BBC Radio Cumbria

A major food festival is going ahead in Cockermouth this weekend in spite of the serious flooding in the town last weekend.

The Taste Cumbria organisers say they've attracted extra exhibitors for the show in Main Street, external.  Stalls are being offered free of charge to shops that have been flooded, and there's said to be an air of determined optimism in the town.

It's part of a major drive to publicise that most of Cumbria is now back in business.

Ian Stevens of Cumbria Tourism told BBC Radio Cumbria:"Everybody has had cancellations or they're down on bookings so we know there's a problem.  The sooner we get positive marketing in place the sooner we can recover."

The Kings Food Bank in Kendal is, external opening an operation in the Westmorland Shopping Centre to help people affected by the floods.

It will be on the top floor and include a food and clothing bank to distribute thousands of donations that have come in.

It will replace the centre at Kendal Town Hall.

A reminder of news we brought you yesterday -an appeal set up to help those affected by flooding in Cumbria has topped £1m.

The Cumbria 2015 Flood Appeal, was launched on 5 December by the Cumbria Community Foundation, has now reached a third of its £3m target to help flood victims.  

Image source, Getty Images

Five schools in the county are still closed, according to Cumbria County Council: Central Academy, external, Newman, external and Trinity, external in Carlisle, Goodly Dale in Windemere (which will update parents directly), and Crosby on Eden C of E school, external.

You can find a full list of school closures here., external

Council officials have set up a helpline and website to help children who are in temporary accommodation a long distance from their usual school. The website is here., external

It will be a cold day with sunny spells and scattered blustery showers, more frequent in western areas where they are likely to be wintry over the hills. 

There will also be some bright or sunny spells and the showers should to become less frequent through the afternoon. 

Cold in the strong and gusty westerly wind with a maximum temperature of 8C (46F).   

You can get the latest forecast for where you are here.

A number of roads are still closed because bridges are destroyed, damaged, or awaiting inspection after the flooding.  

They include: Eden Bridge in Carlisle, Middleton bridge on the A683 south of Sedbergh, Eamont Bridge on the A6 and Pooley Bridge.  

The A591 is still closed between Keswick and Grasmere. The A686 is closed in the Langwathby area.  Diversions could be up to 70 miles for larger vehicles.

Full details are here.

Martin Lewes
Reporter

Good morning and welcome to Cumbria live for the day the county says it's getting back into business after the floods. We'll try to keep up with it and will be here with you until 18:00.

If you want to get in touch email us or tweet us @BBC_Cumbria, external or contact us via Facebook, external.