The Book Case in Hebden Bridge has news.

As most people reading this will know, The Book Case in Hebden Bridge was destroyed by the major flooding in the Calder Valley on Boxing Day. Despite flood resilience measures taken after the last flood in 2012 we were completely wiped out as the water came through at over 5ft, nearly 2ft over the highest we had planned for. Like nearly all businesses in the town we were uninsurable against flooding.

We have just had the fantastic news that we will be receiving a £5000 grant from the James Patterson fund. Our enormous thanks to Meryl Halls at the Booksellers Association for organising this for us, and to the grant fund

Kirsty Vincent Hall on Facebook.

After even a few hours in the food hub, you can spot the actual flood victims.

You can see it in the eyes. They are the ones with the hundred-yard stare.

Sometimes we need to lead them around gently. So much has happened to them in such a short time that when faced with a mountain of food – and very quickly and amazingly it is a mountain – they are overwhelmed.

We learn to question. And to keep it very simple and matter of fact.

‘Do you have something to eat for tonight? Do you have power? OK, no power. Right, let’s find things that don’t need to be heated. Do you have … Read the rest