The aftermath of the floods (click) we experienced in Norbiton part of Kingston upon Thames, has not been as great as others in the UK. many homes and businesses have lost everything they own, as the flood waters entered their premises, especially in the counties of Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire. After receiving one months rain in a couple of hours, the infrastructure, the drainage systems could not cope.
Here in Norbiton, yes we had the roads flooded, but the water soon disappeared, and transport got back to normal as if nothing had happened. A few premises were flooded in the area, but for us in Norbiton Hall, (click to read history), our communal boiler room, that heats all the 192 flats hot water needs, was flooded.
The boiler room is underground, and the site manager David Flynn told me that the room was flooded to waist deep. I suspect that means that all the electrics, the controls will have been damaged, perhaps the fuel supply will have been contaminated, and the boiler no longer works, therefore we will have no hot water for days.
OK, no big deal, who needs hot water? But how do we wash or take a shower?
Cold water? Yes. But this is cold, cold water, sorry too cold for me. The UK is not a tropical island, or Malaysia, Turkey or Greece, sunning themselves in temperatures near 40 degrees. There it is great to have a cold shower.
The British culture still has the concept of baths. Long tubs in which we lay down and soak ourselves for a longtime.
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