England – Page 7

Do We Need This ?

This is just the latest in a series of proposals for developments in the centre of Waterlooville.

Once again, the focus is on residential rather than the commercial aspects of the town. Our town centre is slowly decomposing but nothing is being done to reverse the trend.

We need the town centre to become a viable commercial centre with traders offering various goods and services where our already increasing resident population can go to spend their earnings. We already have a surfeit of hair salons, nail bars and charity shops. Although some of the charity shops have closed.

Havant Borough Council (HBC) have subdivided the town by pedestrianising the centre, diverting the A3, and promoting “out of town” style shopping to the west. Free parking there, but still parking charges in town. All contributing to the isolation of the centre. They, HBC, have also used the same strategy in Havant. Just take a look at the traffic chaos that has created.

Apparently, eight parking spaces is deemed adequate for twenty nine residences.

I’d like to know where these new residents will be working to earn the money to pay their new mortgages. Where are the jobs ? Yes, many could be working from home. But, what about those who can’t. Waterlooville has direct bus services to Portsmouth, and obviously, destinations further afield are possible with changes. Similarly, rail travel is feasible for a commute to other destinations, but you have to get to the nearest railway stations in Cosham, Havant, and Petersfield. Not everyone is going to want to clamber onto a bicycle. Clearly, the most convenient mode of transport is by car, but with nowhere to park when you get home ? And what about visitor parking ?

I know, we are supposed to be giving up reliance on our cars. But, really, the infrastructure isn’t there to match the convenience of door to door.

The News article also cites the impact to local medical services. Appointments to actually see a doctor are rarer than rocking horse poo. And just try and sign up to a dental clinic.

Over the years, we have been promised changes that would create jobs, provide social and entertainment opportunities.

Where is the 60 room Hotel on the old BAE site ?

We were told categorically there would not be a McDonald’s on that same site.

So far, we have no hotel and none of the jobs that would have created. But we got a McDonald’s !!!

Similarly, we were told there would be a hotel and conference centre on the Dunsbury Park development. No sign of that or the associated jobs either.

The modified road system has provided a play area for the local petrol heads to hoon about on. But that’s the subject of a different post.

Bowling and cinema complexes have been mooted, but nothing happens. “They” say Waterloovilles’ population (approx 66k) can’t sustain these businesses. So, if we want to bowl or see movies, we have to travel to Portsmouth (10 miles), Whiteley (16 miles), or Chichester (15 miles). That’s not exactly carbon friendly.

It’s time HBC stood up and did something for the existing Waterlooville residents. Force the developers to include the provision of additional services and facilities. How about increasing local taxes on the landlords who allow their properties to remain empty. Might make them reduce the rents, attract new businesses.

Waterlooville, town centre is ripe. Come on HBC, do something really radical. Make Waterlooville somewhere people want to visit.

View From The Conservatory

Bit of a mixed day today. Hot enough, 27°C in the conservatory, so I have the bifolds wide open. Windy, with very strong gusts. Two washes on the line to take advantage of the wind. A third wash in the machine and the basket is empty. A good day’s work.

A Most Memorable Vacation

Describe your most memorable vacation.

This really is a hard task to fulfil. Over the years there have been many vacations, as a child / teenager with my parents and sisters. Then, as a family with my wife and daughters. Finally, there are those adventures with just my wife and occasionally with friends.

Each trip has featured predominantly high points and, occasionally, some low points.

So, I choose to tell you about an ill-fated camping holiday which turned out OK, more than OK, in the end.

The holiday was to be a camping trip down to the West Country, i.e. Devon and Cornwall. The plan was that Gerry and I would drive down to our friends’ home in Limpley Stoke, just outside of Bath. We would be taking the camping gear. This would be after Gerry finished work. Then, the following day, we we would head west.

However, our car, an aged Ford Consul Mk II, had other ideas. When I was ready to leave work, I went to start the car. The engine turned briefly, but not enough to start. My friend and I fairly quickly determined that the starter ring had spun off the flywheel. Well, we bump started the car, and I drove us home, taking care not to stall en route.

Things were not looking good for our camping trip.

I rang Gerry at work to give her the bad news. She hung up on me !!!

I then rang Jane and John, our friends. They decided to drive up to ours to discuss what to do. They arrived before Gerry got home from work.

Gerry arrived home in a less than happy state, slammed the front door, and headed straight to the bedroom. As she passed the door to the lounge, she took a double take as she spotted Jane and John sitting on the couch .

Her anger deflated by their presence, we settled down to discuss a new plan for our vacation.

The net result was that we would all travel down to Limpley Stoke and use their house as a base for our holiday, taking day trips out.

I feel I should explain that their house, a cottage that used to be the chapel for Limpley Stoke Manor House, the garden of which was subdivided by the local railway line. The lower garden, accessed via a private crossing, ran down to the River Avon. Jane and John had been given permission to make use of this lower garden area. This was going to become core to our vacation.

