Couple drying out in Spain after business was flooded (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Couple drying out in Spain after business was flooded

9:13am Friday 1st February 2008 in Swindon By Emily Walker

A COUPLE whose business was left under four feet of water are drying out in sunny Spain.

Linda and Andy Voaden, pictured, had run their stationery firm from their Covingham home for 17 years, but when the floods struck in July had to move out lock stock and barrel.

Friends may be envious of their stay in the sun, but the couple said trying to run their company 1,000 miles away from home away from their family was no holiday.

"We had no other choice," said Linda, about their move to La Zenia on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.

"We couldn't go to a hotel or live in a caravan because we needed to take our company with us too.

"Luckily we had a place out here which we used for holidays. We managed to save one of our computers and we packed up everything that was still dry and set up out here.

"We couldn't work from a hotel because we needed the computer and the fax and things.

"It has been really hard getting everything working out here.

"It is hard running a business when you are not face to face with your customers.

"Luckily with technology these days it is possible to run things away from home, but we have really only kept going because of our customers.

"We are so grateful to them for sticking with us through this and being so understanding.

"Yes the weather is nice, but it is no holiday for us. We are working all day and having to work extra hard because our customers are 1,000 miles away."

The couple said virtually everything they owned had been destroyed when flood water gushed into their home.

And because they had run stationery company Office Wise from their house for 17 years.

"We had only just finished decorating and having new carpet put in upstairs. So everything was downstairs," said Linda.

"We were working and looking out the window at all the rain, but never realised how bad it was going to get.

"When the water started coming in the house I took a few things upstairs and by the time I came back down the whole place was four feet deep."

Like many of their Covingham neighbours Linda and Andy have had to have their plaster ripped off the walls of the home they have lived in for 30 years.

Both their cars were irreparably damaged, but worst of all they almost lost their livelihood.

"It is not cheap living out here and keeping up the mortgage at home," said Linda.

"We have had to divert our telephone calls and post out to Spain so our customers can get hold of us.

"None of that is easy, but we are just so thankful we had our place here.

"We bought it about six years ago as a place to come and relax. We never thought we'd need it so much, but it has really saved us.

"I feel so sorry for all the people still living in damp homes and caravans, but it is hard because we miss our family and friends too."