And The Rains Came

[Sean Hampsey]

A week last Friday (remember the day... the rain came) my 'Cellar Of Soul' was flooded with about 6" of water.

I was up all night (until 11.00am Sat morning) trying to rescue whatever was on the floor (my play boxes full of 45's, piles af albums, 1,500 CD's) cardboard boxes full of magazines going back to early B&S, Record Lists, my complete works of Richard Allen etc.

Man that I am, I never shed a tear, for fear of raising the water level, but it's been a torrid 10 days or so, trying to extract each piece of vinyl from the sleeve, dry each label with soft tissue, hanging LP covers all over the house on makeshift washing lines trying to dry them out.

We're talking about 2-3,000 45's and LP's under water!

I contacted my Insurance Co (where the records are well covered within the contents insurance) and they advised me to leave well alone (not to rescue anymore) and wait until they could get the Loss Adjuster out to assess the damage and potential loss.

A further few thousand 45's and a couple of thousand LP's were left down there (above water level) and eventually the water subsided.

They told me they couldn't get out until... this coming Thursday (because of the volume of such tragedies) and despite the fact I told em that this was no ordinary cellar full of crap......... (it was MY cellar full of crap)............ they still couldn't prioritise the visit.

Well, if you saw the news or live near me (S. Yorks / N. Derbyshire), you know what happened last night.

Sho' nuff it came again... deeper than before (or deep as you like and then some!!!)

I've just spent the last 6 hours trying to salvage the balance.

Soul Destroying...

Well, the guy from the Insurance Co is due on Thursday.

Now, I've saved most of my Soul records by spending the week cleaning and drying them (and on the upside, found loads of stuff I didn't know I had ) but I've still several boxes that I've just not been able to get to and a few thousand 60's & 70's Pop records, most on UK demos, that are just sitting in the middle of the floor in 6" of water.

Main question is, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain (since I've rescued most of my rarer Soul records) would there be any loss attached to these since a few of them have spent a few hours under water and how could this be valued (de-valued)?

Secondly, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain how I would go about valuing all the stuff that's still down there with all the labels floating about around them... or is the onus on them to do that?

Thirdly... any other advice from anyone with similar experience, in particular regarding Records & CD's, very much appreciated.

Got an hour to do at Shane's new gig in Sheffield this Friday night.

Expect 60 minutes of whatever I've been able to salvage.

Oh, and any requests for "Wade in The Water" on the night will be treated with absolute contempt!

Mods... anyone... if this is in the wrong place please move it.

Many thanks

Sean

[Ady Croasdell]

Strewth Sean, i havn't a clue about the insurance, but you have my sympathy for a nightmare of a situation.

Ady

[Steve G]

Home Insurance isn't really my thing, but I'd suggest for the LPs you use the record collector price guide, as clearly the sleeves will have water damage even if you dry them out. On the 45's not really sure it depends whether it was dirty water I guess. I remember seeing some "Katrina" damaged records on e-bay a while back - looked as if they'd fallen in the local sewage plant! So it really depends how bad the water damage ends up being. You have my sympathies too Sean.

[Baz Atkinson]

very sorry to hear this ,the only experience with insurers i had re house contents was when i got burgled in 1997 [luckily their left my records and went for money and gold etc].i was not happy with their assesment so went for the ombudsmen to get involved their buckled at the last minute and i got what i felt was right.When i insured my records i took out a seperate policy and itemised the more expensive ones which was part of the stipulation,if I was in your position I would get as much written verification as possible as to the value of these goods as pricing records as you know can be a slightly ambiguous thing at the best of times.

IF the general loss adjuster does not come up trumps ask for his boss to come out and reasses and then take it from there,sure things will be ok but as we know life is not like that.

Good luck mate.

BAZ A.

[SteveM]

A week last Friday (remember the day... the rain came) my 'Cellar Of Soul' was flooded with about 6" of water.

I was up all night (until 11.00am Sat morning) trying to rescue whatever was on the floor (my play boxes full of 45's, piles af albums, 1,500 CD's) cardboard boxes full of magazines going back to early B&S, Record Lists, my complete works of Richard Allen etc.

Man that I am, I never shed a tear, for fear of raising the water level, but it's been a torrid 10 days or so, trying to extract each piece of vinyl from the sleeve, dry each label with soft tissue, hanging LP covers all over the house on makeshift washing lines trying to dry them out.

