Residents tell of camaraderie and shovels in face of ‘beast of the east’ and Storm Emma

The marines came in their Chinook with bags of supplies, logs for fuel and shovels to help trapped local residents – who came out of their homes to gratefully greet their visitors.

But the frozen scene in question was not in one of the more extreme corners of the world where the British military may be expected to run helicopter relief missions but in a corner of Cumbria left isolated by the vast snowfalls brought by the “beast from the east”.

With cars buried, food running out, and the big thaw yet to reach some communities, Operation Boomster was initiated, a coordinated response between the Royal Marines, the RAF and local authorities to bring supplies in a Chinook.

The marines in question were just back from similar conditions in Scandinavia. “We have been visiting isolated villages and farmsteads and despite conditions improving they have been very harsh,” said WO 2 Roger Atkinson. “Most of our team have just spent two months in Norway so we are specialists in these conditions and we’re the only troops that do that.”

Visiting Nenthead, Old Nenthead, Garrigill and Ayle, the aircraft landed in snow-covered fields. As they heard the deafening noise of the blades, people came out to receive the supply bags.

At 445 metres above sea level (1,460ft), Nenthead is one of the country’s highest villages. It was cut off in the middle of last week when gale force winds and temperatures of -10C or below turned a three-day snow storm into an extraordinary event. Then it stayed cut off.



A small crowd plus dogs huddled on the edge of Nenthead village school playing field, watching the helicopter unload.

The blizzards blocked the only main road in and out of Nent, as local residents call it – the A689 from Alston to Stanhope in County Durham. Alternative routes out via Teesdale, Brampton and Hexham also became impassable, obliterated by drifts up to 4.5 metres in height.



Geoff Raffle, 61, said: “Everyone has really pulled together, it’s such a rare occurrence and this is the worst it’s been for years. I’ve only been here for four years but the locals say it hasn’t been like this for a long time.

“We knew we were going to be stuck for a number of days. Everyone had plenty of supplies, the village shop ran out quite quickly but when the road to Alston got cleared it could restock.

“All the neighbours have been helping dig each other out, some front doors were under seven or eight feet of snow.”

He added: “It was absolutely brilliant seeing the Chinook land, I can’t believe how big it is.”

Some were less clear about the importance of the visit. “What did they actually deliver?” on man asked, as the helicopter lifted off. “Nowt that I saw,” a woman replied, cheerfully. “Doesn’t matter. It’s the most exciting thing that’s happened in years.”



The flight was the second of the day for the Chinook, having taken off from Carlisle airport, with the first aid drop going to Fellside, South Stainmore and Alston.

One man in Garrigill said his wife was in desperate need of a new asthma inhaler but was saved when a local gamekeeper managed to get out of the village on his quad bike and then back again with the medicine.

Mother and daughter Debbie and Erin Barratt, 45 and 17, from Nenthead, said their cars were still buried.

“On the top road here it started coming down on Tuesday night in blizzards, you couldn’t even go out the front door because of the snow and wind,” said Debbie Barratt.

“When I made it out I couldn’t see over the drifts because they were over our heads. But the community spirit has been fantastic, it’s absolutely outstanding the way we have all looked after each other.

“And seeing the Chinook land was quite spectacular, I never thought I’d see one of them in Nenthead.”

Temperatures rose above freezing over the weekend after the “beast from the east” and Storm Emma brought a deep cold snap last week.



But despite forecasts of a high of 11C in London on Tuesday, weather warnings for snow and ice were still in place for parts of northern England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said: “There will be a noticeable change in the weather, it will be less cold and there will be less snow and ice. We are now going to see slightly less cold and milder weather.

“There is a snow and ice warning for most of Scotland. Through Monday the snow will be restricted to the higher ground.”