In his latest column, the Radstock mayor writes about how fortunate Radstock is.

In these days of heavy showers and hurricane tail-enders when so many communities have suffered from the ravages of abnormal deluges, it is interesting to note that the Somer Valley has emerged relatively unscathed.

I have distant memories of the area in the early '60s when the High Street in Midsomer Norton was completely flooded- abandoned Austins, Hillmans and Mr Shearn's delivery van being the only evidence of previous human activity.

Radstock, further down river experienced concomitant damage as the Wellow Brook - or River Somer- burst its banks causing yet another delay to the 10.30 up train to Bath Green Park. It was the Great Flood of July 1968, one of biblical size, which finally persuaded the authorities to remodel the river.

We lived just above Fry's Well, one of the tributaries of the Wellow Brook. It flowed through Lower Chilcompton at street level (it still does) and then through watercress beds before striking Midsomer Norton as a fully fledged river. Not particularly clean, it has to be said but in those days people thought nothing of emptying effluent into the river. Here today, gone tomorrow.

Nowadays the river system is a lot cleaner. Brown trout have been spotted in Tom Huyton Park and more than once an otter's whiskery countenance has popped up in the Snails Brook.

Compared to the hapless residents of Pontypridd and Upton on Severn, we have much to be thankful for.