Category: Uncategorized

The Telegraph’s View Of Waterlooville


Over the years, I have, in several posts, made some disparaging remarks about the state of our town (village) centre.

How it is slowly decomposing, and becoming something of a ghost town.

Well it seems we have now come to the attention of The Telegraph, one Britain’s national broadsheets.

The English high street: Waterlooville, Hampshire – how a town centre dies

This has become an object lesson in how a thriving town can be ruined by poor building and haphazard planning

This is the opening salvo of a sad description   of how Havant Borough Council planners have mismanaged the development of Waterlooville and then, having fouled it up they have sat back to let the rot set in.

Further into the article, reference is made to the Wellington Way Shopping Centre website. I didn’t know it had one.

“Wellington Way Shopping Centre, right at the heart of the town,” says its website. “Offers a great mix of high-street names and boutiques. Come on down and enjoy the atmosphere.”

This is followed by …

You would have to be deranged to enjoy the atmosphere.

I have long bemoaned the fact that the planners diverted the A3 London Road to dogleg its way around the town centre. Effectively isolating the town centre from the new shopping experience that is the Wellington Way Retail Park. The Telegraph had this to say …

Since 1983, the A3 has roared in a dog-leg bypass, leaving the London Road, the main shopping street, as a comfortless pedestrian open space.

I note that the Telegraph didn’t  comment on that part of the retail park experience which is the parking.

Only a moron would create a retail park with two motor vehicle entrances but only one exit. Parking is free for a set period of time, monitored by NPR cameras. Many folks have found that they have been fined due to it taking over an hour to exit the car park, thereby exceeding the free period.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/02/27/english-high-street-london-road-waterlooville-hampshire/

Don’t get me wrong. I know that HBC are working hard to turn things around. But, as I have also previously stated, I believe it to be too little, too late.

They have already subdivided the town centre by diverting and pedestrianising the A3. This is a change that they are highly unlikely to reverse.

Today, a Monday afternoon, I have just circumnavigated the town centre. There were a fair few people around, but it was a long way from the bustling town it was. And despite the clean-up work, it is drab, uninviting, and sad. The Telegraph are not far off the mark.

Danger in Numbers


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-4-2033/content.html

I’m baffled.

I love wild animals when they are in their own environment or failing that, in a well run zoo especially when they are working to protect endangered species.

What I don’t understand is why private individuals feel the need to keep dangerous animals as pets !!

And I find the stats published in my local paper somewhat troubling.

Among the creatures kept in the Portsmouth area are Suphan Cobras, White Lipped Vipers, and a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

In Havant, there are, apparently, 37 Chinese Alligators !!!

And these are only the ones that are being kept legally with the proper Dangerous Wild Animal licenses.

How many illegals are there ?

Amazon Fail To Deliver


My experience with items ordered via Amazon has, until now, been faultless.

A few days ago, I ordered two T-shirts with a scheduled delivery of some time on Friday.

The due date arrived, as did an email confirming the imminent delivery. In the email was a tracking link, which I selected.

Up popped a map showing the delivery van was less than a mile away and that I was the 3rd delivery.  And, a few minutes later, it showed that I was next, so I prepared myself to go answer the door.

Time passed, no sign of the driver. It was gone eight in the evening, so dark outside. We have a hedge that blocks our view of the driveway, but I could see the van headlights. I could hear the thumps as doors were opened and closed. Then, through the trees, I spotted a van driving away.

I checked the app, and much to my surprise, it indicated that my goods had been delivered. It further stated that my goods had been stuffed through my letterbox.

How could that be ?

As I said, it was dark outside, but anyone coming to my door would have triggered my Ring doorbell/camera and also the sensor controlled floodlight. No such trigger occurred.

I checked with my immediate neighbours but nobody had erroneously received my delivery.

So I contacted Amazon, thinking they could contact the driver, and as it had only been a few minutes, he would still be in the area.

Apparently, once the driver leaves the depot, there is no way to contact them !!!

The guy I was talking to was very good and he raised a complaint for me. Arranged a refund for the goods and sent me a confirmation email.

However,  that is hardly the point. I actually wanted the T-shirts. I had wasted my time, and his.

It’s been two days now, so I would hope that if he had actually delivered my goods a bit further afield, then the recipient would have walked them round to my house.

The driver is either very lazy or a thief. 

This is the first time I have had any issues with Amazon and I hope it’s the last.

Another Sad Day


Just a short while ago, I posted about attending my ex son-in-laws funeral.

And just this week, we attended another. This time, for a friend and colleague of my wife’s, from her days working at the Kenwood site in Havant.

Two funerals in quick succession, a dark start to 2024, had me thinking that, given my age, I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, I will be 72 this year, God willing.

But that’s not right. Yes, as we get older, we start to say goodbye to others in our age group however, neither Dave nor Ali are in my age group.   Dave was 56 while Ali was not yet 55. Too young by any measure, showing that cancer does not respect  age.

RIP Ali, my condolences to Martin and Cameron.

Alison “Ali” Davis 12th August 1969 – 20th January 2024

Top 15 Songs Revived


Our local rag, The News, publishes a “Daily Graphic”. This one struck a chord with me.

No matter if you agree with the content of this list or not, there are some cracking tracks here.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-11-2015/content.html

My personal favourite is Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Lightning Seeds,

closely followed by Led Zeppelins Immigrant Song

I chose the YouTube links based on their reference to the shows that used the tunes.

Other versions are available.

