It is going to be a grim Christmas for many in Cumbria as they clean up after the floods. Those who were also affected by the 2009 floods might not be inclined to believe the ‘once in a lifetime’ mantra which accompanied last weekend’s weather. The Met Office’s chief scientist suggested that all the evidence points to a link between climate change and our record-breaking winter rainfall, and new methods of prevention and cure must be found and funded. As a nation of islanders we may have to rediscover a lost resilience in our relationship with water. Many are now saying that councils should utilise the skills of those who know the countryside best - and pay farmers appropriately to take natural flood management seriously. Pray for wise land management of the large swathes of north-west England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland that are vulnerable to flooding.