Norm on the march!

people faced up to half a mile walk over wet fields to get to parked cars and then had to carry food and provisions back.

the services

We had experience of 3 different services during the emergency - it is hard to define it as an emergency as no-ones live was seriously threatened, even crisis is a little overblown, maybe we will stick with "the Flood" and it is has to be said they were all excellent. We had the fire and rescue service for a number of days with 3 big pumps and the Environment Agency with 2 pumps and now more police patrols in one day than for a while - the fire service was bought in by a couple of phone calls by one of the more pro-active members of the village and the honcho who came down was impressed by the efforts of a small village to save itself and shocked that we were a little alone in the fight.

Due to his intervention we had firemen from Northampton, West Yorkshire and Gloucestershire manning the 3 pumps through day and night (heck, they might be working on 4 times overtime rates but we would still semi-stuck in the village if it was not for them) It is quiet without them already.

The police are already set a semi-permanent patrol but for how long we do not yet know. We shall see.

diary - the telegraph

the man from the Telegraph arrived with photographer in tow. We have the South west representative who is exactly what you would expect from a Telegraph man - well spoken and dressed with a certain style that says Telegraph man. Nice guy, says all the right things. We try to palm him off to the more interesting Springett story who found out about their house being flooded when they were in holiday in Vancouver/ Alaska (sorry, not sure abou tthe story!) Hopefully, they will use the Lords as their story but the photographer, good guy, seem enamoured with capturing us cleaning up the piano which is wrecked or sitting on the TV drinking a cup of tea that had not seen tea for at least a couple of days! The camera never lies ... it just tells a story! He tells the story of Kate from BBC TV standing in Gloucester giving it large about how disaster the flood was when there were 4 streets in Gloucester left with water. Ever the battle between the forms of media. Simple rule, there is no media truth.

think we are probably seen the last of the media. The interesting story is those who really suffer in the long run due to insurance company intransigence or other government bodies getting in the way!

flood debris

some of the debris from a standard house. Fridges, freezers, TVs, washing machines - a white good garage sale if they were not ruined. Fortunately, we are not one of the many have lost cars. 13 cars wrecked at last count!

a view from the churchyard

churchyard a few days after the worst of the flood. the wildlife loss increases as rabbits, hares, badgers, crows and thousands of worms (no fish seen strangely enough) are found all around the village

village during the flood

capture of the deerhurst floods. thanks to jonathon for use of photograph on this site, please go to www.webbaviation.co.uk for more info in ordering this or other flood pictures.

leekes

the leekes houses after the water has left the house. the garden became a thoroughfare for all sorts of 4 wheeled traffic during the day.