Licensees pull out the stops during floods

Licensees have been pulling out all the stops to keep punters happy as torrential floods caused disruption across the country.

Despite flooded cellars and submerged bars, pubs have been fighting to stay open and keep their businesses afloat, giving people an escape from the cold.

Jim Wainwright, licensee at the Camp House in Grimley, near Worcester, is using a makeshift ferry service to transport his customers across floodwaters into the pub. With flooding regularly occurring at the riverside site, Jim decided to offer the unique service to thirsty locals.

"Some customers do drift away, but we brought a few over on Friday night and Saturday morning. It's too dangerous to do it in the evening, and Sunday was too deep, but on Monday morning we were able to do it again," he added.

The King's Arms in York suffered severe flooding, with over four metres of water submerging the whole bar. Diane Henstock and her husband Andrew have only been running the pub since December 15, but have already suffered four floods since taking charge.

Diane said: "This was apparently the worst flood here in six years. We couldn't get in or out and were closed for a week.

"We've had so many people visiting and taking pictures. It's been very interesting, although it does seem a bit undignified when you're climbing over the wall in your waders!"

Caroline Hickey, manager of the Lowther Hotel, York, has just reopened after having to pump water from the cellar.

She said: "Without such good defences, the pub would have been flooded, but we're more prepared now than we ever have been. The floods recently have been the highest since 2001. We were closed for one full day, and have been on reduced capacity as people don't want to walk down in the mud."