 We all survived the night but some tents did not. No power no landlines. Some leaving today. Will update as we arrive home.
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I spent last night in Keswick having dropped Dr Icy at the campsite. The weather was awful. I am so pleased I was not in a tent last night. This morning I cannot get from Keswick to Buttermere. I have tried three routes and all are blocked by fallen trees or flood water. As I write some wise spark as parked his (only a man would have tried to drive through this small tarn)car in flood water outside Booths (the bus station) and the water is half way up the door panels. Last night Keswick was the most deserted I have ever seen it. The Greta is as high as I have ever seen it. Water is lapping at the door steps of houses near the Greta Bridge at the Pencil factory and Labour Club. However, as one builder pointed out to me this morning, no one appears to have lost their life and damage is largely superficial.
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 safe journey to all those trying to get back today.
And hope everyone else is ok and safe for those staying
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 Got back th West Yorkshire OK - a few hairy moments getting out of Buttermere as there are some very deep puddles on the road. Also lots of overturned lorries on the M6 especially near Shap as you might expect. Other than that, no problems. Lucky it wasn't too cold last night and sleeping on the floor of the ladies loo was OK - apparently I snore so you were lucky I stayed there and didn't try the bunkhouse. The tent survived with one bent pole (but we took it down before the really bad weather hit).
Who was the idiot who said "It's just a bit of rain" That would have been me I think. How about some OM commemorative t-shirts?
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 Not Buttermere but close
I spent Friday night in my car parked up at the end of the jaws of Borrowdale (after I bailed my car out) within site of Rosthwaite (the river side bar would have been good), was an entertaining night, car swaying about and lumps of wood bouncing of the roof and did I mention the rain and the rain and the rain.
Took 6 hours to do a 2 hour drive home (via Buttermere), after moving a tree and stones to unblock the back road trying (and failing) to get to Keswick. Happy daze.
Hi Dave
Just a line to let you know I'm sticking the winter skills cheque in the post tomorrow, at the moment I'm shattered
I had meant to surprise you by giving you the cash at Buttermere as I should have been at the Kay's hut in Seathwaite and was going to drive over to see you on Saturday, but the weather bugged that plan up.
Graham
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 Back in York safely eventually.
Friday evening started in the usual OM fashion with eveyone helping to put up the Partay Tent and then piling inside out of the wind & rain for a few warming beverages.
Every now and again someone would check that the tents were all ok and report on which ones had disappeared
Steves went first
Julies next and then mine
At this point it was decided to take down the party tent and for safety reasons people dispersed to alternative sleeping venues like cars toilets etc
Everyone survived the night and most folk decided to bale out this morning just leaving a few hardy souls who were going to play on the climbing wall in Keswick and then try and make it back to Buttermere for another night of fun
Good luck to them :-)
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 Some have gone back to Buttermere tonight...!?
I take it they all got Scuba diving gear for Xmas...?
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Steve, Jez, Hamish, Sam (Dr Icy),Cara and Julie are (or were) staying for another night of fun when I left around lunchtime.
Newlands Road now has a couple of big holes in it where it has been partly washed away.
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Have they got a Hovercraft to get out of Buttermere tomorrow?
News like this put me off...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4156017.stm
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 Just got home :o)
Waited in Keswick until we knew that the M6 was re-opened and that the fallen trees blocking the A65 had been cleared. We stopped at Tebay services and there were 3 candles in the cafe (none in the no-windowed loos) and no power at all...
Saw 9 flattened lorries on the grass/ditches near the M6 at Shap - note on the grass, mind, not the hard shoulder, and there were no signs that they'd been dragged there but rather that they'd been flown in.
Radio Cumbria reported that a man found a live cow had blown/flown into his dining room through his patio doors. He'd cleaned up the glass and tied the cow up in the garden and was wondering what to do next as there wasn't a farm next door...
The radio reported that it was officially a hurricane - and the biggest blast was at 3am and woke us all up as we waited for the barn roof to fly off (it didn't).
We had a partay in the barn instead of the partay tent - the farmer's wife had kindly said earlier that any of our stranded camping friends could crash there - and we had laughs, a few drinks, some Christmas cake and mince pies, more laughs, some hugs, and a bit of weather.
Crisis? What crisis?
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Ian - the water levels on the roads are between one to three feet lower than when we drove in on Friday night.
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Glad to hear you got home safe JJ.
I like the cow story!
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The water doesn't have to be too deep to cover my Micra.
Sounds like you all had quite an experience!
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Commemorative t-shirts are already being planned....
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Home safely. I saw the same lorries as others on the grass. The water levels in Keswick were down by the time I left although the river was just as high. During the afternoon there was even a bit of sunshine along with the hail. Forecast for tonight is for a quieter night.
My new waterproof gloves (bought Friday afternoon) appear to live up to their maker's claims!
JJ you did such a good job of this w/e I think it would be a good idea to do another - only with a bit of walking.
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 Ian - looks like you made the right decision.
JJ - Glad to see you got out okay, hope the others will be okay to (when they have had enough partaying).
Only a woman could have organised this trip surly? <waits for someone to reply saying err it was me actually>
Also did anyone manage to take any photo's of this watery expedition?
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We took some of some watery bits today but Friday was too dark and hurricane-y. A local took a photo of us surfing the Lorton Road with a wash that was around 5-6 feet high (and we were going slowly!!) as apparently the local press had asked them to do so via Radio Cumbria. Our car may be already famous :o)
IIRC it was Mr Mycroft who set the date for the trip....or so he said on Friday morning ;OP
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I think I'll exchange my new crampons for a snorkel and a pair of flippers!
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No one could have predicted this weather though (except maybe Nostradamus), so i suppose whoever organised it cannot be blamed, plus you all had chance to bail out <no pun intended>.
Anyways it looks like you all enjoyed meeting up and having a laugh which if anything has got to have made the trip worthwhile!
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 Glad to see most folk back home and very wild up here on the clyde.Getting a bit stir crazy and even the dog refused to go out this morning.So a wee dram by the fire tonight me thinks.
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