Charlotte Barnett, director of Worcestershire-based agency Traveltrail, said the high street shop is loved by residents and has become a vital part of the town’s social fabric.
Around 11 inches filled the floor of Barnett’s agency in Tenbury Wells. Other businesses in the market town were also damaged by Storm Bert last weekend.
Despite this, Barnett said she couldn’t imagine setting up Traveltrail in another town.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else even though if we get a little soggy, [Tenbury Wells] is a very special,” she told TTG this week.
Firefighters had to rescue Barnett and a group of other business owners when the town centre was flooded on Sunday (24 November) after a wall collapsed by Kyre Brook.
According to Barnett, the situation started on Saturday (23 November) when the Environment Agency warned Tenbury Wells residents of a potential risk of flooding, which turned into a serious risk of flooding less than 24 hours later.
“It was just a case of trying to help other shopkeepers,” she added. “Ironically, at the time I was in the shop opposite Traveltrail, which is owned by our landlord when the wall broke down and the water came straight into the street.”
Barnett and her landlord were left stranded for about an hour before being rescued by firefighters.
“If you were out in the street the water would have been chest-high,” she continued. "I reckon our flood defences managed to hold it off for hours."
However, the agency wasn’t left unscathed. Nonetheless Barnett believes the damage could have been much worse.
Barnett said there was muddy silt throughout the shop but only a stationary cabinet was flooded.
“When we turned the key and opened the door on Monday (25 November), we envisaged the worst, but luckily the flood barrier must have held some of the water off above the town,” she said.
The store was closed for two days and only managed to reopen on Wednesday (27 November) after residents rallied around local businesses and helped with the clear up.
“One gentleman came with a huge industrial vacuum and cleaned all the mud up,” Barnett added. “Without him, we’d probably still be there shovelling the mud.”
When asked about the biggest lesson she learnt from her shop being flooded, she smiles: "Never leave anything on the floor."
