Floods - anyone else had a problem?

You are right Hilda - the problems near us are caused by exactly this. Sodden hilly fields have huge amounts of run-off that cause the lane above us to turn into a fast-moving river. The problem is made worse by some of the farming practices: ploughing fields top to bottom rather than side to side; large fields that do not have the protective effect of hedges and their root systems; ineffective and unmaintained drainage on farms, because farmers are cutting back in a recession.

Luckily we now have a lengthsman scheme - and I can take some credit for this as it was me being a thorn in parish council's side that persuaded them to pay for this! We are now able to ring them if we see any maintenance that is required to the drainage systems and they come out very quickly.

Good luck to everyone who is faced with further heavy rain this weekend.

A what? Mishap?

Lengthsman - it is an old word that refers to the people who used to "do the dykes and ditches" and keep local drainage in trim. It refers to the fact that each worker had their own patch (length) of drain that was their responsibility. It's not quite like that now as PCs usually employ a firm, but the scheme whereby it gets paid for is still called the Lengthsman Scheme.
Lesson over!!

Ta! I'm now enlightened .

Just driven to Stratford and back. Our usual place t park is about half a mile outside then walk along the banks of the Avon into the town. No chance today. Car park at least a metre deep in water where the Avon has burst her banks. Field totally under water. Now raining again. Chickens growing webbed feet.

They're so adaptable, chickens, aren't they?

The brighter ones (the banties) are building an ark

I hope they make it big enough to take aboard two specimens of homo sapiens to restock the world. How about the parents of 14 mentioned on another thread? though they want to wind down production soon.

Missed out a bit - "may want to wind down production soon" apparently right now they still want another one. Gluttons for punishment.

I've already volunteered Jen and Rick!

Are you sure about that, Nanad?

I have it in my head that the most number of children born to one woman is 69. Could the possibly be correct?

Sounds unlikely, but unlikely things do happen. Maybe lots of multiples. Google it or try Guiness book of Records.

Yep! It was 69. How on earth did they find names for them all...or remember the names come to that?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_the_most_children

If Matt the Telegraph cartoonist is to be believed, if it is a Church of England ark, no females of the species will be allowed.

But Nanad's bantams aren't sexist, so that's all right!

But they are all girls my chicks........and I wouldn't want to be on the CofE ark, boring, old, sexist, farts gits.

MaryXYX if your friend goes on the Environment Agency Website she can find out her REAL chances of being flooded and refer insurance companies to that information.

We are, as the crow flies, about 200 metres from the river/canal and our insurance was doubled because of our proximity to the river. I pointed out that, if we got flooded, Noah would have to get his ark out again but the girl on the phone didn't know who Noah was. I referred them to the Environment Agency website and our insurance went back to normal.

i have always beleived in the mayan prediction of the 21/12/2012 the end and it looks like its happening

Not a lot of point in dieting for Christmas then

Oh, b****r. I've just booked my train tickets for Christmas.

Floods?
I came back from Oxford today and nearly tried to go over the old bridge at Clifton Hampden - forgetting that I came that way, drove through water (just ok) on the Didcot side; and had seen that the water on the other side was HIGHER than the road, only it wasn't getting through.....coming back, it was getting through....SO not a good idea to go over the bridge and find the other side even deeper.
So I didn't. Came back via Culham instead.

Saw loads of people taking pics of flooded fields all day!

Must find out how the family are doing down there. DS said there were massive train delays an cancellations in and out of Paddington last week.

Hope not too many problems for them anno.

No, they're well out of range of flooding, Alie and DS isn't commuting by road any more. Just had a long chat with his partner which makes a change as he usually hogs the phone! Oh, Christmas plans - doing my head in!