We had a four night break booked here, this was our fourth attempt over the years to come here and each time we had to cancel due to flooding. So did we learn by that no we didn't, the day before our arrival we had a call offering us a cancellation due to the fact the site was getting very wet, but they could accommodate us on a piece of tarmac which was really good of them as we had booked a grass pitch by mistake, another lesson learned. Having watched England win the semi final in rugby world cup spirits were high and we arrived in the rain and pitched up, taking note that the wardens office was elevated and so was the shower block, it is almost on stilts, and that the plug-ins are about 5' high....I wonder why.....anyway hubby went off to watch the adjacent team play they're Saturday game. By now the River was on its way, between 9 and 11 pm, the wardens, with military precision started moving waterlogged people to the back of the site. We were a bit close to the water but was told "you'll be fine it never comes up this far". So we went to bed. About 5 in the morning we were nearly afloat, so we splashed around in our welly's and manage to move the van back with the motor mover, luckily with a shoulder to assist, it moved out of the water, and on to un sodden grass. And the water still kept coming. By 8am people who were due off anyway, started to leave through the emergency flood gates, which were becoming flooded too, by mid morning the wardens declared they need to shut the site so we all had to leave, by now we were half immersed again, so this time the wardens came with their little tractor and pulled us around so we could hook up and go........so go we did off to the Malvern hills. (Beautiful site, and dry).
We cannot praise the wardens enough for the work they did during that evening, night and morning, obviously there was a drill to follow, which they did with professionalism and calm, there was no panic or flared tempers. And thousands of pounds saved with they're quick response. I do wonder why though, the club has just put in a brand spanking, beautiful I must say, new shower block, and lots of block paved hard standings...... flooding is obviously a regular occurrence....is it worth all the danger and stress I ask???? Still the wardens office and the shower block will be fine oh and the plug ins too. Oh I rated 2 for peace and quiet, the Abbey bells are beautiful,..... but every quarter of an hour!!!!
