ROSEHILL Street seemed to shake then disintegrate when it was hit by a blast, but a year on residents are remarkably positive about their future, reporter Michael Purton found out.
AN almighty bang, ground tremors, flying debris and screams – the explosion at 34 Rosehill Street was a horrifying ordeal for everyone involved.
A year after the explosion, Sarah and Richard Drinkwater are still without a home.
The couple's four-bedroom house at number 36 was reduced to rubble in the blast, and they are waiting for a new home to be built on the site.
It will be the same size and scale as the previous house where they had lived for eight years, and it will look similar to the former building.
Despite the long wait and the lasting trauma of the blast, the couple, who have two children, are focusing on the positives.
Richard said: "At the time of the explosion we were overcome by shock, not really being able to understand what had happened.
"We were taken to hospital within 30 minutes of the explosion, the only injury to my leg from flying bricks.
"Only on refection did we realise how lucky we were all to survive. In the months after, it was apparent we needed counselling for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder and we will always be grateful for the assistance from the 2gether NHS Foundation Trust's Let's Talk service.
"We are hopefully going to see the rebuild starting soon for all three houses and we can't believe it has taken this long to reach this point.
"We have to concentrate on the positives and look forward to moving back home, even though it may not be until this time next year."
This positive attitude reflects the general mood in Rosehill Street, where the residents are grateful that nobody was killed or seriously injured, giving them the chance to rebuild their lives and move back to their repaired homes.
Hugo Howard, who was just 15 at the time of the explosion, said there was now a "great community spirit" in the street because of the shared experience.
Chris Lofthouse, 28, agreed, saying: "We are definitely all closer now. After the explosion we met up every couple of weeks to discuss what was going on with repairs, and now we have barbecues and parties.
"The disaster brought everyone together."
