Thanks to the chaos caused by Storm Darragh, one Clogher Valley councillor has had her hands – and Aga – full over the weekend.
After it reached its peak on Saturday, Storm Darragh saw hundreds of homes across counties Armagh and Tyrone left without power.
While the issue was resolved quickly for some, others have endured the entire weekend without electricity.
Eager to help, Councillor Frances Burton, who lives just outside the village of Caledon, has spent that last few days preparing hot meals for those left unable to cook for themselves.
Speaking to Armagh I, Frances said: “It was a wild weekend and Clogher Valley really got hit with a bang.
“Anybody that I had contact with this morning, that were still off last night, are thankfully back on now.”
Frances is no stranger to preparing meals for her local community – in fact, it is something she has done quite quietly for a number of years.
Beginning with delivering meals to ‘senior citizens and the vulnerable’ during the Covid pandemic, Frances says she feels blessed to be able to help people “when they really need it”.
As a dab hand in the kitchen, Frances put her skills to good use, filling her Aga range with everything she needed to send out pre-packed, hearty meals.
“I nearly needed something to keep myself sane,” she added. “I got a box of gloves and was able to go around homes without going in and then I’d drop off a wee lunch.
“I never really knew where I was going when I left home but I was going to around 50 a day believe it or not.”
While, Frances said this time around she didn’t get near to the 50 meals she nonetheless felt her weekend’s endeavour was extremely worthwhile.
“There were people who maybe had an electric cooker but a gas top and were able to fry or boil if they needed to but there were others who had nothing.
“I just think it’s a lovely thing to be able to support the community when they are in a tough time.
“There was a wee lady who lost her husband recently and there were people with mobility issues and whenever somebody is sitting, and they are cold as well, it’s important to get something hot into them.
“I just put it that if anyone wanted it they could phone me and I’ve soup to go out today (Monday December 9) and I’ll probably just run that out in the locality but I have been known to go as far as Fivemiletown.”
Unlike the rest of us who are likely dreading the big Christmas cook-up, Frances plans to continue putting her Aga to good use in the coming weeks.
With the help of a local man who has offered to sponsor turkey, Frances hopes to provide the gammon and vegetables for Christmas dinners which will be distributed across her community.
She said: “It’s a very small wee thing to do but it shows people a wee bit of kindness and thoughtfulness.
“It has been my pleasure and people have been more than good to me, so I am just very happy to do something like this in return.”