We're talking about 2-3,000 45's and LP's under water!

I contacted my Insurance Co (where the records are well covered within the contents insurance) and they advised me to leave well alone (not to rescue anymore) and wait until they could get the Loss Adjuster out to assess the damage and potential loss.

A further few thousand 45's and a couple of thousand LP's were left down there (above water level) and eventually the water subsided.

They told me they couldn't get out until... this coming Thursday (because of the volume of such tragedies) and despite the fact I told em that this was no ordinary cellar full of crap......... (it was MY cellar full of crap)............ they still couldn't prioritise the visit.

Well, if you saw the news or live near me (S. Yorks / N. Derbyshire), you know what happened last night.

Sho' nuff it came again... deeper than before (or deep as you like and then some!!!)

I've just spent the last 6 hours trying to salvage the balance.

Soul Destroying...

Well, the guy from the Insurance Co is due on Thursday.

Now, I've saved most of my Soul records by spending the week cleaning and drying them (and on the upside, found loads of stuff I didn't know I had ) but I've still several boxes that I've just not been able to get to and a few thousand 60's & 70's Pop records, most on UK demos, that are just sitting in the middle of the floor in 6" of water.

Main question is, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain (since I've rescued most of my rarer Soul records) would there be any loss attached to these since a few of them have spent a few hours under water and how could this be valued (de-valued)?

Secondly, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain how I would go about valuing all the stuff that's still down there with all the labels floating about around them... or is the onus on them to do that?

Thirdly... any other advice from anyone with similar experience, in particular regarding Records & CD's, very much appreciated.

Got an hour to do at Shane's new gig in Sheffield this Friday night.

Expect 60 minutes of whatever I've been able to salvage.

Oh, and any requests for "Wade in The Water" on the night will be treated with absolute contempt!

Mods... anyone... if this is in the wrong place please move it.

Many thanks

Sean

Jeez Sean, having been allowed in there (although without a bag or record box ) it must have been a helluva job for you. Hope it turns out okay.

See you Friday.

Steve

[Girthdevon]

Sean mate, sounds like a horror story......I was watching the footage on the news last night and being gobsmacked at the sheer scale of the flooding. Hope you get things sorted OK....

Girf

[Guest]

Hi Sean,

Bloody hell what a nightmare,sorry can't offer any advice just my sympathies and i,m sure someone on here must be able to help with the insurance questions.

Good luck mate

Andy

[KevH]

sorry to hear that Sean,hope all gets sorted soon.

As usual your posts always manage to feel positive,even in light of "current" events( ).

If you need a Clean Up Woman.......................................send for Tats .

ALB,,,KEV.

[Simsy]

Be really interested to see how contents policy covers this. Thats all I've got.

We have had two or three threads on here specifically about insurance for records. Best bet being specialist cover - works out at £10 per £1k's worth. Sure a broker mentioned (weirdly) was Victor Knight. Mainstream insurance companies fail to grasp the concept of value for an NS collection, they want to insure an Elvis collection or sim.

Good luck with this, hope you come out of it okay. Be thankful it was water and not fire I guess.

[Simsy]

Hi Sean,

Bloody hell what a nightmare,sorry can't offer any advice just my sympathies and i,m sure someone on here must be able to help with the insurance questions.

Good luck mate

Andy

Sorry just had to say. Drew seen your sig for the first time. First part of it pmsl.

[Tsu Tomatoes]

I hope the salvage/clean up operation works out OK for you Sean. I'm gutted for you.

You're a braver man than me though. I would've blubbed like a baby I reckon. I lost a few hundred, years ago in a flood that I'd left at my parents house. The water damage was bad enough but nothing compared to the heat damage inflicted by my Mum 'trying to dry it out'.

[funkyfeet]

This is were the JM bible or popsike could be a god send. I keep my records upstairs, as I live in a previous flood area. I wonder how many others in the area have suffered similar.

[Guest Darks]

Sean,

PM'd you

Alan

[Cunnie]

Gutted for you Sean.

Hope things ain't too bad & not too much damage done.

Lost several thousands of pounds of equipment at work under 4 ft of water yesterday & also lost the firms new van (it's the white one in the picture below before it got really deep).

Thing is with records they ain't as easy to replace as stuff like vans & engineering equipment.

Had my collection nicked in the early 80s so know what your'e going through.

