Wednesday 21 September 2011

The Flood House

Stood in the village feeling totally displaced, we were very relieved to see my friend pull up. We could stay at her house for as long as we needed.

Other people were having to go to the local leisure centre and schools if they had nowhere else to go. I have seen news items before, where there has been for whatever reason people having to do this, I have thought poor buggers, not giving a minutes thought to what happens next.

It is difficult to explain how it feels to be homeless, for a week or so we were aimless and in shock, we more or less sat in my friends listening to the news and weather reports obsessively. The area of flooding was the size of Windemere in the Lake District, this made any journey of normality very difficult, school and work, not an option. We weren't allowed back in our home, the area was policed, it was too dangerous as they were considering blowing the river bank if needed, to protect the main towns homes and businesses. If the banks were broken the 2ft of water would rise to ceiling height. In my home on a downstairs wall I had a gallery of family photographs, one of my dad when he was aged 15 was pride of place. I had to use all my powers of persuasion on one of the policemen to allow me back in my home to retrieve these photographs, sod the furniture, these things were very precious.

The process of trying to put life in some sort of order needed to begin, insurance company was contacted, we needed to find somewhere to live. As the area of flooding was so large trying to find a rental property was like finding rocking horse shit. We came upon one in an unusual way, the local council had set up a website for people to donate things to the people who had been flooded, the offers ranged from a room or furniture, amongst all of these things was someone offering a house rental, it was a four bed and on the right side of the river. We arranged to see it and agreed to do a private let with the owner.

The house was lovely, I nicknamed it the Flood House and I hated it.


Sha X

No comments:

Contact Me