WIND and driving rain are debilitating for us all, for people whose homes and businesses have been flooded in the past it's a true nightmare. And with the floods earlier this week people were again battling to keep the water out. Some didn't manage it, others did, but what was striking was how some decided to go for DIY flood prevention. Stuart Price at the Bike Centre in Grinton had flood barriers and water pumps ready as did Richard Welford at Beavers Butchers in Masham.

Both felt that local authorities and the government could be doing much more to help, whether it was increased dredging of rivers and streams or drain clearance. Spectator tends to agree there has to be a much wider approach.

With the concern that this is indeed the future, ever increasing incidences of worrying weather and potential flooding is a real indication that a different way of thinking has to be adopted.

How brilliant so many of our services are, fire, police, rescue teams and environment agency staff working together with the communities to relieve the havoc, were asking for similar enthusiasm from the authorities.

Leaky dams installed at Brompton, near Northallerton and Pickering have been hailed successes, these are small scale schemes diverting potential flood water and slowing down dramatic flows. Who can say whether this kind of thing could make a difference across the board, but surely there has to be more research on this and anything else that could possibly help.

BRAVO Peter Pybus, from Northallerton who is hoping to create an Old Farmers Club, possibly along the lines of a Young Farmers Club, but arguably steadier maybe.