I’ve been working away from Abingdon this week so I was grateful to be sent some daytime pictures by kim, Bob, Spike, and Luke.

Kim sent me “a couple of people making the best of the floods.”

Bob sent me ‘My Scots mate is saying”I’m marooned!”‘

Spike sent me this pictures taken from his canoe – at 4pm today.

When I got home about three hours later water was washing over the pavement of St Helen’s Wharf.

The River Thames has finally reached the O and the Old Anchor Inn has not Opened. The Ock water levels are going down apart from the lower end. St Helen’s Mill is surrounded by water worse than I’d imagined.

Finally I was sent this dramatic picture from Luke’s iPhone. I’d like to feature more pictures but could run out of bandwidth this month. It was very close last month. If that happens back on December 1st with the Extravaganza.

Last night I heard a lot of rain on our velux window. During the day the level of the River Ock and the River Thames in Abingdon have risen again.

Alongside St Helen’s Wharf a blue door has been in position since Saturday but has only really been needed today where the water has crept up another 3 or 4 inches.

The Ock Valley walk has been closed.

Water from the River Ock is lapping against St Helens Mill, which should be well protected given all the work done below and above ground to waterproof it since the last floods.

People are worried though, and on the Ladygrove Estate and Meadowside Estate some residents go out with torches before bedtime to check water levels. There is an anxiety after the 2007 floods that it might happen again.

The River Ock is flowing higher than I have seen it for a couple of years after the recent rain.

 It has covered some of the field backing onto the Ladygrove Estate in South Abingdon,

The hump bridge over the River Ock at the bottom of Mill Lane is repaired and reopened but the water is too deep to walk that way to Tesco.  The environment agency said earlier at 5 am this morning “The River Ock remains high in the Stanford in the Vale and Charney Bassett areas, although water levels are currently stablising or falling in most locations along the river. No property flooding is currently expected. The weather prospects are: There is further heavy rain forecast for Saturday afternoon and Sunday will start dry with showers developing in the afternoon.”

Water usually stablilses and falls a little later in Abingdon than Charney Bassett.

(Update Sunday morning. After more rain the River Ock has risen at the lower end at the junction of the River Thames. St Helen’s Mill shown in this picture was tanked (waterproofed) after previous floods. If the River Ock rises any further this will be the first real test of the tanking.)