Do you have a favourite classic track that has been given a new lease of life, or introduced to a new audience due to its appearance in a film or TV show ?

Disaster !!!


The Osborne View has gone.

What a disaster for the Hill Head area, the local residents, and for folks like me that have many memories centred on The Osborne View.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-4-2030/content.html

With its unique location, virtually on the beach, and magnificent views.

Overlooking the busy Solent with its everchanging maritime views the Osborne View was the ideal location to sit and absorb the action. Watching people on the beach, the ships, or the myriad sailing boats. Never boring.

Over many years, this pub was the venue for evening meals, lunches, and just for drinks with friends and family.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-9-2015/content.html

We have even celebrated the occasional birthday  here.

I hope they rebuild and, if they do, that they retain the character and atmosphere of the original.

£1,000 Of Sun Cream !!!


Around 12pm on Wednesday 14 February, a man entered the store, putting around £1,000 worth of sun cream products into a tote bag and leaving again without paying.

Officers have launched an investigation following the incident at the Boots store in Whiteley Shopping Centre this Wednesday (February 14). Police have released a CCTV image of a male as part of their enquiries.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/02/17/boots-man-grabs-1000-of-sun-cream-at-whiteley-shopping-centre-store-and-stuffs-them-into-bag-without-paying/content.html

What I want to know is where on earth he is headed that he needs that quantity of sun cream.

Is he off on his hollibobs ? If so is he going to the centre of the sun ?

Or perhaps he is concerned that the world is rushing headlong into WWIII and believes the sun slop will protect him from a thermonuclear flash.

By my calculation, at the expensive end of the scale £1000 could buy over 30 bottles of  La Roche-Posay Anthelios Age Correction SPF50+, which is 1.5l of sun slop. Alternatively, at the cheaper end, over 285 bottles of Soltan Protect & Moisturise SPF50+ 75ml Mini Sun Cream Spray could be had. Which is over 21l of sun slop.

That’s enough to bathe in.

I know I’m taking the mickey, but shoplifting is no joke. There seems to be an epidemic in this country. Our papers are full of stories of shop staff being threatened when they confront these thieves.

My granddaughter was working a store where a shoplifter had grabbed a load of booze who then faced her and told her he was stealing it.

I, myself have witnessed a female clear a chiller cabinet of meat and then walk straight out of the store.

And it is the blatant manner of this thievery almost like it is becoming acceptable.

I can sort of understand stealing food to be able to feed your family.

But is there any nutritional value to sun tan lotion ?

Police Get Tough With Nuisance Drivers


Great work.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-8-2023/content.html

It’s good to see that our local bobbies are getting tough with the hoons. Can we have more of the same, but in the Horndean / Waterlooville area

Over two days of a preplanned operation, the police spotted 66 vehicles speeding, which gives a sense of the scale of the problem.

One of those vehicles was doing 86 mph in a 40 zone.

More positive news …

It just to show that the British Bobby is as tenacious as his Canadian counterpart. He will always get his man.

White Elephants ?


I don’t know about anyone else, but I am embarrassed for our Royal Navy. Especially for those currently deployed aboard the aircraft carriers  HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales .

HMS Queen Elizabeth

My perception may be wrong, but it seems to me that these carriers have spent more time in port than they have at sea since their initial launch in 2014 and 2017 respectively.

Just 18 months ago, HMS Prince of Wales broke down off the Isle of Wight. A fault with a propeller shaft coupling took nine months to resolve.

HMS Prince of Wales

HMS Queen Elizabeth was due to participate in a major naval exercise, but the February 4th sailing, from Portsmouth,was cancelled due to a mechanical fault discovered during pre-sailing checks. This new fault is said to be propeller shaft based but not related to HMS Prince of Wales’ earlier problem.

So HMS Prince of Wales was scheduled to replace her sister ship and set sail on February 11th. At the last minute, this sailing was cancelled. The MOD has not divulged the reason for the delay, but HMS Prince of Wales did, in fact, set sail yesterday, 12th February.

There must be many red faces in both the Admiralty and the MOD.

HMS Prince of Wales cost around £3.2bn and does not appear to be good value for money. The Admiralty, MOD, British Government should be pursuing Babcocks, the ship builders, for a refund or some form of compensation.

It is not acceptable that the British taxpayer should fund these repairs. If Babcock have supplied substandard quality product then they should be held liable.

The government needs to get a grip before the RN and the UK become a total laughing stock.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/02/12/royal-navy-hms-prince-of-wales-and-hms-queen-elizabeth-branded-unreliable-as-ex-chief-calls-for-refund/content.html

Right Now #2


What am I listening to …

For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield.

For me, this song has always been associated with the war in Vietnam, an anti war protest song. 

How wrong could I be. I  have only recently come to understand that the song was referencing the “Sunset Strip curfew riots in Los Angeles,” which took place between police and young people in 1966. It was these events that inspired Stephen Stills to write the song.

I believe my misconception was fed by numerous documentaries of that era, using this song as a musical backdrop.

The lyrics are here …..

There’s something happening here
But what it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it’s time we stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?

There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

It’s time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?

What a field day for the heat (Ooh ooh ooh)
A thousand people in the street (Ooh ooh ooh)
Singing songs and they carrying signs (Ooh ooh ooh)
Mostly say, “Hooray for our side” (Ooh ooh ooh)

It’s time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
Step out of line, the men come and take you away

We better stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?

You better stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?

You better stop
Now, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?

You better stop
Children, what’s that sound?
Everybody look, what’s going down?