And it rains again. Twenty years ago this week Jeffrey Archer had just won half a million pounds and costs of up to 1 million against a London paper. I’m afraid that the flood losses to farming alone is going to come to that sum many many times over. In my valley alone the losses are huge. On this farm we have been luckier than some. All the winter fodder has been lost which will necessitate the sale of all the cattle on the farm, but only 8 acres of wheat have gone. My neighbour has 150 acres of cereals under water. Probable losses to me are in the region of £4500, but at least I will be able to have longer ‘lie ins’ in the winter with no cattle to feed every morning. Every cloud has a silver lining!