Shaun Dickens says that his restaurant steamed ahead despite the floods

We shall overcome! In my previous report I spoke of the trials and tribulations of the restaurant flooding earlier in the year.

I believe that I naively wrote that I hoped that the worst was behind us but this was obviously tempting fate.

When the flood waters came up through the floor the first time in January it was hugely frustrating but we tried to be philosophical. We are lucky to have a wonderful location on the river which provides breathtaking views in the summer and so I guess that you have to take the rough with the smooth. Repairs were minor and we were able to get up and running fairly quickly.

However, within a week of reopening in February the water level rose again and the water actually came up through the floorboards during a service. It was quite an experience to ask customers to politely finish their meal as we were flooding. It was even more remarkable when a defiant table of diners ordered another bottle of wine – they weren’t going to let the water spoil their dinner.

The repairs the second time around were far more substantial, but we refused to be beaten. Necessity, as they say is the mother of invention, and we came up with a fairly unique solution to our problem and to enable us to keep serving our local customers. Our landlord, Hobbs of Henley is the owner and operator of a magnificent paddle steamer called the New Orleans and so we came to an arrangement to temporarily relocate.

The New Orleans is the largest and most luxurious passenger vessel on the Upper Thames and revives the stylish tradition of a Mississippi sternwheeler with tall twin smoke stacks and paddle wheel. This was bizarre and brilliant in equal measure, but did cause a few operational headaches. With the galley (kitchen) the size of a broom cupboard, it took some careful menu planning and organisation. We were forced to offer reduced set and tasting menus so that we could ensure that diners continued to receive dishes of a standard that we pride ourselves on in the restaurant.

Credit and thanks, once again, go to the staff who were professional, committed and flexible enough to make sure that the rather exceptional circumstances didn’t detract from the dining experience. We all had a lot of fun but a 50 cover exclusive dinner, a double service on mothers’ day and coping with a mini heat wave on the top deck pushed everyone to their limits.

We are now in the middle of a major repair work project on the restaurant but we hope to be open by Easter. We can’t wait for the summer to put this rather disruptive winter behind us and I really, really hope this isn’t tempting fate again. Whatever doesn’t break us makes us stronger.