AS STORM Brendon sweeps across the region, we take look a back at the impact of ferocious winds in January 1984.

A search through our archives uncovered these photographs of a brick fall covering the pavement of Bridport's Folly Mill Lane.

It turns out strong winds on a Saturday morning were to blame for the collapse, which saw a 40-foot gable end dating from 1901 crash onto the road below.

Artist Keith Cast, who had evacuated his nearby wallpaper shop and art gallery just 21 hours before the collapse, was reported saying: "It was a miracle no-one was hurt or even killed."

Mr Cast had raised concerns on Friday afternoon after hearing a loud bang following two strong gusts of wind. He contacted the owners of the property, brewers J. C. and R. H. Palmer Ltd, after noticing a standpipe coming away from the side wall. Westerly winds were being sucked into the cavity wall, creating a vacuum and pushing out the brickwork on the gable.

The weather worsened overnight and at 9.15am on Saturday, more than 6,000 bricks fell on to Folly Mill Lane, smashing a ground floor window of Mr Cast's shop. The adjoining record store and nearby Coop were also affected.

The collapse disrupted traffic and business in the South Street area for more than three days, while Folly Mill Lane was set to remain closed for several weeks while rebuilding work was undertaken.

Harold Puley, Palmer's building surveyor, called in scaffolders to stabilise the remainder of the building and supervised the evacuation of the area. He said: "Safety of the public, safety of the men working on the job, and safety of the building were my priorities. It was a dangerous situation: the general public did not realise the danger that was there. People were walking through the bricks within 10 minutes of the wall falling down."

Mr Huley was said to be inspecting iron wall ties linking the two leaves of brickwork together to see if corrosion could have contributed towards the collapse. He discounted theories that the type of brick used may have been to blame.

Mr Cast re-opened his shop on Wednesday, but the road closure continued to hit several businesses, including the firm of Newbridge Boats. The company was already experiencing problems with equipment being transported back from the International Boat Show at Earl's Court; it was therefore suggested that special concessions would be made to allow long lorries through Folly Mill Lane before it is open to the public.

Do you have any memories or photos of this happening in the town? Contact us at news@bridportnews.co.uk