The army loaded the heap of rubbish that was our livelihood on a skip

A victim of the Cumbrian floods tells of what is was like to see her business destroyed in one afternoon - and of the amazing support of locals and strangers

After a successful summer, at the beginning of December we were feeling confident. The little village shop we have run for the last 12 years is usually as busy at Christmas as during the summer holidays, so we started to plan ahead, thinking of the new lines we might introduce in the new year.