The manager of a pub in a Buckinghamshire town that has faced severe flooding in recent days has expressed fears that further heavy rain could put his business at risk.
Following the wild weather caused by Storm Henk and consequent high water levels on the River Thames, businesses along the bank in Marlow understandably buttoned down their hatches and prepared for potential damage.
While some companies – notably the MacDonald Hotels group, who own The Compleat Angler, situated right on the waterside – already had comprehensive strategies in place (maintenance manager Kevin O’Leary said: “We controlled the risk right the way through and we had an action plan ready to go, which meant there has been no impact on our business”), others have not fared so well.
The Two Brewers, a pub on St Peter Street operated by the Stonegate Group, closed its doors on Friday, January 5, after flooding issues caused by its position near a slipway into the Thames, which, according to one onlooker, resulted in water entering its basement area.
While the group has not confirmed when The Two Brewers will reopen its doors, a pumping operation is underway at the site, with similar responses also underway in nearby residential areas including Mill Road.
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Kay, manager of The George and Dragon pub on The Causeway, said that while there had been no damage to the pub as of yet, he believed there could be cause for concern should further heavy rainfall push water levels on the Thames even higher.
He said: “A lot of people who have stopped by in the last few days have said the flooding is impacting them in one way or another, even if it's just going for walks around the area.
“Some of our guests who come from further afield are scared to travel – yesterday (January 8) was very quiet, much more so than normal. There are so many photos and videos of the flooding on social media and people are unsure about the situation on the roads.”
Kay said he has been reassuring those concerned that The George and Dragon and Marlow High Street are “open and safe” but is quick to add that he doesn’t feel that he’s made it out of the woods quite yet.
“We’ve got to think about the fact that we’re not far away at all (from the Thames). If it rained again, if we had even a couple more days of heavy rain, I would definitely be worried.”
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