I’ve recently been appointed as a member of the Anglian (Northern) Regional Flood and Coastal Committee which means that I can give up any prospect of being paid on several days a year to help comment on flood and coastal defence projects.
I attended a very good induction day last week organised by the Environment Agency and met many of my fellow, and mostly much more experienced, committee members and a lot of nice EA staff.
‘Our’ (see! I’m getting into it already) area goes from the Nene Valley to the south shore of The Humber and I already know more about the Lincolnshire coast than I did before, and I have reacquainted myself with the poem ‘High tide on the coast of Lincolnshire‘ which contains the following lines:
‘The olde sea wall (he cried) is downe,
The rising tide comes on apace,
And boats adrift in yonder towne
Go sailing uppe the market-place.’
I’ll let you know how I get on.
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Last week I visited Welney and saw how desperate the situation is. I know the answer is complex but I wish you well in your efforts. Being in the God squad one thing I can do is pray for more rain in that area.
Best of luck with it Mark. I am sure you will do a grand job. With a poem like that though, I would take up your swimming lessons again.
Think you would be a good addition to any committee you get on,well done for finding the time,the amount of things you do and also finding time to reply to my private e-mail is amazing.
And who’s to blame? the burghers cried
As water poured in through the doors
Of all their houses and their stores
And swept their beds out on the tide.
Who signed the plan that seemed so sweet
To knock a hole through that sea wall
And leave our coast to ‘managed retreat’?
If we survive we’ll sue them all!
…Sorry Mark, I was just speculating on how the poem continues! I am sure it will be a fascinating and worthwhile use of your time.