I don’t wish to shout, but....

Each and all and every man jack of you, wherever you may chance to live, I call upon: to give your aid now. Even if it means not buying a book for Christmas. Even if it means not buying our books for Christmas.

If you cannot make a contribution as I am shortly to suggest, I really do expect you at the very least to direct all your friends and followers to these links, and advert them to the appeal.

As I should hope you might have heard, a succession of gales and storms have battered the UK. There is flooding. There is danger to life as well as to property. Amongst the areas affected are the River Eden (including – although it’s not nearly so bad there as at, for example, Appleby-in-Westmorland – the Upper Eden, including Mallerstang); and the confluence of the Rivers Severn and Vyrnwy, at Melverley.

I therefore strongly urge you to make such contributions and assistance as you can manage to:

The RNLI.
The Kirkby Stephen Mountain Rescue Team.
The Cumbria Wildlife Trust (you might, if you like, earmark the Upper Eden Support Group).
The Upper Eden Community First Responders Team;

and, in Melverley, and Oswestry generally, to contact, and enquire of as to what help is wanted,

The Rector, S Peter Melverley;
Melverley Village Hall; and
The Oswestry & District Agricultural Society.

All are, I believe, Registered Charities.

Let’s get cracking.