[Sean Hampsey]

Managed to get a couple of hours on the settee.

Thanks so much for the messages.

Here's a couple of snaps of the cellar flooding and the start of the clean up / dry up operation where I took over the kitchen as command HQ (not been in there before ).

Getting it in perspective, it's like a bloody war zone around here for a lot of poor buggers. Thousands have no electricity, tap water, drainage etc. Not good.

My kids live less than 2 miles from Ulley Dam which is in a serious position. They're safe, but a lot of people's homes wont be and the next 48 hours will be critical for thousands of people in parts of Sheffield and Rotherham.

Sean

[Guest marion]

What a bloody nightmare for ya - and the thousands of others out there....practically sika 1 render to basement is the best thing to stop any future water penetration. Hope it works out ok you in the end.

[Sean Hampsey]

practically sika 1 render to basement is the best thing to stop any future water penetration. Hope it works out ok you in the end.

Thanks for that.

When I bought the House I was assured that the Basement was fully 'Tanked'... but i guess it only takes a pin prick when the water table rises to penetrate the floor & walls. The floor is tiled throughout and it's superbly decked out and finished, so you wouldn't have thought in a million years there'd ever be a problem with 'Rising Damp', but this weather has been freekish to say the least.

Must crack on.

Sean

[Steve Plumb]

You have all my sympathies Sean!

I once lived in a house with a cellar and lost all my photos and music magazines when it flooded. Thankfully me records were all on shelves and were all OK but still gutting!

Hope it all works out well for everyone in your area as it sounds terrible!

Cheers

Steve

[Guest bill storey]

Jeepers feel sorry for you man, hope it all works out in the end . Bill.S

[Guest Dan]

terrifying - sympathies to you sean, i imagine that is a real sickener

record insurance is a must for anyone with a 20 year+ collection

re the insurance pay out, tell them you want new replacements

[Guest DonnaD]

Really sorry to hear about this - good luck with the clean up

[Girthdevon]

Managed to get a couple of hours on the settee.

Thanks so much for the messages.

Here's a couple of snaps of the cellar flooding and the start of the clean up / dry up operation where I took over the kitchen as command HQ (not been in there before ).

Getting it in perspective, it's like a bloody war zone around here for a lot of poor buggers. Thousands have no electricity, tap water, drainage etc. Not good.

My kids live less than 2 miles from Ulley Dam which is in a serious position. They're safe, but a lot of people's homes wont be and the next 48 hours will be critical for thousands of people in parts of Sheffield and Rotherham.

Sean

Nice to see i'm not the only one with a bit of Derek & Clive (on CD!!) tucked away Sean......

[Guest ShaneH]

blimey

all the best sean.

see ya friday

shane

[Guest]

A week last Friday (remember the day... the rain came) my 'Cellar Of Soul' was flooded with about 6" of water.

I was up all night (until 11.00am Sat morning) trying to rescue whatever was on the floor (my play boxes full of 45's, piles af albums, 1,500 CD's) cardboard boxes full of magazines going back to early B&S, Record Lists, my complete works of Richard Allen etc.

Man that I am, I never shed a tear, for fear of raising the water level, but it's been a torrid 10 days or so, trying to extract each piece of vinyl from the sleeve, dry each label with soft tissue, hanging LP covers all over the house on makeshift washing lines trying to dry them out.

We're talking about 2-3,000 45's and LP's under water!

I contacted my Insurance Co (where the records are well covered within the contents insurance) and they advised me to leave well alone (not to rescue anymore) and wait until they could get the Loss Adjuster out to assess the damage and potential loss.

A further few thousand 45's and a couple of thousand LP's were left down there (above water level) and eventually the water subsided.

They told me they couldn't get out until... this coming Thursday (because of the volume of such tragedies) and despite the fact I told em that this was no ordinary cellar full of crap......... (it was MY cellar full of crap)............ they still couldn't prioritise the visit.

Well, if you saw the news or live near me (S. Yorks / N. Derbyshire), you know what happened last night.

Sho' nuff it came again... deeper than before (or deep as you like and then some!!!)

I've just spent the last 6 hours trying to salvage the balance.

Soul Destroying...

Well, the guy from the Insurance Co is due on Thursday.

