The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Queen witnesses revival of storm-battered village
Traders, public and emergency workers impress monarch with their resolve
Hundreds of people lined the streets of a storm-battered village yesterday to catch a glimpse of the Queen as she met some of those worst- hit by the floods.
Her Majesty visited Ballater to view the progress on mending the community, which was devastated after the River Dee burst its banks on December 30 last year.
The Queen also met some of the emergency workers who rescued stricken people from their homes, and provided shelter in the following days.
More than 300 homes and 60 businesses in the village were devastated by Storm Frank, with those on the lower end of Bridge Street hit by about 4ft of water.
The monarch arrived on Bridge Street dressed in a blue dress and hat at 2.45pm, first visiting the local butchers. HM Sheridan lost between £40,000 and £50,000 of stock, but was one of the first businesses to reopen. Many others are still in the midst of repairs.
When she arrived at the butchers, the Queen was greeted by employee Andrew Wimbush, who was holding a haunch of venison sourced from her own Balmoral Estate.
The shop is owned by Barry Florence and John Sinclair – whohelped guide the monarch along the many Bridge Street businesses.
Mr Florence said: “We are obviously delighted she chose to come and visit us, it is a great honour to have herin here. We got a chance to show her our products, she was particularly interested in the venison.
“We are doing quite happy with the way the business is at the moment, there is still a wee bit to go, there is still a lot of displaced residents in the village.”
The Queen then visited the neighbouring Brakeley Gift Room, which has enjoyed good summer trade since reopening earlier this year.
David and Wendy Cobban said it was the perfect way to celebrate the first anniversary of the shop, which was damaged just three months after they first opened. Mr Cobban said: “We were delighted that she came in. It is a twoway thing for us, not just
recognising those that have been through it and back on their feet but also those that aren’t.”
Bryn and Marilyn Wayte hope their beloved store, Deeside Books, can reopen at the start of 2017.
Mrs Wayte said it was “lovely” that the Queen had shown so much interest when they met face to face yesterday. Mr Wayte added: “She’d heard we’d lost a lot of books, which we did, we lost over 8,000 books. We are hoping that most of the building will be finished by the end of the year.”
Outside Glenmuick Parish Church, in the heart of the village, the Queen met some of the emergency responders who dealt with the aftermath of the floods. Police officers and firefighters, along with Aberdeenshire Council officials lined up outside the kirk to shake hands with the monarch.
Afterwards, with the sun shining, she was given a tour inside the church by minister David Barr.
The Queen took particular interest in a stained glass window dedicated to the church in memory of butcher, Michael Sheridan, after his death in 2006.
Within the church she met a number of local flood victims, as well as members of the rotary club and Victoria and Albert Hall committee and a number of volunteers from the Ballater Charitable Chiels.
Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside councillor, Peter Argyle, was among those that spoke with the Queen outside. He said: “We talked about the tremendous community spirit in Ballater.”
The Queen then had a look at the work being done to turn the former Co-opon Netherley Place into a Highgrove restaurant and tea shop named the Rothesay Room – the brainchild of Prince Charles.
After driving past Ballater Caravan Park, she finished with a visit to the village’s golf club.
was hard to imagine a greater contrast to the terrifying flood scenes brought about by Storm Frank on Royal Deeside, as the Queen strolled through sunny Ballater to witness its renaissance.
The Queen stepped out from Balmoral to meet her neighbours and hear the remarkable stories of flood victims, who have turned their lives around after facing despair.
But it was also about looking to the future as plans are laid to prevent such a disaster from happening again in the north-east.
The Queen has been through it all, including the Blitz. She was exuding her normal calm and reassuring aura yesterday, which always suggests we can overcome anything.