More rain! It lasted all day. After a stint in the office, I headed to Portland and HMP YOI to meet Tony Walker and Gary Britten, both of the POA. I took my battered Landrover today and just as well. It poured. I hadn't seen the POA for a while and I wanted to catch up with them. All the prison officers do a great job in what I term the 'forgotten army'. So named because they work behind the scenes keeping some pretty unpleasant individuals behind bars. Our chat for an hour or more was interesting. I raised the issue of staff having to all prisoners by their Christian names and Tony warned me of a funding shortfall next year for two members of staff who run the Airborne Initiative. This is a fantastic project, where youngsters about to be released are taken down to Dartmoor and sent across the Moors on a military-style excercise, which tests their physical and mental skills and helps them to bond. It would be a tragedy if funding for the prison officers who run this is withdrawn. I have written to the Secretary of State on both issues. Then, with the rain still pouring down, I descended to Brandy Lane, parked up, and went to say thank you to all the men clearing the roads and drains. Under Grant Armfield, the council emergency planning officer, a team of men and machinery were achieving miracles. Standing seawater had gone after two drains were cleared out and the pebbles from the beach had all but been swept up. The residents were understandably relieved and thankful. I spoke to several of them, before heading up to the Cove Inn pub to see how Jackie and Amanda were doing. Volunteers had stacked all the outside benches and the pub was beginning to take shape again. Morale was certainly higher than it had been the day before. One resident pointed out a small yacht which was balanced precariously on a rusty trailer that had by some miracle not been knocked on its side by the sea and wind. Worried the sea might push the boat down the hill and possibly kill someone, I called the police and logged the problem with them. They said they'd send someone out to assess the problem. Apparently, the boat owner lives in Northamptonshire and she's in no hurry to move her vessel, apparently. Someone might have to, though, for safety's sake. Anyway, soaked to the skin by this stage and with the light fading, I headed back to my office and more letter writing, not least to thank all those who'd done such a good job on the clear up.