Now, I've saved most of my Soul records by spending the week cleaning and drying them (and on the upside, found loads of stuff I didn't know I had ) but I've still several boxes that I've just not been able to get to and a few thousand 60's & 70's Pop records, most on UK demos, that are just sitting in the middle of the floor in 6" of water.

Main question is, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain (since I've rescued most of my rarer Soul records) would there be any loss attached to these since a few of them have spent a few hours under water and how could this be valued (de-valued)?

Secondly, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain how I would go about valuing all the stuff that's still down there with all the labels floating about around them... or is the onus on them to do that?

Thirdly... any other advice from anyone with similar experience, in particular regarding Records & CD's, very much appreciated.

Got an hour to do at Shane's new gig in Sheffield this Friday night.

Expect 60 minutes of whatever I've been able to salvage.

Oh, and any requests for "Wade in The Water" on the night will be treated with absolute contempt!

Mods... anyone... if this is in the wrong place please move it.

Many thanks

Sean

My dear friend ....

What a p****r ; I sincerely feel for you ......

Malc Burton

Edited June 26, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Peter99]

What a nightmare!

Your philosophical approach is very comendable Sean - I hope you manage to get everything sorted as best you can.

Cheers.

Peter

[Maark]

I don't know you Sean but you have my sympathy mate. It must be heartbreaking . That goes for anyone else affected by the floods.

[Rob Wigley]

Keep bailing Sean and get as much out as you can--remember our cellar in Rotherham ? came up through the floor I manage to get most stuff out, but the trouble is it starts going "Fusty" a couple of months after. All the insurers do is pump it out and put de-humifiers down there till the next time. Good luck .but more bad weather on its way for the weekend, take care

Rob & Karen

[Sean Hampsey]

Thanks all for the messages, texts, phone calls and pm's that have come 'flooding' in.

It's been a tough 24 hours but you've helped me a great deal.

Just started on the LP's. Bloody things are worse than the 45's. Sleeves just coming apart and collapsing in my hands.

Thinking about buying an iPod and going digital!

Onward and upward!

And sincere thanks again to all.

Sean

[Sean Hampsey]

Posted twice. Computer's got hiccups!

Edited June 26, 2007 by Sean Hampsey

[Guest]

Thanks all for the messages, texts, phone calls and pm's that have come 'flooding' in.

It's been a tough 24 hours but you've helped me a great deal.

Just started on the LP's. Bloody things are worse than the 45's. Sleeves just coming apart and collapsing in my hands.

Thinking about buying an iPod and going digital!

Onward and upward!

And sincere thanks again to all.

Sean

Just like the lasses did at the holiday camp all those years ago ......

Seriously , I hope you get things sorted out quickly ; Susan was gobsmacked - yes , it makes a change - when I showed her the photographs of your disaster ....

Malc Burton

Edited June 26, 2007 by Malc Burton

[Guest soultempo]

blimey Sean ... this is every collectors nightmare ...

You have our sincere sympathies ... that's for sure ...

Hope things sort themselves out ...

Shaun.

[Eddie Hubbard]

Really gutted for you Sean , hope you get everything sorted , to think I played " Shower the world " by Alysure for you Pitches guys on Shaun's Solar show on sunday , very apt in the circumstances now !! PS , Very nice kitchen ........All the best ,Eddie

[Guest Paul]

Hello,

Sorry to hear about this, Sean.

I hope things works as well as they can.

Best regards,

Paul Mooney

[mischief]

Sh*T Mate... this is really bad

Hope you can get it sorted.

Mischief

[Guest Bearsy]

Managed to get a couple of hours on the settee.

Thanks so much for the messages.

Here's a couple of snaps of the cellar flooding and the start of the clean up / dry up operation where I took over the kitchen as command HQ (not been in there before ).

Getting it in perspective, it's like a bloody war zone around here for a lot of poor buggers. Thousands have no electricity, tap water, drainage etc. Not good.

My kids live less than 2 miles from Ulley Dam which is in a serious position. They're safe, but a lot of people's homes wont be and the next 48 hours will be critical for thousands of people in parts of Sheffield and Rotherham.

Sean

So sorry for you Sean, them pictures make you realise just how bad you had it, I just hope you not lost too much and in time you get back to some kind of normality, good luck mate and keep smiling

[Guest]

that is just an awful story. We sure are wishing you the best!

[Steve G]

Thanks all for the messages, texts, phone calls and pm's that have come 'flooding' in.

