Keeping in touch with the River Seven at the back, Environment Agency chart shows we had a high of over three metres yesterday. The road flooded once again from the backup valve that resides in the drain outside our house, and cars swished through. The pub's doors was sandbagged as their car park flooded. And now today the rains still beat down, over the road Nigel's small flocks of hens are being kept in, also his goats, as their little paddock turns to a duck pond.
Reading through the news this morning, and I find the much heralded Pickering flood defence scheme is taken to task by Jeremy Biggs in the Guardian, he reckons that the town did not flood because their was not much rain over the Christmas period on the moors, believe what you may but at least the Pickering flood defences 'seemed' to have worked, with obstructions and the holding pond.
Enough of water, a new book.... slightly esoteric, bought because Landscapism blog recommended it. Beautifully wrapped in tissue paper, with a pretty card accompanying it, it was a pleasure to open the parcel. It is writing, fiction, non fiction and poetry. The first poem was 'The Combe by Edward Thomas, Jennie will recognise it! And also there was Thomas's Lob poem, one of my favourites you can find it here on my other blog, long again as poems go, slightly nonsensical but very evocative of the villages of Wiltshire.....
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| Flood defence at Newtondale |
If they had reaped their dandelions and sold
Them fairly, they could have afforded gold.
Soon we will be going in Pickering for a coffee with a historian, we had been planning to meet since we arrived here, Hopefully it won't have flooded...
The Calder Vale 'Our Little Valley', following link, which does not work copy and then put in your own top line...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jV7Pbo4gz0
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ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your link Thelma. Tam's boyfriend lives further down the Calder valley, where those narrow boats were tossed about like jetsam.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful book (and so beautifully presented). A poem I know well, and very atmospheric - the ending reminds me of what used to happen here on the steep slopes of our hill.
Enjoy Pickering. If you are ever in the Museum, the big stuffed Shire was a victim of a previous flood, when he was floating round the Museum - imagine coming face to face with him in the gloom!
Hi Jennie, three of my grandchildren have a Yorkshire accent just like the narrator in the video, it is so funny to listen to them. From what I have seen on F/B everyone is helping in the three places mentioned.
DeleteNot been into the museum yet, so look forward to the Shire, hopefully he will not experience another flood, although the river that runs through the town was high today.
I love this poem too Thelma. It has reminded me of it and I might well read it at our this month's Poetry meeting a week on Wednesday. (the highlight of the month for me in many ways)
ReplyDeleteI don't think Edward Thomas is easy - he is one of those poets who has to be read a few times before the meaning begins to emerge.
I hope the sun is shining over there today as it is here after a pouring wet start this morning. It really is wonderful to see blue sky.
Yes the sun came out lunch time and is streaming through my window at the moment. On the way back from Pickering we saw a barn owl quartering a field, a beautiful sight.
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