It rained heavily yesterday, so I wasn't surprised to find a flash-flood under the railway bridge on the way home.

A Vauxhall was stranded in the deep bit and traffic was queueing. I managed to get past the jam and went under the bridge past the carowner trying to push his vehicle out .... UPHILL !

At the other side, various vehicles were faffing around, including the shiny, un-muddy Range Rover. I parked the tonka away from the flood, and said to the car driver, "do you want a tow?"

While the Range Rover boys were looking for a decent bit of tow rope, I fished out the 10 metres of 20mm diameter octoplait nylon in which I have spliced a big metal eye, from behind the driver's seat where it always lives.

"Make that off to your towing loop," says I, while I dropped the metal eye over my towball. An onlooker remarked, "now that's a towrope."

I could see why he said this, because all the Range Rover guys could dig up was a horrible bit of orange stuff, no thicker than my little finger .... great for tying up big parcels !

I soon had the Vauxhall out of the drink, and, as the flood was subsiding, traffic started to flow. "Somebody knows what they are doing," I said, as I undid the bowline tying my rope to his car. After thanking me, he mentioned that it was a decent bit of rope .... yep .... it used to tie my boat onto its mooring !

Moral of the story .... a 4wd is a very useful bit of kit, moreso if you carry a few bits and bobs to get yourself out of a sticky situation.