Fancy a picnic?

[stuck]

The river level has dropped a bit.

Ken

[HansV]

That ice doesn't look strong enough to walk (or sit) on...

[stuck]

Err, no, but if you zoom in a bit and mess around in B&W the ice does look quite dramatic.

Ken

[HansV]

Wow!

[StuartR]

Lovely pictures, but far too cold for walking

[BobH]

Flooding and ice! What have you been up to, Ken?

Great photographs!!!

[stuck]

Flooding and ice! What have you been up to...

Nothing. that's just how it works. The river through our village does this most winters.

Rain inevitably ends up in rivers. Lots of rain inevitably makes the rivers flood. In the lower reaches of the rivers the flood waters inevitably spread out over large flood plains. If someone is daft enough to site a picnic bench on a flood plain it's inevitably going to provide a photo opportunity like this.

Add in the fact that floods are more likely in winter and it's also inevitable that the still waters at the edge of the floods are going to freeze over, providing further photo opportunities.

Ken

[RonH]

Ever thought of moving, Ken

[John Gray]

It is plain to see that the River Derwent is in flood, and the ideal spot from which to see the floods is the picnic bench. Thus it has a dual purpose - on those occasions when the river is not in flood, then you can use it to have a picnic on!

[stuck]

Ever thought of moving, Ken

For the floods to reach my house they'd have to be of Biblical proportions. While climate change my yet cause such devastation I'm OK at the moment.

Ken

[stuck]

...the ideal spot from which to see the floods is the picnic bench...

Not really. The picnic bench is on the outside of the high bank that forms the flood defence. It is under water because local run off has pooled up against the bank. It can't drain into the river because on the other side of the bank the river level is even higher. In other words, even when the river is not in flood, if you sit on that bench you can't actually see the river.

Ken

[John Gray]

Sounds like you need to have a word with the "picnic bench location sub-committee", so that it can be placed in a more viable river-viewing position. No need to push the matter until the floods recede, though, which will give them enough time for several decision-making meetings on that topic!

[ChrisGreaves]

...it is plain to see that the River Derwent is in flood,

I am confused. In my childhood we were given sets of crayons "Derwentwater", "Cumberland" and so on, and there were dozens of different colours, but Ken's photo is in black and white.

Sounds like you need to have a word with the "picnic bench location sub-committee", ...

Don't forget the "Levitating Raft Committee".
Also the nomenclature Committee, whose name has slipped my mind.
Our Christmas Crayon Collections had, after all, a raft of colours.
Cheers
Chris

[stuck]

Sounds like you need to have a word with the "picnic bench location sub-committee"...

There speaks a man familiar with the finer points of local Parish Council politics.

I can imagine the discussion...
"Its always been there"
"Yeh but the flood defences didn't used to be there"
"Ah but if you move to the other side of the flood defences it might get swept away in a flood"
"Fair point"
"Also, it was put where it is because it's close to the car park"
"Ah yes and since the local run off also floods the car park it doesn't matter that the picnic bench is in accessible because the car park is also inaccessible."
"How about putting it on top of the flood bank?"
Sharp intake of breath all round
"Are you serious? think of the Elf 'n' Safety paperwork to deal with having a public bench situated 'at height'"
"Aye, not to mention needing permission from the Environment Agency, they wouldn't want hordes trampling all over their flood defences."
"Motion to relocate the picnic bench is not carried"

[Leif]

...there were dozens of different colours, but Ken's photo is in black and white.

Look closely, Chris - there aren't any numbers...

[ChrisGreaves]

...there were dozens of different colours, but Ken's photo is in black and white.

Look closely, Chris - there aren't any numbers...

[kdock]

You could sell this to psychiatrists as a new style Rorschach test. When I first looked at your ice picture, I saw a Cavalier's head, complete with beard and feathered hat. Love it!

[John Gray]

When I first looked at your ice picture, I saw a Cavalier's head, complete with beard and feathered hat. Love it!

I think you'll find that this was Chris.
(He can be quite cavalier at times...!)

[John Gray]

Sounds like you need to have a word with the "picnic bench location sub-committee"...

There speaks a man familiar with the finer points of local Parish Council politics.
I can imagine the discussion...

I suspect that you have recorded the discussion verbatim...!

[BobH]

You could sell this to psychiatrists as a new style Rorschach test. When I first looked at your ice picture, I saw a Cavalier's head, complete with beard and feathered hat. Love it!

What I see is a crone's head and face with a raven perched atop. I wonder what the psychiatrists would make of that? :

BTW: My favorite Arthur C. Clarke quote is, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."