Muddyboots

Follow the fortunes of Muddyboots & Family on their East Yorkshire farm which has changed from dairy farm to luxury ice cream manufacture

Tuesday 10 July 2007

2 weeks ago.....


It is now 2 weeks since the Great Flood.

We are still on the receiving end of very heavy showers & the land is totally saturated. It can take no more. One of hubby's cousins still has 100 acres under water. Low lying areas of farm land are still lakes. The pumps have not been turned on. How the water will drain away l have no idea as the fields are well below the level of the drainage dykes. The ancient lake around the motte has drained away, leaving the most awful smell of rotting vegetation & sludgy, brown earth. Grass destroyed, wheat drowned. The area around Frodingham bridge, the water level is as high as ever, & unless the drainage pumps are turned on then it will remain a lake for the foreseeable future.

As you drive through towns & villages, house after house has skips pilled high with a lifetimes possessions, destroyed by 24 hours of continuous rain which caused flood water to back up drainage dykes causing widespread devastation. Drainage dykes that had not been cleaned & adequately maintained by the Environment Agency, despite the warnings from the local Drainage Boards. The sluice gates were not opened or pumps turned on. The flood waters had no where to go.

It's the 10th of July today. Where has the month gone to? I seem to have blinked & missed something important. This is the month of agricultural shows. Last week the Royal, this week the Great Yorkshire at Harrogate, next week our own local 1 day show, Driffield. Didn't get to the Royal, will give the Yorkshire a miss as 2 of the main car parks are under water, & organizers are asking visitors to use public transport to get to the show ground. Now that could be interesting if you live in some isolated dale on the North York Moors or Wensleydale. In fact it would be difficult from here too, come think of it?

10 comments:

Bluestocking Mum said...

That is dreadful. Awful to think so many people are still suffering with this weather. It is terrible what it is doing to some farmers.

Made me think of the Hull Show-I spent many a happy time there every summer as a child...

Just caught your last blog-love your take on life Muddyboots. I really admire you-wish I didn't worry what people thought so much. But everything else, I think I share your same positive outlook on life.

warmest wishes
x

Anonymous said...

I don't mean to be nosey, but how do you stand re compensation?? And what about the insurance company, are they being good?

Crystal xx

Cait O'Connor said...

Terribly sorry for all the flood victims, many of whom are still suffering too.
Caitx

Yorkshire Pudding said...

So many flood stories... so much hurt... I never pray but I pray that we now have a dry spell and that the flooding we have just experienced in Yorkshire will never be repeated... Your point about ill-maintained drainage systems says much about the age we are living in... live for today and make a fast buck and damn the consequences.

Gwen said...

I sincerely hope that we have had the last of the rain and that things can start to get back to normal. I have heard varying reports of how well the insurance companies are dealing with this. I hope that people do end up being adequately compensated and get their lives back as quickly as possible.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Have just caught up with your blogs. the flooding sounds appalling and your photos are very evocative. really hope we get some calm weather now to allow everything to settle down. It hasn't been too bad here where we are in wales but still i have been glad to live up a steep hill.

Sally Townsend said...

I do so hope your sunny disposition is cheering the tourists up and they are buying lots of your yummy mrmoo ice cream despite the weather. It can only get better and I look forward to some gorgeous sunny pics from your beautiful part of the world. x

Mutterings and Meanderings said...

You mean the holier-than-thou Environment Agency didn't get it right?

Milkmaid said...

honestly muds it wasn't that back at the GYS, I went Tues and Weds in normal shoes, not waders like the week before. I even got sunburnt yesterday. I once went to Driffield show, I really enjoyed it, but need to get some work done, daren't have another day off next week as well

muddyboots said...

damm, you mean l missed another good day out?

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