New features
Current projects include Manesty Band’s bathroom being totally refurbished; the farmhouse loft’s insulation being enhanced (with foam spray against the slates and environmentally friendly recycled quilting made from plastic bottle on the ceiling); new bed bases being ordered for the bedsteads; and quilted bed throws in conjunction with linen hire duvet covers and sheets being the new bed linen arrangements. The usual painting and decorating at this time of the year is ongoing. Tradesmen are less busy than usual because of the economic downturn and this has allowed us to initially make speedy progress but the flooding has seriously slowed us up now.
Flooding
To reassure you all, we are fine and need only to keep regularly checking our drains for debris. Borrowdale has similarily generally kept ahead and mostly avoided problems, dare we say that we are prepared. Guests are coming and going around the water.
Sadly, the bridge at Portinscale was significantly under water and the houses on the old road to the A66 (accessed past The Farmers) were flooded; this water then flooded and closed the A66 to the west of the junction on Thursday night. Keswick was flooded on Thursday by the Greta and the river went over the wall opposite the pencil museum and flooded Booths among other places; it also went over the Penrith road past the cenotaph on the way out of town and into the adjacent houses.
Derwentwater was probably up two and a half to three meters but we will measure that accurately when it gets back to normal levels and indeed the historic tablets at Friar’s Crag will record this in due course. It is of course currently raining as forecast and the occupants of the flooded houses around the county will not be sleeping easily tonight.