My postal address says Hebden Bridge and I describe myself as a Hebden Bridge artist but in actual fact I live in a small village outside Hebden Bridge called Mytholmroyd.  I was in Mytholmroyd on Boxing Day.  We had planned to visit friends on the other side of the main road through the village but instead we stood on our side of the valley watching, in shock as the river water rose, spilled on to the road and became one with the canal on the other side to create an enormous fast flowing river.  We watched it rise above the post box that was painted silver when Karen Darke won her Olympic medal, we watched it pour in to the Dusty Miller pub where we had recently celebrated the end of the Mytholmroyd Festival, we watched it rise above the door of the shops on the valley road, flood a primary school, community centre, our churches and pubs and many other businesses and homes in the valley.  Distressed we returned home.

We were among the lucky ones impacted only by a power cut, the inconvenience of losing all local services and our distress.  The  following day the water had gone and we joined the army of volunteers who descended on our valley wanting to help. The response has been incredible and you realise at a time like this how important community is and how overwhelming the generosity of strangers can be.

It is going to take time for our valley to rebuild (but it will!).  Some businesses are managing to provide a limited service or pop-up shops.  Many homes, businesses and community buildings will take months to be usable again, many people lost everything, many were not insured – unable to get or afford insurance after previous floods.  The community is trying to raise funds to help.  The Government will match any funds raised before the 5th February. To this end rather than have my planned January sale I am offering you a small 10% discount for anything bought from my online shop between now and 1st February and donating 20% of sale price to the relief fund.  To make a purchase use the code FLOODSALE at checkout.  Visit my shop

If you would prefer to donate directly to the flood relief fund you can do so here