On my Saturday morning reccie down the river, jogging along to see the ducks and herons and the bob-tail bunnies scatter through the track to the wood, I thought the water looked to be moving fast.

Then, when I jogged home, sliding around in the mud, I suddenly ran out of path. The river had burst her banks.

So I scrambled right up the banking between the river and the golf course and, now covered in mud and leaves, picked my way along the overgrown boundary path. I had to climb over branches and scramble under others and it was all really quite exciting.

Sometimes there is nothing like rolling about in mud to make you feel like an eight year old kid again. It really is quite exhilarating, i can't recommend it enough.

So this morning I decide to check out the other end of the river. It's way too muddy now for running and we all know how I suffer with that right ankle (bought strapping as advised, bearing up, thank you).

Walking boots and waterproofs on today and I set off down Boat Lane and arrive at the weir to discover the weir has compeltely disappeared. Just torrents of muddy water swirled over that. Up towards Didsbury the river was moving with an incredible energy and had burst her banks on both sides. The golfers can't get to the golf club because the road's under water and the ducks appeared to have given up and gone home. All I saw was a few seagulls and some toughy cormarants making their way up river, very slowly.

Time for it to stop raining I think. I haven't seen the news yet but I'm guessing Gloucestershire is under water by now.