This weekend has been a really awful one for Cumbria and other places in the north of UK. Following torrential rain for many days, rivers finally burst their banks and suddenly Cumbria was plunged into chaos. Cockermouth and Workington suffered the worst, but many other people and places were badly affected. The death of PC Bill Barker was a dreadful shock to all and made everyone realise the seriousness of the situation.
This picture was taken by Linda Mellor , a local photogr
apher who was out taking photos before things got really dangerous. This shows the road along Ullswater to Pooley Bridge, just before it was closed. For more shots of the flooding visit LindaMellorPhotos
There are awful things happening all over the world at this very moment, yet we are most affected by what happens on our doorstep. I have a friend in Cockermouth and so a big concern was that she was OK. She’s fine. And just being so connected to Cumbria and the NW makes it all so much more real …
And that is the thing for me about this disaster. It is definitely not be the worst thing to happen in the world, but it is something that is close to home … and so I care more and want to do more to help. One simple way to do that was to use Twitter to let others know what was happening and hope that by getting the word far and wide, more can be done. (Some of us even got coverage in The Times on Saturday!)
If you would like to help the people of Cumbria whose lives are currently being turned upsidedown, visit the Cumbria Flood Community Fund to donate. Alternatively you can send a cheque made out to Cumbria Community Foundation to: Cumbria Community Foundation, Dovenby Hall, Cockermouth CA13 0PN. Please write on the back ‘Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund.

Thanks for keeping us updated, Zoe, even if we’re not in the worst affected areas
Thanks Sheila – much appreciate your comment. It is a tough time for many Cumbrians but a hardy bunch – like the native Herdwick sheep!
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Thanks Linda – just sent link to friend in Cockermouth who is co-ordinating support for businesses. look forward to getting a copy of the Times article and Tweet
Stay dry!