Plans But No Real Substance


This is the face of a deluded woman.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-17-1971/content.html

Deluded because she is annoyed that folks, when they visit, can’t see the councils plans.

Journalist Christopher Howse of The Telegraph published an article on the demise of Waterlooville. He presented his view after a single visit.

Well, I found myself in Waterlooville centre at around 13:00 on Monday and I think Mr Howse is pretty spot on.

Although there were a few people wandering around, they didn’t look much like shoppers, more they were just passing through. With no shop fronts to attract them, invite them to pause a while and browse. It all looked pretty desolate.

All that was missing was some tumbleweed blowing around.

Despite the best efforts of those businesses actually open, it is not an attractive place to be.

There are many barber shops here, but all but one had no customers. The bored proprietors were sitting drinking coffee or fizzy pop.

The coffee shops all seemed to be fairly busy, but due to a distinct lack of interest in chipboard, there wasn’t much to keep me window shopping.

After around 45 mins, I had completed a full circuit of the town centre and took myself off to join the coffee drinkers.

I’m sorry, Councillor Robinson, but visual impressions of the town don’t convey the potential that HBC plans to build on. I really do applaud HBC for what they are trying to do, but as I have said before, I fear it is too little too late.

A misguided HBC has mishandled the planning of both Waterlooville and Havant centres, and the local residents are paying the price

It Passed …. Again !


Here in the UK, once a vehicle is three years old, it has to be submitted for a annual MOT test.

My vehicle, a Mazda CX5, which I have had since 2013, was due its MOT at the end of this month.

It was booked into the testing station today.

Brilliant news, it passed the examination. That’s eight consecutive years with no work to be carried out.

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 ?

I Don’t Get It


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/02/28/747-new-houses-purchased-by-portsmouth-city-council-in-largest-acquisition-of-its-kind-to-boost-social-homes/content.html

I don’t understand how this works !

Portsmouth City Council purchases houses that are already occupied. In so doing, they become responsible for the management and maintenance of 747 properties.

The homes were sold to the council by Clarion Housing Group, who were trying to shed the properties from their portfolio. 

Has anyone asked why Clarion was getting rid of these properties?

Equally puzzling, to me, is why Portsmouth City Council wants to responsible for housing and tenants spread throughout Hampshire.

The majority of the new buildings are in Portsmouth, with others situated in Gosport, Havant, Fareham and Winchester.

How does this help with the existing shortfall of available properties to house those who are already on the local waiting list for social housing ?

Wouldn’t the money have been better spent on new build properties, which would be empty and could, therefore, have a direct impact on the waiting lists.

Wrinklies Lunch – The Ferryboat Inn


We are the Wrinklies. A small group of friends and their partners, who, at one time or another, worked together and are all retirees.

Today was the first of, I hope, many social lunches in 2024. It was certainly our first gathering since before Christmas due to most, if not all, of us contracting some kind of flu, which basically knocked us out of commission, in some cases for weeks.

The selected venue for our inaugural gathering was The Ferryboat Inn, situated on the easterly tip of Hayling Island.

I have been visiting this pub for over fifty years. My first visit was while I was an apprentice in Portsmouth Dockyard. Many subsequent visits were made on my return from boat fishing trips, disembarking at the nearby jetty. And then there are these purely social gatherings.

So it was not our first time at this pub, but it has been a while, certainly pre-covid.

There were seven of us in our group and all enjoyed their meals with the exception of me.

My wife had the Hunters Chicken, while Eric had Steak and Venison Pie, Mary had Scampi while the remaining four had Fish n Chips.

As I said earlier, all the others enjoyed their meals, with at least one declaring “best fish n chips ever”.

Unfortunately, my meal was sub standard. The batter was ultra crisp, just shattering when I cut into my fillet, the batter would not stay with the fish. And the fish, instead of being flaky and moist was dry.

So, I drew the short straw.

I didn’t complain as I didn’t want a replacement meal, meaning I would be eating when everyone else was finished. And it wasn’t inedible.

Will I go back ?

Yes. I never write a place off on the basis of a single meal.

One other negative comment. I ordered bread and butter to go with my meal, having noted that they were going to charge £1 per slice. There was I thinking it would be a nice crusty bread, maybe granary, ciabatta or something special. Nope, two slices of slightly dry sandwich bread from a loaf that probably cost £1.50 That’s not a bad profit.

I’ll end this on a positive note. The apple and ginger crumble dessert served with a jug of custard was lovely.

Overall, a very pleasant couple of hours were spent with friends in a great location. Had the winds been a little quieter and the temperatures a bit higher, we might have been tempted to go for a walk along the shoreline.

Looking forward to the next Wrinklies gathering and discovering the next venue.

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.