"Hats off to the Salvation Army team here, they've been great. They're planning to help us to leave the town later on today, having organised a convoy. They've really put themselves out and we couldn't have done it without them."
Hetty Pople was travelling with her retired husband John from a hospital appointment in Worcester back to their home in Upton-on-Severn, a journey which usually takes no more than half an hour.
"We left the infirmary at 2 o'clock, but it was raining heavily. Tributaries that we barely notice had become torrents - it was extremely frightening. The roads we usually use had been flooded, or were impassable because of abandoned vehicles. We tried route after route, and couldn't make any progress at all. We finally arrived in Tewkesbury at 10 o'clock that evening and stayed overnight with a friend," she said.
"On Saturday, the waters were rising around our friend's property - and we were rescued by The Salvation Army who took us to their hall. We've been rooted here since then, although we have been able to get out for some fresh air and to stretch our legs.
"The Salvation Army people have been brilliant, and have given us a comfortable place to sleep with warm duvets. They've also provided all our meals, and endless - lovely - cups of tea and coffee!
"In fact, they've been able to organise everything we've needed - from toothbrushes to clean underwear. They've arranged for our laundry to be done, and for our pills to be brought over from a nearby surgery. We were also able to use their phone to contact our neighbours - fortunately our home is unaffected by the floodwaters.
"The atmosphere has been good too - we're all on first name terms and have got on with each other so well. We've had some lovely, friendly conversations with the staff and other 'refugees', and the youngsters have really enjoyed the billiards and ping-pong.
"I can't express enough how well everyone has worked together - The Salvation Army's response has been above and beyond the call of duty."
[Re-printed in Christian Today with the kind permission of The Salvation Army]
