Staff at Gloucestershire agency Courtney World Travel waded through floods last week to manage a “bonkers” start to the January peaks.
Tewkesbury residents were evacuated from their homes and roads were closed in and around the town, which sits at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon.
But Courtney World Travel managing partner Stephanie Jepson and her colleagues still made it into their office on the high street and found themselves busy with bookings.
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“There are a few businesses whose premises were flooded, so we were lucky,” said Jepson. “Tewkesbury became an island.”
The Severn’s water levels in the area rose to more than 4.7m on Thursday and Friday last week (January 4-5) after Storm Henk.
But Jepson used her 4×4 vehicle to pick up her colleagues on Thursday morning and they made it into work by 10am. They were busy communicating with customers by email until 2pm, when road closures forced the staff to go home early.
They waded into work on Friday and returned again on Saturday, said Jepson.
“We were really surprised with the amount of people who came into town to see us,” she said.
“We thought it would be predominantly emails, but people were actually coming in to see us and book, which was lovely. Our customers are so loyal.”
Some water crept into the agency’s cellar, Jepson said, but it eventually drained away and the building avoided any damage.
“This building has been around for hundreds of years, so it was built to last,” said Jepson, who worked at the agency during the major floods of 2007.
“This was a breeze compared with that,” she said, recalling the struggle when the water supplies was cut off. Back then, the Severn’s level at Mythe Bridge rose to 5.5m.
Last week’s flooding meant the staff at Courtney World Travel were unable to attend the Aito Agents KickStart Conference in Leicestershire.
But the agency’s seven-strong team have been “bonkers busy” with bookings, said Jepson, with cruises selling well as well as Mauritius and Europe.
“Last year was the best year ever and I hope it improves again,” said Jepson.
Picture: DJ Productions/Dan Jepson