We shall remember this time as the big flood in years to come. We awoke on Thursday morning to find heavy overnight rain had turned our green valley into a water park. The rain continued all day, steady and punctuated by heavier squalls. The amount of water began to get frightening, even here where rain and surface water are a way of life and where the landscape shrugs it off as easily as we shrug off our Rohan jackets. Our benign Grizedale beck now filled the whole valley, covered lanes, and bashed under bridges with only inches to spare.

At Pepper House the battle began to stop the 2 feet of water in our car park from pouring straight into our kitchen door. By 10.30 it was within 2 inches of the door sill. Frantic work ensued; opening drain covers, yard brooms sweeping, cutting channels in the gravel to tempt the water into another direction, filling sandbags, building dams (where are the beavers when you need them). Our neighbour dissappeared up the hill to find gullies blocked and water pouring through holes in the wall that shouldn't be there. Some quick stonework, and suddenly the water was back in its place, yes even this torrential outpuring has its place, and the flood in our yard slowly, slowly, quietened down.

Back in the house for a coffee and all was quiet - Sky and the four cats curled up on their favourite furniture calmly seeing the morning out - and we reminded ourselves that Pepper House, in its four hundred plus year history, will have seen such scenes before - and survived.

In the afternoon, still raining, we venured out for a walk around the village. Dramatic scenes. Water everywhere, great outpourings of silt and stone across roads, through gardens and fields, walls down, roads flooded (the village is cut off in both directions), livestock grabbing the high land.

But in all there there were people. People helping to divert floods, people finding their way to the pub for company and solace and a bit of crack. There was the farmer ferrying people about on his tractor - the only safe transport - and the promise of another lift this evening for an impromptu party at the pub for stranded souls.

So, just another day in the Lakes; rain, landscape, houses, and people; all working together, in harmony. Just Getting On.

This summer we have installed a sumerhouse in our garden. We are so pleased to have somewhere to sit and enjoy the wonderful valley view and also to watch our busy birdlife. We have thought of christening it the Buzzard hide because every time we sit down for tea or lunch we look up and see one of 'our' Buzzards wheeling away above us, or in the late summer listening to the young Buzzards calling to their parents on wing. The summerhouse has already proved to be one of our better investments.









At the moment the weather has driven us inside and from our dining room this week we watched as a Sparrowhawk perched on our terrace railings after an abortive raid on our feeders. He looked as miserable about the weather as we were.

Good news then that we have upgraded our heating system and replaced all our old radiators with properly sized models. Added to this we have doubled our loft insulation and double-glazed a number of windows and doors, we are far better sheltered from the weather. Real warmth at last.

All this should make Pepper House an even better bet for your winter break in January or February - look at our website for details or call us on 01229 860206.

November update

Well, well, welcome to Pepper House's latest blog. Whatever next? This has been a year of great strides forward for Pepper House B&B so why not dip our toes into the cybersphere as well.