Flash Flood

People who read this blog (there must be somebody?) will realise that if I said ‘words fail me’ then I am already leading with a lie.

Sarah and I were in Scotland on Saturday when the River Monnow flooded. It was effectively a flash-flood. A month of rain in 24 hours. The river couldn’t cope.

Our house, just above a flood plain is a mediaeval barn and has never, ever flooded. Sarah and I have been quite sanguine and believed that if we did flood then something apocalyptic must have happened up river.

Well it did. In Skenfrith the water poured over the flood defences, reaching over five feet in places. The emergency services were out with their dinghies.

The nearest town, Monmouth down river has been gutted. We even had a client and friend from Hong Kong getting in touch on the basis of the news footage. Waitrose was six feet deep. Shops with their Christmas stock and decorations were swamped.

Sarah and I were curled up in Glasgow and had a call from a local friend called Rob who informed us of the damage. He and his partner Roma came down to our house, let themselves in and mopped all the floors. Although we came home to carnage, we came home to clean carnage and a huge sense of humility in our friendships. There should be medals for people like Rob and Roma.

I am writing this in haste at the local pub as they have internet and we don’t. The beer is a help too. We are surrounded by people who have thrown half their possessions out of their front door and come here for warmth and solidarity. Sometimes I feel like the richest man in the world.

This post also acts as a public service announcement though. Sarah and I will be scrubbing floors for the next few days and with limited access to email or phone. Please be a bit patient, I aim to be in London on the weekend. The office on the other hand will be run with its usual brilliance by the team, so don’t hold back on enquiries!