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Page 1 of 2 DROUGHT restrictions that were introduced early in April have since been lifted following the record rainfall across the country in the last two months.
A Environment Agency spokeswoman for the East Anglian Region told:
"The drought status changed when hosepipe restrictions were lifted but we will still be an environmentally stressed area because of concerns over ground water."
When is a drought not a drought?
When it's an 'Environmental Stress due to Rainfall Deficit', an ‘ESRD' for short. This is the new term being employed by the Environment Agency. Officials admit it is not exactly catchy but believe it best describes the situation in the 19 counties no longer in drought.
Speaking about the new ‘ESRD' term, Trevor Bishop, the Environment Agency's head of water resources, stated:
"People think of drought and they think of television programmes of Ethiopia, and we are not in that situation. Normally, the weather gets hotter and drier in the spring and summer. But this year it got colder and wetter. People were finding themselves in areas categorised as in drought but actually were being flooded.
"The intense rainfall in spring has not solved the drought, he went on, adding: ‘We wanted to create a new terminology which represented this."
Careful where you moor
 In these windy conditions be careful where you moor. Down in Poole, Dorset 70mph winds brought a section of scaffolding crashing down on a luxury £5 million Sunseeker yacht as it floated in its mooring at the company's headquarters on Poole Quay.
According to local reports its buyer had just made the final payment on the 91ft (28m) vessel ahead of a scheduled collection the following week. It is unclear how much the damage will cost to repair.
Nene news
Boat fire in Wisbech
The Fire Brigade were called to deal with a blaze in a boat on the river at Wisbech on the 25th May.
Four crews, two from Wisbech, and two from Dogsthorpe including the rescue vehicle, attended the incident, which happened at around 2pm on a boat moored close to the Freedom Bridge.
Wisbech firefighters attended the fire from nearby North Cambs Hospital where they were dealing with a call as the result of an automatic alarm sounding—which turned out to be a false alarm.
There were LPG cylinders on board the boat but firefighters managed to move them before they became involved in the blaze, which was extinguished by the crews using one hose reel and one jet.
New book exchange at Oundle Marina.
Finished that book you were reading while waiting for the river level to drop, Why not pop in to Oundle Marina and visit the newly opened 'Book Exchange', just swap any books you've read for ones that you haven't! Open everyday 9am to 5pm apart from Wednesdays.
 Boat stolen
A narrowboat was stolen from the bottom of the Leicester Line at Norton Junction in May.
George Dickinson the Patrol Officer for the Braunston Area has requested assistance in recovering a stolen 60ft Liverpool narrowboat. The boat is believed to have been stolen in early May, and was not seen when British Waterways checked Norton Junction on 17th May.
There was a possible sighting of it going down through Buckley Locks. The whole length of the south Grand Union has been checked and it is now believed to have gone down the Northampton Arm on to the Nene.
The narrowboat is Cloud 9, British Waterways No. 519819, though the boat's name was not displayed on the boat. It is 60ft and was green and yellow, a semi-trad Liverpool boat built 2007. Chimney front starboard corner with a stainless steel flue.
The crime ref is: NP 849 2-12 Northamptonshire Police: DIAL 101 and ask for Northamptonshire Police and you will be put through to the correct place to report it.
One lesson learned by the owner is a full photo record of narrowboat both inside and out would have been helpful. As at present both the Police and British Waterways are working with limited information and one poor photo to make enquires.
So if you have not yet done so, get your 'Box Brownie' out and take a full set of photos, along with making a record of the major equipment fitted together with the serial numbers. Keep it in a safe place away from the boat.
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