Tag: England

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.

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.

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.

Stupid Suggestion


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/02/10/portsmouth-sewage-flick-drummond-slammed-as-mp-says-people-should-not-flush-toilets-when-its-raining/content.html

It’s no wonder MP Flick Drummond has been criticised.

She has suggested that Jo and Joanna Public should stop flushing the loo, taking a bath, or using their washing machines during times of heavy rain.

Her ridiculous comments are just taking the focus away from the real issue, which is that the water companies are doing very little to prevent the discharge of sewage into our rivers and coastal waters.

Since the start of 2024, there have been 23 confirmed occasions of sewage being released into the Langstone Harbour area.

23 occasions in less than two months. What this shows is that fining the water companies isn’t working.

In 2021, Southern Water was fined £90m for deliberately dumping billions of litres of raw sewage into protected seas over several years for its own financial gain.

Just last year, 2023, Southern Water was instructed to return £43 million to customers by reducing bills for 2024.

And rubbing salt into public wounds, the water companies paid out £65.9bn in dividends to shareholders in the years up to 2022.

So somewhere between paying fines and paying dividends are the huge profits they are making, enabling them to pay huge salaries to their management.

Ian McAulay, CEO for Souther Water, was apparently paid a bonus of £550,900 in 2020/21. This is in addition to a  £435,000-a-year salary and with pension payments and benefits secured a £1.082m pay package.

It’s time that these company execs were hit in their personal pockets. Then, maybe, they would feel inclined to take positive action.

So Flick Drummond, perhaps instead of blaming the public, you could target the true people responsible, the water companies, and their execs.

Perhaps you could also look at the decision-making of the planners, which surrounds the many developments in this area and apply pressure to ensure that the sewage infrastructure is set in place BEFORE building starts.

The public voted you into your position to speak on their behalf. They can easily vote you out.

Sky Park Farm


Today, we spent a glorious few hours with our granddaughter and great grandson at Sky Park Farm

Sikka Deer

While it is a working deer farm, it is also a great place to visit to keep the kids entertained.

Grubs Up

Providing easy walks and opportunities to feed the various species of deer.

Red Deer

Also on site is a farm shop and restaurant along with a huge play area for kids.

Flying Goggles ???

We did the obligatory walk and fed the deer before heading inside for a spot of lunch.

A Fine Set Of Antlers

Finally, once our tummys had been satisfied, we headed to the play area so that my great grandson could run off what energy he had left.

Fallow Deer

Such was the effects of all that walking, playing, and fresh air on arrival at home, Junior took himself off to his bed.

Who’s A Proud Fella !!!

Sky Park Farm is a lovely place to visit, and we will return.

Togetherness

“Little scroats” should be “willing to take a beating”


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2024/01/14/portsmouth-councillor-little-scroats-who-brazenly-stole-500-worth-of-vapes-should-be-willing-to-take-a-beating/content.html

I totally agree with this sentiment.

Increasingly, over the years, my view has become that anyone who breaks the law automatically relinquishes their rights to protection under the law.

I also believe that these “scroats” should be prepared for some public humiliation. Bring back the birch, stocks, and pillory.

I would fully support the introduction of US style chain gangs, wearing bright jackets with the crime emblazoned across the back.

Glow @ Marwell Zoological Park


Had a lovely evening out with family yesterday at Marwell Zoological Park.

Here are just a few snaps ….

The beginning ……

I See Wild Animals


Do you ever see wild animals?

Do I ever see wild animals ? Yes, I do !

Living in a semi rural location means that on occasions, we are visited by various types of wildlife.

Focussing on our garden, we are regularly visited by foxes, hedgehogs, and squirrels.

Grey Squirrel

Just today, maybe an hour ago, we were visited by this albino squirrel.

Albino Squirrel

You would think that albino squirrels are rare, but we have had several visit us over the 30-plus years that we have lived here.

Hedgehog
Hedgehogs – Courting Couple

Other visitors to our garden, over and above the usual garden birds, we have had the occasional sparrow hawk and even a couple of pheasants.

Outside of our garden, I have seen badgers, foxes, and regularly see deer.

And last, but not least, here is a slow worm that came out from under our new deck last year.

Halloween Display


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-5-1932/content.html

Earlier in the year, I responded to a clarion call for polystyrene boxes, of which I had a few.

My boxes, along with many others culled from the local area, have been transformed into a Halloween Display with a charity collection. The proceeds of which are going to The Rowans, a local hospice.

Well done to Becky and her friends and family.

Take a look at the following pictures

Free speed cameras in east Hampshire


BBC News – Free speed cameras offered to curb dangerous drivers in east Hampshire https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-66934570

Twenty speed cameras are being offered to community groups in a bid to put the brakes on dangerous drivers. The discreet, solar-powered devices can track vehicle movement, speed and number plates, and are up for grabs for locations across east Hampshire.

This is good news and positive action from the authorities. but I have two points to make

  • This is only going to tackle the boy racers. This technology isn’t going to deal with the noise nuisance. How about deploying some noise cameras
  • This is East Hampshire so it doesn’t include my local roads

To be quite honest, I couldn’t care less about drivers breaking the speed limits. And yes I can hear the protests now. Speed kills, what about the emergency services that have to deal with the aftermath ? What about the families of victims ?

But they don’t encroach on my home life. Whereas the noise nuisance impinges on my life, right inside my living space.