Soggy Bottoms Here

"Soggy bottoms" is a pejorative term used by TV's Mary Berry to describe an undesirable feature in the baking of bread, pastries, cakes and pies when too much moisture spoils the texture of the base.

Today's picture was taken in the University Parks, and show a seat near the river on which we often sit. Not today, however, if we wish to avoid "soggy bottoms".

It has rained a great deal here since Christmas, and Oxford is quite susceptible to flooding. Here's a report from the BBC from today: "Oxford residents flee rising flood waters".

Our contributor Violamaths showed photographs yesterday of flooding in Christ Church meadow. a little further downstream on the River Cherwell. Here you may find the collection of interesting photographs she took. Violamaths has also unearthed aerial photographs that someone took of "UK Floods: Oxford under water", which show how quite extensive flooding has led to the closure of the Abingdon and Botley Roads (two of the main arteries into town). The traffic jams at peak times are horrible!

Back in the University Parks, the duck pond, flood and river seem to have merged, although the ducks and geese appear to know where their pond should be. It's easier to get around if you are a swan, as you see here near our chair. In the sun, and against the reflected sky, the red twigs of the dogwood make an attractive sight.

The flooding is sufficiently severe that the footpath towards Marston is under water, and has been closed off.

A selection of the photographs I took today can be found at

http://bit.ly/1eKkvXe

and they should give an impression of what it is like.

I was interested to see what things were like last year, and found these relevant entries on my Blipfoto records

Christmas Day 2012

Wednesday 26 December 2012: More about Floods

Tuesday 19 February 2013: More about the flooded rivers and meadows

and, perhaps most significantly and relevant from the year before

Floods in the University Parks: 27 November 2012