Last night was very rough, here in East London. No significant rainfall, but winds gusting between 60-80 mph. My neighbour is a 'radio ham' & the sound of the wind blowing through his aerial array could've come from a horror movie soundtrack...very spooky!

The flooding in the South West & the Thames Valley remain the major areas of concern. Some news footage taken yesterday showed water levels had risen almost to the height of a front door. Imagine that volume of water invading the ground floor of your property. Neighbours/Communities are rallying round & helping each other where they can & the Emergency Services, bolstered by the Military, are working round the clock to protect, pump & repair. Heartbreaking interviews on the news...good people who've lost so much. As one man said, he wasn't bothered about replaceable items like 'fridges & TVs, it was all their personal possessions: photographs, family mementos, a special chair, all ruined by the filthy flood water (often contaminated by sewage). There is a stoicism within the beleaguered towns, villages & individual households, but it is increasingly obvious just how 'flood weary' they are becoming. The ground is saturated; the water table full to overflowing. The phrase one hears increasingly is: "Since records began".
          Ann & I are amongst the lucky ones, safe & dry, despite the fact that a tributary of the Thames flows 200m behind our house! The forecast for the coming week is more benign, so a little respite for some. I want to see records broken at the Winter Olympics, not in Meteorology.
         Keep safe...take good care of yourselves,
                                                                      With Love & many UPs,
                                                                                                       Nigel & Ann
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