Every day since Christmas the news channels have carried reports of rising water levels in the area of Muchelney, Street and Burrowbridge in central Somerset. The good news is despite various calls to every sign-maker in the area nobody in the industry has been flooded out.

Most said they simply drove round the floods to see customers as the M5 had remained open and so had all the main roads apart from the one linking Taunton and Street at Burrow Mump - where the SKY  and BBC News teams have remained camped.

For the people of Muchelney it is no joke but “ney” in old English means island – hence Athelney and Mudgley in the same area. And of course the Isle of Wedmore which is partly cut off in one direction was an island once upon a time.