RIP Dan Peek

Dan Peek was a founder member of folk rock band “America”.

He co-wrote one of my all time favourite songs “A Horse With No Name” amongst many others. Only yesterday I was listening to another of their hits, “Ventura Highway“, and I have always wondered what an “alligator lizard” was. Peek, with America, has left us with an enduring legacy from their collaboration during the 70’s. Their songs still regularly get airplay on the UK radio stations.

Sadly his demise won’t get as much coverage as that of Amy Winehouse, yet his contribution to music is probably as great.

Spangles

Does anyone want to start a campaign for the return of “Old English” Spangles ?

They were available from the 50’s when I was a kid up, right up to the 80’s

New Sainsburys To Be Built At Waterlooville

Apparently the new store will bring in up to 350 new jobs. That’s the good news.

The not so good news is that the site, the former Salvador Cetano site, off Hambledon Road is already a bit of a log jam for traffic.

With the plans that have been submitted they claim to have resolved the road access but I can’t see it. Access to the existing shops is already constrained. Add into the mix the folks doing their weekly shop and you will just gridlock the area. Especially with a fair percentage of the residents of the new houses adding to the chaos.

How much additional parking is going to be available ?

Another titbit of good news is that the “recycling centre” is being moved. The chaos that waiting traffic cause today will not be missed. It’s not their fault. They were there first but then the planners saw fit to allow the building of all the new shops.

The new plans include the replacement of the recycling centre with a petrol station. This could just duplicate the misery unless the road access is dramatically improved. At the end of the day this shopping area is a dead-end with two entrances and only one exit.

Message to the planners:

Please make sure you really fix the road access before you allow this new store to be built.

View From The Conservatory

The following pix were taken in my garden over the last few days.

Thieving Squirrel

We have a Hazel tree which explodes with nuts every year. We have not had a single nut because every year the squirrels come and destroy all the nuts. I say destroy because they, the squirrels, crack them all open before they are ready, before the kernels are not fully formed. The ground under the tree is already covered with shells that have been opened and discarded. This cheeky devil has snaffled a clump of four or five nuts all of which were subsequently discarded.

Carrion Crows

Not sure why these characters started frequenting our garden a few months ago. I think they may not be the prettiest but they certainly are the best dressed birds that visit us. And now they are bringing their young to visit too. The young can look quite comical especially as their feathers haven’t yet taken on quite the neat and glossy appearance of their parents.

Camellia

Not really in our garden but hanging over the fence from our neighbours but I’m not proud, we are quite happy to enjoy these blooms without the effort of having to look after the plants. Personally I am a little jealous though because our own Camellia has once again failed to bloom so we are going to have to look seriously at its position in the garden.