There's a little brook near my house, so small and insignificant that it hasn't even got a name on the OS map. When my son was about 6, we put on wellies and walked along the stream bed. On all my usual running routes I cross this brook (by a bridge) soon after the start of the run.

Today the brook was a raging torrent, running over the bridge. And the next bridge. But the third bridge was still above the stream; yet, ironically, this bridge was fenced off because of a fallen willow tree on the other side. But the people who had put up the temporary fencing hadn't reckoned that anyone would be willing to wade through a nettle patch to get round it, and then duck under a branch of the fallen tree on the other side.

The rest of the run was less eventful. The water on the footpaths (footbaths?) never came more than about halfway up my shins.

Anyone else been for a paddle?