David Lefever contacted me by email to point out the failed logic of the quotation I used last week from one James Wentworth Day.
Mr Lefever writes: I liked your little rant against the judge.
In particular I liked the quote from James Wentworth Day: "If the rest of Britain sank beneath the waves, and Norfolk was left alone, islanded in the turmoil of the seas, it would, I think, survive without too much trouble.... Norfolk has always stood alone and aloof from the rest of England".
Sadly, dear old J. Wentworth got it a little wrong: I think he got his Norfolks and Britains mixed up. Perhaps he did not see the attached.
And attached was a graphic pointing out that if the seas were to inundate Britain they would, of course, inundate our little green corner first.
What the alarming illustration brought home to me was that my own little green corner – Purfleet Towers, the place I call home, sweet home – could be worthless in little over three generations' time.
The focus of most of my energies and a goodly portion of my hard-earned income over the past few decades may disappear beneath the waves before my son's son's son has chance to raise a family there.
"Very flat, Norfolk," remarked the judge, and the flatness may be our undoing if ice caps continue to melt and sea levels carry on rising.
Climate change and its worst effects may call into question whether it was wise to establish communities in these high-risk areas – especially those close to us which are actually already BELOW sea level.
There will be a limit to how much protection can be afforded those whose homes are in these areas – just watch availability of affordable home insurance disappear in the next few years. Six extra metres of sea water (more than 18 feet in English) is a lot to defend against.
So that'll be my life's work crumbling before nature and mankind's impact on it.
I'll enjoy my new patio while I can, and try to convince my wife that these are good reasons why we shouldn't bother doing any more decorating!