After the Flood - Kathleen Jones looks back on a rather soggy year.
What do you expect if you live in an old water mill? One year ago today my house was full of water - like the houses of thousands (6000 alone in Cumbria) of other people across Cumbria, Lancashire and North Yorkshire. It’s not a good memory. A year later, most of us are still living with the consequences. Insurance companies were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and even when settlements were reached, there just weren’t enough builders in the north to repair the damage straight away. Roads, bridges and railway viaducts were swept away, and some of the infrastructure is still waiting to be restored. Work in Progress! the green mould marks the water level on the outside wall. The little cottage we rely on for part of our livelihood is still drying out - the ceiling beams were sodden and we’ve only just been able to get the place re-wired so that we can put some heating in. But the floors are newly laid and the kitchen on the way to completion. ...