Weather does not discriminate; a fact Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall know all too well. The gardens of their Scottish home, Birkhall were swept away by floods, destroying 14 years of restoration work just after this past Christmas.
Cheering crowds greeted the royal pair in sunny Stamford Bridge in east Yorkshire on Thursday. The current scene was a stark contrast to the torrential rains which led to the flooding of the village on Boxing Day.
Estate agents from Chris Clubley & Co met the royal couple, telling them how the water gushed in through the back door, recking their shop. The duo then moved on to the new Inn where they met up with landlady Helen Ambler.
Ms. Ambler showed them the ongoing restoration work being done to restore the pub to normal while describing how the flooding occurred. She woke at 8am on Boxing Day to find three inches of water already in the building. To stop the water from rising, she surrounded the pub with sandbags, but it was no use.
She said: “But by 10am there was a good foot-and-a-half and by 1pm there was 3ft of water. It came up so quickly. And then it was just coming through the floor.
Ms. Ambler noted the difficulties she, and other villagers had suffered through during the floods.
“It wasn’t the actual river water, it was the drains and the sewage coming up. It was awful. It wasn’t pleasant but we got through it.”
Prince Charles enquired about the renovation work and whether she had insurance. What caught his eye was the bar, which has been fully restored by a local craftsman. Before they left, he said it was too bad he’d come to the pub and not had an opportunity to have a drink.
Ms. Ambler said: “He offered to buy the whole pub a drink. He asked if the next time he’s passing, could he pop in.”
Ms. Ambler mentioned how good it was that her village was finally receiving recognition for the trials they’ve suffered and how they’re getting back on their feet.
“It’s nice to be recognised that we’ve had a problem. A lot of the emphasis has been on York but we did have it quite bad and it was very good to meet them.”
recking?? Think you mean wrecking…