Oxford's oldest student newspaper

Independent since 1920

Oxford student survives storm

One Worcester student had a different kind of tree in their house this Christmas.

Eleanor Wilkinson, a third-year classicist, was awoken on the 13th December by a huge beech tree falling through the roof during a storm. She described a “deafening crash which shook the whole house.”

The tree fell into her parents’ bedroom, landing on the side of the bed where Wilkinson’s mother usually slept. She was away on the night but her father was taken to hospital, having suffered severe damage to his ear.

The family were moved out of their home while surveyors were stabilising it with scaffolding, though they eventually did return. Having found the house cramped and stressful, however, she decided to return to Oxford early.

Wilkinson told Cherwell that it had been “a terrifying experience.” She stated, “It was all fairly surreal and I felt quite shaken up for a week or so.” The incident has also affected her Oxford work, as the student has since been unable to access her books and has taken time out to help clean-up the house.

Despite the negatives, the Worcester student said that she was grateful that there were no more severe injuries, and that her mother was away in London, stating: “I hate to imagine how much worse it could have been had this not been the case”. She even found a positive from the incident and its subsequent reporting in The Sun, posting a link on Facebook remarking, “it isn’t everyday you pose for the Sun in your pyjamas.”

Check out our other content

Most Popular Articles