TODAY’S story about a travel company making a thank-you gesture for the help it received in the wake of the Boxing Day floods is a heartwarming tale.

There seems little doubt that the actions of charity HALE were crucial in helping Travel Xpress to keep going until it could return to its flood-damaged site.

How nice that the company has been able to get back on its feet and return the favour by providing a chance for a group of local people to take part in a day trip on a coach, reducing social isolation.

There’s no question that the floods which brought havoc to the district were utterly devastating for all affected.

However, when faced by such adversity, individuals and organisations across the district displayed great togetherness to get through those tough times.

The way in which HALE stepped in to assist Travel Xpress is just one example of this.

Such acts of kindness and selflessness were repeated in many parts of the district as communities struggled to recover.

Back in April, the Telegraph & Argus reported how bosses at The Brown Cow in Bingley, which was left under five feet of filthy water, had thanked the public for helping ‘out of the goodness of their hearts’ and assisting in getting the pub to reopen.

While many have experienced a horrible time since the flooding last year, their suffering would no doubt have been far greater had superb community spirit and true Yorkshire grit not come to the fore.

In that sense, it was the worst of times that brought out the very best in many people.