When rain in the Lake District leads international news bulletins,you know you occupy a problem. The government must not turn its back on Cumbria again, argues Jamie Reed, or Labour MP for CopelandAs I walked around Keswick this week,I saw once again the extraordinary volunteers harrying the streets, the battle-field adrenalin of those sweeping out their homes, and the bewilderment of the national TV crews and the determination of everyone to get back to normal as soon as possible. As the representative of Keswick in Parliament,I could only ever feel pride in the people of this community.
One shop owner summed up the Keswickian and the Cumbrian spirit best for me as he showed me the extent of the flooding in his shop. As I looked at the thousands of pounds of unusable stock, he gave me an eye witness account of his experience as the flood water rose. A woman in her eighties appeared from the front door of her terraced house. She stepped over the flood barrier attached to her front door, and swinging half a bin liner of dry clothes over her shoulder in the process. In one hand,she had a bottle of milk. She put the milk bottle in her coat pocket and studiously locked her front door before wading off up the street. I asked him where she was going. “To observe after her friend,” he told me. His face broke into a smile. “This is a wonderful town, or “ he said,We observe after each other. We always observe after each other.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com