Northampton quake: How earth moved for you
Here is a selection of the comments we have received from across the country in relation to this morning's earthquake.
The Chron was the first newspaper website to break the news and was beseiged with calls and emails from across the country from people wanting to share their experiences with us.
To add your comment, register and let us know your experience. You can also call the newsroom on Northampton 467030 or click here to email the Chron
Kayley Smith, East Hunsbury, Northampton
Me and my partner couldn't sleep last night and were watching videos on the laptop and the dog starting barking and running up and down the stairs when we heard the first loud crash, then the bed was shaking almost like a washing machine on it's last cycle. This was only for around 10 seconds, then the mirror at the other end of the bedroom knocked against the wall and it was finished. Such a short time but a very scary experience all the same.
Nikki Jenkins, Norton
My husband and I woke up to feel the whole house shaking and the pipes banging and rattling! I said to my husband "you had better run the hot tap in the bath, the water's boiling"! We have a multi fuel wood burning stove that heats the hot water as well as us!
Our new dog who we only fetched from up north on Sunday, and another dog who we are looking after for a friend, were terrified and lept on the bed! We have had at least 2 earth tremours since moving to Northamptonshire 20 years ago, but this was by far the most severe. Although I knew what it was as soon as my husband yelled out "the water's not boiling", it was still quite frightening. I looked at the clock and it said exactly 1 am.
Hasu Jani, Wootton
Shortly before 1am I was awoke by a rumbling noise from my bedroom roof, at first I thought it was the wind or my cat running across the lending and hitting something , but no sooner had it started, My cat Leo jump up on top of my bed shaking himself, it was over. My partner and I went downstairs and checked the house. We didn't know what it was. The cat would not go back upstairs but kept himself under the table for some time, we thought someone was on our roof. It wasn't until we put the news on radio 5 live, that we found it was a earthquake.
Tony Wood, Northampton
I felt the quake this morning at about 1am, I was just putting my head down when my bed and in fact the whole room shook for about eight to 10 seconds, it absolutely terrified me as I was not sure what was going on, half asleep I thought I may have dreamed it all I had to text a friend who was also awake and who replied instantly to assure me that I was not going mad. Very scary indeed.
Philip Berry, Abthorpe
It lasted about 10 seconds here. It was quite exciting really. At first I though it was my wife turning over in bed next door to the study where I was, but it grew to rattle the windows and loose objects on the desk and shelves.
Nicki Paul, Moulton
I also was woken at 1am with the whole house shaking and my perfume bottles on my dressing table falling over. I ran to my childrens rooms... they were petrified.
Richard Clinton, Northampton
I felt the earthquake around 1am, it was a very weird feeling. Furniture shaking, and car alarms going, I thought there had been a accident outside on the road. Lasted about 10-12 seconds, amazing how many texts and calls you can get at 1am.
Paul, Runcorn
Yes I felt the Quake.. had been downstairs getting a drink.. came back up stairs just as I sat down.. my desk and chair wher both shaking.. I didn't think anything of it at first until my desk wouldnt stop swaying.. my brother came in asking "did you just feel that?!"
So i asked my friends who were on my MSN one in Widnes and another in Leeds, They had both felt the Quake also.
Thomas Erdos, Milton Keynes
I was working on my computer earlier this morning in my flat in Kingsmead - Milton Keynes when, at around 1am, the building started to shake. I live on the top floor (3rd floor). It lasted for about 4 or 5 seconds.
Although it did not last very long, I have never experienced this before….It was pretty scary!
Charlotte Miller, Newcastle
My housemate and I felt our house shake for about 10 seconds just before 1am and we are in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Jenny Hughes, Liverpool
Seriously it actually woke me up and I've text a couple of my friends and most have said they felt it too.
Valerie Hill, Stroud
All praise to your newspaper the only place I found reporting on the countrywide tremor which occured about an hour ago. I live in Gloucestershire and felt it. My computer nearly jumped off the desk and my chair shook. I turned on the television - no news - I listened into Radio 4 News - no mention of a tremor! I asked Google to find some news about the tremor and they found your article in the Chronicle. Well done all of you.
Martin Mallinson, Barnsley
Me and my friends were up watching a movie and i was just about to climb into bed when my wardrobe hit me with force caused from the building shaking.
At one point I was under suspicion that there was a poltergeist in the house my fiance was stationed on our bed holding on like she was riding some sort of rollercoaster.
Katherine, Rotherham
Here in Rotherham we felt the quake quite strongly, we thought the flats were gonna fall down, we didn't hear any cars alarms after and there was eerie silence, then I thought "did I imagine that" until I started getting texts from friends and family over Sheffield Rotherham and Doncaster saying they felt the same thing.
Jessica Wood, Nottingham
I'm staying in university halls and my whole room shook and my door made such a loud noise it was like 10 people were banging on my door.
Diane Swift, Peterborough
I was sitting at my desk at the time. I heard what I can only describe as a loud rumbling noise, like a train or heavy lorry going by. My lamp fell from my television set. At this point I stood up in a panic. I live on a top floor flat and felt the floor shaking beneath my feet.
My first thoughts were that my boiler was blowing up. I remember thinking, I have to get out of this building and ran into the garden with no shoes on. At this point I could here car alarms going off ouside in the street.
I rang my Dad to confirm what I had just felt, and to check that I was not going crazy. It was very eerie, we are lucky that we only experience minor tremors like this and not major earthquakes like other places in the world.
Jo Inwood, Northampton
Shortly before 1am I was awoke by a rumbling noise from my bedroom roof, at first I thought it was the wind, but no sooner had it started it was over, my partner went down stair and checked the house. We didn't know what it was, we thought someone was on our roof. It wasn't until we put the news on this morning that we realised what we heard was an earthquake, my two children under seven years slept through it all.
Dave and Samantha Hills, Northampton
Just shows you if it was a big earthquake as we do not expect these we do nothing to shield ourselves and a bigger earthquake could happen at any moment no time for warning so shouldn't we be getting information on what to do in future scenarios like this.
If we did have an 8.3 earthquake there would be structural damage and injuries yet do our emergency units know how to cope and again what should we do? Certainly not lay in bed and listen or go to sleep.
Time to warn people of dangers that our planet can throw at us.
Emily Johns, Semilong, Northampton
I hadn't realised that there was an earthquake until I got into work; my front door was rattling so badly, I thought that I was being burgled and that someone was trying to barge the door down to gain entry! I tried to wake my boyfriend up to go and check that there was no-one in the house but he fell straight back asleep! I couldn't get back to bed after that, as I thought that it had been someone trying to force entry to my house! I felt a bit silly this morning when everyone else
said that it was just an earthquake!
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Weather for Northampton
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
