After the deluge

Many, still shell-shocked from the disaster, speak of time in terms of BF and AF: before flood and after flood.

It is now more than two weeks since what locals describe as a "wall of water" hit the shopping precinct.

Shopkeepers had about an hour to save their stock after the River Ouse burst its banks.

It could be Britain's costliest natural disaster, with the total cost to firms estimated at £3 million a day.

Builders inside gutted shops are busy hammering, painting and replacing wooden floors, condemned by environmental health officers after being soaked by the oil and sewage-contaminated flood water.

Traders along Cliffe High Street are racing to reopen in time for Christmas.

Most are insured but they whisper about others who took the risk, left the flood damage clause out of their policies and have lost everything.

The Thresher off-licence bears witness to the fighting spirit and humour of the people of Lewes.

A sign in the window reads: "The Lost Town of Atlantis. Please note, we have no contaminated stock for sale - only contaminated staff."

John Edwards, who runs two sports stores, had 30 minutes to prepare for the deluge.

He said: "It wasn't a gradual flood. It was like a wall of water hit Lewes. We have lost about one third of our stock.

"This is quite a depressing time but I'm trying to be positive and want to get back to trading as soon as possible."

The Volunteer pub, in Eastgate Street, suffered an estimated £100,000 of damage.

Manager Peter Robertson said: "We will be open for Bonfire Night come hell. We don't say high water in Lewes anymore."

Although the landlord is trying to be positive for his regulars, he admits to creeping down into the cellar a couple of times to have a good cry.

Mr Robertson said: "For a lot of people, the flood has turned their lives upside down and they don't know what to do.

"I see one old girl wandering around town and she is just at a loss. A lot of people lost everything.

"I have my life and my partner and we can replace possessions. The pub is at the centre of a lot of people's lives and I feel we have to carry on for them."

When the water started rising behind the pub on October 12, Mr Robertson, his regulars and workers who had been evacuated from nearby properties carried on, convinced the floods would never reach them.

The water gushed into the cellar and welled up through the floorboards into the pub. Those left could only sit on tables and watch.

Mr Robertson said: "It was like a weird dream. Customers stayed the night to help out and we gave out beers and got out an inflatable shark and tethered it to the front door.

"There was great comradeship, with everyone helping to try to save their local."

Now the drama of the Great Flood has dissipated there is a sense of determination and pulling together, which some people are calling the "Blitz spirit".

The traders have two dates in mind as they try to restore their businesses.

On the night of November 4, the bonfire procession takes place. Then December 1 is in the diary as the first late-night Christmas opening.

Holly Swain, manager of the John Harvey Tavern and Harvey's Restaurant, in Bear Yard, off High Street, sees her pub as vital to the community.

She said: "We are hoping to get the bar open again for the bonfire. There's not much else open, so people should be able to come here."

The John Harvey was swamped by 4ft of water. All the bar's stock was lost.

She said: "The police evacuated us. When we got back there were still people's bangers and mash floating about.

"It will be a little bit spit and sawdust until we can do more work. Looking on the bright side, that's probably best because there will be so many people coming through for the bonfire celebrations."

Jenny Govan, accounts manager at Cliffe Veterinary Group, said: "We had to float five cats and a dog out of here when it flooded, along with a vet and nurse.

"What we do here is vital. A lot of farm animals were caught up in the floods, so we had to go out to them."

The sight of up to 900 beer barrels and hundreds of Christmas puddings being washed out of the Harveys brewery into the river became a symbol of the chaos.

Boilers, electrical equipment and pumps were destroyed as 6ft of water gushed through the building. They will have to be replaced.

Chief brewer and joint managing director Miles Jenner hopes to be back in production within weeks.

He said: "Everybody has been tremendous and working weekends to get back to production. The enormity of the floods meant there was little we could do at the time but now it is a case of rallying round.

"With any form of adversity, you have to learn from it and turn it to your advantage. A tremendous amount of goodwill has come out of this."

Harveys has even produced a special beer which was brewed during the flood and came out with a different sugar content. Staff have dubbed it Ouse Booze.