In the wake of last week’s devastating floods, in-Cumbria took the opportunity to speak to local businesspeople who are still open.

This was the third time in a decade that Cockermouth was hit by floods.

Back in 2009, five feet of water engulfed The Toy Shop, closing it for six months. This time around saw two feet of water tear through the store. However it was back open and fully trading by Wednesday.

Toy Shop owner Jonty Chippendale told us how the business weathered the storm.

How did the floods affect your business? 

We had to close on Saturday lunch time because the store was under almost two feet of water it was five feet last time we flooded.

We managed to start trading on Monday afternoon, and have been properly open since Wednesday.

What were the knock on effects of the flooding/power cuts/road closures? 

Last week was interrupted frequently, which made trade difficult. But customers have been fantastic in their support and we’re very happy.

Have you reopened/relocated? 

Yes, there’s been a lot of cleanup needed but when we rebuilt after the floods in 2009 we rebuilt the store to be resilient. The clean and dry process was astonishingly quick, last time it took us six months until we could re open properly, this time it took days.

What are your plans for the future? 

We’re going to take a long hard look at what worked and what didn’t, and we’re going to improve on what worked, so that if this happens again we’ll be back trading even more quickly.

Would you consider moving?  

No. Not at all.

Where were you when you found out and what was your initial reaction? 

I was in the shop. Initially we moved the stock and got sandbags, but to be honest it was quite late in the day before we realised it was a flood, rather than another near miss.

What’s your message to other flooded businesses? 

If you can find a way to trade - trade. It’s good for retaining your customer base and a day to day routine will help you keep mentally strong. Last time we were exhausted, but there was far less depression amongst people trading than those sitting on the couch worrying about it all. If you can keep trading, it’s good for your health and good for your business.

What evidence have you seen, of the “spirit of Cumbria” in action? 

It’s been fantastic all over Cumbria. It’s great in Cockermouth because we had the festival on the weekend and thousands came from all over to lend their support. In return we offer our support to people who need it, because community is a two way street.