I am sure most of you have seen the news coverage about the flooding in England. If, for any reason you have missed the news please check out BBC News on the web. The coverage includes many photographs. On Friday July 20th nearly 10 inches of rain fell in many parts of the UK. Any town close to a river has suffered flood damage. One town in particular has really suffered. The English country town of Tewkesbury is on TWO great rivers, The Avon and The Severn. The result? The town has become an island, with over 350,000 people without power, water or basic supplies. And as these rivers flow down stream the problem will only get worse. Worse still, more rain is forecast this week.

So if you thought your day might not be going well, or things did not seem to span out for you in the way you in the way you hoped, please spare a thought for those in a different place who are truly having a very bad day, and will have many bad days to come.

I will say this of my fellow country people. The way people have responded, reacted, and behaved in this crisis makes me very proud to be English. The spirit that resonates is that collectively the community will survive and rebuild. This time will pass. A good lesson for any of us whose day is blighted by things we cannot control!