TENBURY has suffered six months of anguish that no one could have expected or would want to see again.

For some the Covid-19 pandemic was the final straw but for most the town is showing the resilience that it has needed over the past decade and more during which there have been a series of floods.

The Teme Bridge into the town was closed for repairs for an extended period several years ago and there was the ongoing saga of if Tesco would move into Tenbury or not.

When the virus lockdown came it happened just weeks after the worst flood that many people could remember.

There were problems getting basic food supplies and panic buying hit the town although this was fortunately short term.

With a higher than national average number of older and vulnerable people who needed to shield there was the task of making sure that those in need had supplies.

The ‘Teme Tenbury’ group was up and running quickly and soon providing deliveries of food and also a vital prescription collection service. All of this was organised with military precision.

Perhaps the only good thing to come out of the floods was that it meant a voluntary community support group was in place to help with the pandemic and did not have to start from scratch.

But the floods meant that vital work on getting shops and other businesses up and running for when they were allowed to reopen was delayed.

Some of the pubs and shops in the town that were forced to close were able to adapt to a new business model and started providing take away food and offering deliveries.

The economic impact on the town has been devastating and the Food Bank has had to deal with a dramatic increase in the number of people that it has been helping.

People who would never before have imagined that they would need to turn to a Food Bank for support have been helped, according to the Rev Mark Inglis, who has been running the service with the help of a small team of volunteers.

The Tenbury Transport Trust has only recently been able to resume its services providing a vital lifeline for people who do not have their own car.

Events like the annual Tenbury Agricultural Show in August that brings thousands of people into the town had to be cancelled.

At this time it is thought unlikely that events like the autumn Apple Fest, Mistletoe Festival and sales and the Santa Parade will happen later this year.