And use it we did. On numerous occasions. A lovely grassy embankment open to the sunshine but with overhanging trees to provide some shade. It was an idyllic quintessential English countryside setting where we would picnic on the river bank, chill our bottles of cider and/or wine in the cool water. John and I swam in those chilly waters, down to the weir and back upstream, much to the chagrin of the occasional angler.

As I said, Limpley Stoke is near the city of Bath. So on a number of occasions, when not enjoying the delights of the riverbank, we visited Bath, where we explored the town and its historic architecture. No visit to Bath would be complete without a tour of the Roman Baths. The city of Bath became a spa c.60AD. It had the Latin name Aquae Sulis. The Romans built baths and a temple in the valley of the River Avon, although hot springs were known even before then. Unfortunately, when we visited, there were restrictions regarding the hot springs, if my memory serves, something nasty in the waters.

One day, we decided that a trip to the seaside was required. Weston-super-Mare was our chosen destination. So early in the morning, we pitched up and staked our claim to a patch of sand at the waters edge. Due to our early start, we all lay down to doze in the sun, but when we awoke, the sea had disappeared. John and I thought we would walk out to find the sea for a swim, but the numbers of people coming back, covered in mud, put us off.

The problem with Weston-super-Mare is that it is situated on the Bristol Channel, which has a huge tidal range. The low tide mark in Weston Bay is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the seafront. The beach is sandy, but low tide reveals areas of thick mud, which are dangerous to walk on.

Needless to say, we didn’t get our swim. I have no idea where all those muddy people went to get cleaned up. We never saw the sea return.

Although we should have been camping, the time we spent based at the cottage in Limpley Stoke was, to put it simply, gorgeous. Camping would not have been as relaxing or allowed us to chill out in the way that we did. Would we have found as nice a place as we had down on the river bank. I doubt it.

Sometimes, the unplanned, the spontaneous events turn out to be the best of times.

Sussex Prairie Garden

Yesterday, we met up with my sisters for lunch and culture. This irregular event is something we do as we live about 90 miles apart. We choose a venue around the midpoint between us, meet up for lunch, and have a good old chinwag. Sometimes, like yesterday, we manage to fit in some fresh air and exercise too.

So lunch first. Our chosen meeting point was The Wheatsheaf at Woodmancote, Henfield, where the food was very tasty, with a Brazilian twist. Needless to say, I couldn’t resist the Moqueca, a Brazilian fish and Tiger Prawn stew. It was delicious 😋

Lunch over, we headed, just a few hundred yards along the road to The Sussex Prairie Garden.

In their own words …

We are Britain’s largest “Prairie,” or “Naturalistic,” garden, with eight acres of stunning garden to roam around. Unlike most gardens of a comparable size, we have no castle or stately home! We designed and planted the garden ourselves, on Pauline’s family farm in West Sussex. Instead of armies of servants and gardeners, we planted all 35 000 plants with help of amazing friends and family!

Our garden encourages exploration using a network of small wood chip paths which snake through the huge borders. Come and visit, please do walk on the grass and in the borders! Sussex Prairies-an extraordinary garden created by ordinary people!

On entry, the winding path leads you past “Audrey II” the banana tree, standing guard.

Past a glass encampment. All that was missing was some lighting.

And on to a pair of very friendly pigs. We soon discovered they like their backs scratched

But we were conscious of the many signs informing us that “Pigs Bite”

Moving on we entered the gardens proper where we were presented with this view.

The tea shop was ignored at this time as we set off to explore. Here are a “few” snaps that I took to give you a taste for what this garden offers.

Although there are formal paths and open lawn areas, you are encouraged to go “off-piste” and wander amongst the plants to better enjoy the scents and textures.

Bottle Birds – All Made From Milk Cartons !!!

Bison Approaching – Majestic and “Rust”ic

And There They Go
Marching Across The Prairie

Throughout the garden, there are many sculptures. Many featuring stained or painted glass.

The changeable weather, sunny then cloudy, meant that they were constantly changing with the light

The beauty of these gardens is the huge variety of colours and scents. Also, the textures of the grasses. Chris, my sister, spent a great deal of time fondling the grasses, commenting on the softness or coarseness.

The gardens are laid out in such a way that, typically, you can’t see everything from a single vantage point.

Rather, you catch glimpses from one area to the next. The paths gently curving, leading from one area to the next.

I don’t know if the kids being at school has any real bearing on things, but it was really peaceful here.

There were times when I was truly on my own. No others in view or earshot.

Just the occasional face peering out between the plants

To be honest, before starting out from home, I was fully prepared to be disappointed. Any doubts I had were soon dispelled. This place is lovely. We actually spent around two and a half hours here, but the time flew by.

So, at almost five o’clock, we slipped into the tea shop to grab cups of tea, ice creams and flapjacks.

Then, sadly, it was time to wend our way home. A lovely day, good food, good company, and an agreement to return to the Sussex Prairie Garden later in the season.