald, including a cowman who left for work on the Hampton Estate at Seale at 4am during the storm. He arrived five hours later after being lost in woodland with trees crashing around him.

A Tongham woman went outside in her night clothes to rescue her milk bottles, her front door slammed and there she remained because, with no power supply, her doorbell wouldn’t work.

Eighteen people across the South East were killed during the storm, but in Farnham, miraculously, the only injury reported was to Pc Paddy Newell of Farnham Police, who gashed his leg with a chain saw while clearing the A287.