Update.
No word from the school so I decided to venture home at lunch time to see what was happening. The roads are horrendous. The water is running off the fells and running down the road like a river. I was driving Beths mini which I thought might blow over at any moment. No sign of Beth anywhere
I got home to find her siitting by the rayburn drinking leek and potato soup. The local bus company had laid a special bus on and had taken all the rural kids home. The bus had stopped on the wrong side of the road due to the flooding and she had to alight onto the carriage way where the wind swept her off her feet. Needless to say there were dozens of noses pressed to the windows enjoying the sight of Beth on her bottom.
The kids who live in the country had to leave early as the bus company had said they did not intend to send any more buses into the wild blue wonder after 2pm. The town kids stayed at school.
I expressed my delight in seeing her home and said I had visions of that man, you know the one with the funny name, who ventured out from the North Pole.
Christopher Columbus? says Beth.
No Titus Oates says me.
Panic over, big sigh of relief.