How pub beat the floods
STAFF at the Fountain Inn in Aberkenfig carried on serving hot dinners on Sunday as torrential rain threatened to flood the premises.
IT was the worst flooding people had ever seen in their community.
But the torrents of water did not stop their local pub dishing up hot Sunday dinners to 275 people.
In fact, one chef was sent outside to take down a wall to encourage the water to flow away, while service continued inside.
“Our chef Liam Turner went out and knocked the wall down and I kept serving,” said Justin Rees, 47, owner and chef at the Fountain Inn, Aberkenfig, near Bridgend. “We did 275 covers on Sunday and still managed that.”
He said that water began to flow down the bank behind the Park Street pub during torrential downpours on Sunday .
“On top of the banking behind the pub there’s a stream and then it goes through a culvert,” he said.
“The culvert must’ve blocked and then it came over.”
From around 1.30pm water poured towards the back of the pub and also flooded around the side.
Justin said they placed sandbags at the back of the pub and swept the water away with brushes to ensure customers inside stayed dry.
But as the water continued to rise and was minutes from entering the restaurant, further action had to be taken.
A small sledgehammer was borrowed from a neighbour and chief Liam, 26, had to partially knock down a wall at the side of the pub to allow the water to flow away into the road.
However, the road was also severely flooded and some cars had become stuck.
“It was a bit of nightmare actually,” said Justin.
He said a neighbour eventually managed to unblock the culvert and the water receded.
But he praised a regular customer, John Roberts, who intervened and helped youngsters who became wet and cold in a car which got trapped in the floodwater.
He said he gave them a lift to their destination, Porthcawl, otherwise they would have been left stranded.
“It has happened before apparently. But people who have lived here for a while said it’s the worst it’s ever been,” said Justin.
A spokesman for Bridgend council said: “Responsibility for the local system is currently being established so that the cause can be investigated and addressed.”