The rain certainly seems to have been on a mission this summer. And drowning people’s homes and businesses seems to have been one of its goals. The pictures of cities and towns under water have made us all shudder, and if you’ve ever been a victim of a flood you’ll know that when the water subsides, that is only the beginning of the trouble. The horrid, smelly, gungy mess that is left behind is the depressing start to months of cleaning up to get properties and lives back in working order.

It just shows how resilient and prepared for the unexpected you have to be. Little did anyone know that in the blistering heat of April’s sunshine, ordering more soft drinks, barbecue kits and ice creams in preparation for what we were promised by the global warming lobby would be a sweltering summer, would turn out to be such a stupid idea. No-one seemed to have any inkling that June and July would be such a wash out. Everyone has been caught out, with the biggest stores having to sell-off their summer wares at ridiculous prices to make space in their warehouses for their autumn stock.

But good things can come out of it. Guy Warner (well-insured as he was) says he’ll get a new shop out of it. ACS chief executive James Lowman says retailers should see this as an opportunity to get involved with the community. And remember the good that came out of the fuel crisis of 2000 - Garage Watch! But such a shame it’s now losing its name.