Thursday, 4 January 2024

Holding Our Heads Above Water

Since yesterday, the river has risen at least another 4 feet and the water is racing past The Towers at a rate of knots ……

………… but we still continue to be out of harms way, despite our close proximity to said water.

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It would have to rise a good few feet more before we’d need to venture upstairs to ask our “neighbour” if we could seek refuge chez’im, along with several suitcases, a sofa, three beds, a dining table with six chairs, one or two lamps, ornaments and a picture or two!

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As you can see, a now fully recovered (unsinged) Nigel ventured out a little gingerly, to find that the water had risen to the middle platform of our steps.

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……. with no sign of the footpath and hedges along it, the water now reaching almost to the top of the fence posts ……….

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….. and trees that were once on the edge of the river bank seeming a million miles away.

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On the caravan park, the caravans right on the river are now teetering on the very cusp ……..

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…… and as for the tent seen floating past the marina???? We have so many questions! 

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As for “our” park, the scene of so much frivolity just two nights ago…….

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…….. during our obligatory and tradition New Years Midnight walk …..

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…… well, there’s no chance of playing hid and seek in the trees now, unless you’re all kitted out in frogman’s garb!

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And, where we all sat on a bench, happily embracing the dunking of Hob Nobs  in steaming hot chocolate  without a care in the world ………..

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……’tis now the playground of ducks!

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Hopefully, by tomorrow, it will have ebbed a little and be a little less tempest tossed, but rest assured, as and when, you’ll all be the first to to know of any further developments ……… but fingers crossed, we won’t have been forced into becoming strange bedfellows with those above!!!!!

THANK YOU JAN THE FAN ………. brilliant pictures eh, even though it’s now very obvious that Nigel needs a bit of a trim!

Wednesday, 3 January 2024

The Tide Is High ……….

Oh my goodness …………

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……. as you can see, we’re having a very damp start to 2024 ………..

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……… the river (Avon) is high, having reached the bottom of our steps leading to the footpath ……..

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……. so obviously we are on river watch.

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We really don’t want much more rain …….

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…….. however, The Towers is at the top of a very steep bank and if the water did get to the top of it (a once in a hundred years risk),  the whole of Evesham and for that matter Worcester, would be in very serious trouble, but, for the moment, we have an ample supply of sandbags if needed.

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Picture :- https://www.facebook.com/SimonBrainPhotography/

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If it gets much higher, I think that the marina may have to move some of its ships into the basin, although looking at the pictures of our park, the river has already breeched the caravan park across the way.

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Picture :- https://www.facebook.com/SimonBrainPhotography/

……. and no doubt, if the rain continues, our garden will be the scene of much serious debate of a Network Rail type nature, to see if the railway bridge needs to be closed should the water rise above it’s central island.

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Picture :- https://www.facebook.com/SimonBrainPhotography/

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Needless to say, we’ll keep you informed of all developments, but for the moment, I think we are pretty OK, although we won’t be venturing too far while it’s so wet and murky!

Tuesday, 2 January 2024

New Year Sleepover ......... The Aftermath …….

Well, we’ve finally got it together after another glorious New Years Sleepover with our beloved niece and nephew, it was a triumph in every sense of the word,  but sadly, now ……. the party's over, although, no one’s burst our balloons! 

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However, the was one …….

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…….. minor casualty ……….

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……. poor uncle Nigel!

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We couldn’t have wished for a more wonderful and perfect (6.30pm) Midnight Walk (especially after last years was a total wash out when rain stopped play) which included, for the first time ever, (drum roll), mini flashing balls in place of glowsticks to pave our way to the park and then, as we gathered them back up, guide us home, as well as several packets of sparklers  …….

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……. the squeals of delight were magical …….

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……. as well as, obviously, emotional.  As the last sparkler petered out, Nigel suggested we place an aforementioned flashing ball on each of the fence posts in the garden to help flash in the new year …….. it looked lovely, even if “him what oft finds fault”, complained that such an unfettered and abundant unsolicited “runway” could confuse low flying airplanes in the vicinity…… with disastrous consequences!

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Then as the last light was laid …….

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……. poor Uncle Nigel went a*** over t** on the slippery, wet, sodden ground ……

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……. fortunately, no bones were broken, just a pair of very muddy knees and a nose to match, but as little fella so philosophically said, his tumble simply added to the romance and memories of a truly epic evening, he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

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This “adventure” lead to our tradition, crazy foam bath, being brought forward from the morning to the evening, to help facilitate the cleaning up of Unc Nige ………

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……. including a seat of your pants, facsimile, wasp nest construction competition, which was diplomatically declared to be just too tight to call …… so the Milky Bar prizes were on me!

HAPPY DAYS OF HOPEFULLY A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL 2024