It's been a tough 24 hours but you've helped me a great deal.

Just started on the LP's. Bloody things are worse than the 45's. Sleeves just coming apart and collapsing in my hands.

Thinking about buying an iPod and going digital!

Onward and upward!

And sincere thanks again to all.

Sean

Keep us updated on progress Sean - we are thinking of you and this awful event. Presumably the loss adjuster has not been round yet?

[Chris Anderton]

Sean, My thoughts are with you mate, sounds like a bloody nightmare mate.

John Weston works for an insurance company, he is on here...what about answering Seans initial questions John?

Chris

[Guest]

Gutting Scenerio Indeed!!!

Went Through Something Like It In The 70's And Was Devastated... Still Am Actually.

But If It Helps I'l Donate A Mint Picture Sleeve (Slight Ring Ware) Copy Of Erma Franklins "It's Over" - "Hello Again" (Epic 5-9488) Just For A Wee Bit Of Cheer In The Mist Of All This

Best,

Chris

[Guest mrs norman maine]

Really sorry to read this news Sean. You're being incredibly stoic-I was feeling grumpy just because I got caught in the rain on my bike today, now I've read this......

Good luck with everything. Onward and upward indeed!

Edited June 27, 2007 by mrs norman maine

[Sean Hampsey]

Keep us updated on progress Sean - we are thinking of you and this awful event. Presumably the loss adjuster has not been round yet?

Hi Steve,

The Loss Adjuster comes tomorrow (if he's not held up because of the disruption).

Good job too. As Rob Wigley predicted, it's starting to hum a bit down there, but at least the water level is dropping so I can start and get everything out of the remaining cabinets and off the shelves before it gets moist (...lovely word!).

Just been negotiating with the Mrs to take over the Dining Room (kitchen and downstairs loo already commandeered).

Got to say, nothing really prepares you for something like this. I mean,it's not the end of the world but it's still tough watching a third of your collection floating up the cellar steps and out of the front door!

Just hope the Insurance chap understands what we're dealing with here.

I'll keep you posted.

And thanks again for all your support.

When the place dries out, you're all invited round for a knees up!

Sean

[Sean Hampsey]

How it looked this evening.

A right pigsty.

Those drawers at the back are still full of 45's and the opposite wall is still full of LP's, all still to be rescued.

And, coincidentally, Eddie, on the stool is my framed copy of "Shower The World" which the label designers did when we put the 45 out!

How ironic.

[Sean Hampsey]

Moist!

[Sean Hampsey]

Nice advert for Evian... Natural Spring Water!

[Gouch]

Nice advert for Evian... Natural Spring Water!

Hi Sean;

Iv just read this horror story, you know what happened to me when I got divorced still have nightmares even now.somewhere there is a land fill site with 8000 soul records buried in. You have my sympathies mate.........I take you wont be playing "Rescue Me" either then.

Gouch

[Paul McKay]

Hey Sean very sorry to hear this mate - what a disaster! Hope all goes well with L.A.

Cheers

[Jerry Hipkiss]

I hope the salvage/clean up operation works out OK for you Sean. I'm gutted for you.

You're a braver man than me though. I would've blubbed like a baby I reckon.

Couldn't have put it better...Sean, you have my sympathy, just don't know how I'd cope!

[Bully Boy]

HIYA SEAN,

GOOD LUCK WITH THE LOSS ADJUSTER TODAY MATE, ALTHOUGH BECUASE OF WHAT YOU PREVIOUSLY TOLD ME, I CANNOT SEE TOO MANY PROBLEMS

WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO SAY WAS, "POUR ME A BOWL OF FROSTIES"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHEERS MATE

THE BULMEISTER!

[Dave Pinch]

yes sean. Good luck with the insurance folk. i know how u feel mate. My cellar floods every time

we have a decent downpour. i wasnt told this when i bought the house . We`ve just had to learn

to live with it. got a pump and a pair of wellies permanently down there. tumble drier an everything

on breeze blocks and nowt of any real value int cellar. waters just about gone now but im sure it

will return on saturday wen we have more serious rain an me and the kids can look forward to another

swim

ps get sum shelves built in your bedroom if u havent already

best wishes

dave pinch

[Ged Parker]

Not a lot I can say to help Sean other than I guess everyone on here is thinking about you and 'there but for the grace of god' etc.

Good luck in gettoing things back to normal.

Ged