The A319 in Chobham, Surrey was blocked this morning after a months rain fell in just twenty four hours. Three cars broke down by the fire station after their drivers had failed to realise the depth of the problem. The Environment Agency had a flood warning for the area on its website.

That's as it may be but the problem for me was that our pigs are on high ground accessed from Town Mill in the centre of Chobham. I needed to get to them to give them feed and make sure they had water! A nice young policeman, and aren't they all young these days, waved me to turn round until I explained I had livestock to feed.

"You might be able to park up near the fire station and walk up" he said as he waved me through.

I carried on with caution and sure enough, there were three cars and a bus in two foot of water and blocking the road just by the County Council Fire Department building. I found a suitable place to park the Landcruiser and waded through to Town Mill and round the buildings to the Pigs. Despite the volume of water and the lower ground being completely saturated and flooded, their wooded enclosure was relatively dry and the five of them were snuffling about quite happily. They were pleased to see me and grateful for the pig nuts and intellectual stimulation that ten minutes with me gives them. I left them secure in the knowledge that they were safe, happy and well fed.

I sploshed back to the car and thanked Kevin and the lads at the Fire station for the parking space and headed off, very slowly, back to West End. Traffic was barely moving as people negotiated the flooded area as best they could. I came up to the nice young policeman still waving cars hither and thither and I lowered the window and shouted:

"Pigs are ok, brilliant."

His little chest puffed out with pride and he beamed over at me.

"Why thank you Sir. Thanks very much."