Tag: Waterlooville

It’s Too Damned Hot


The UK is experiencing some serious heat right now.

For the last two or three days the temperatures have been up in the thirties.

Yesterday Waterlooville hit 31°C but our conservatory, with one side fully opened, as well as the roof vents, was showing 34°C.

And again, today, Waterlooville is showing 30°C with the conservatory again showing 34°C.

Needless to say we have retreated into the house, keeping the doors connecting to the conservatory closed. We also have fans moving the air about so we are relatively cooler and a tad more comfortable.

Even so, it is still too warm and making it difficult to concentrate on doing nothing. I like to read but anything more than a page or two seems beyond me at the moment.

Currently, my sister Sue, is on a cruise. I have never been drawn to cruising but right now a cooling sea breeze would be perfect. Also, she described to me how the sea water pool on board is cold. Right now that seems like absolute bliss.

Tomorrow our forecast is for some cloud cover and a high of 25°C, which is my breakout point. The temperature at which I typically start to sweat.

If the forecast is true then that will be a blessed respite … fingers crossed.

A Friendly Dragonfly


On this day, 16th October, 2019, this dragonfly decided to say hello.

Goodbye And Good Riddance


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/story/full_page_image/21st-january-2025-page-5_4f2607de/content.html

Well done to the police and keep up the good work.

Let Down Again


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/11th-october-2024-page-4_4f0207dc/content.html

A few years ago this site was the home of Marconi Underwater Systems. The site was closed, and the Marconi buildings and surrounds became derelict. The site has remained an eyesore for many years.

Around 2012 I, as a member of the Waterlooville Residents Forum, attended a presentation on behalf of a potential developer. At that time, per the presentation, the plans were to build a 60 bed hotel and restaurant. They also planned a car showroom and a drive thru restaurant. The developer went to great pains. He assured us that the drive thru was not going to be another McDonald’s.

Outline Application APP/12/00652 was submitted 4th October 2012. The recommendation was that permission be granted for this application. Since that time, the Marconi (BAE) buildings were demolished but the site remained undeveloped.

Until that is, along came Lidl and, yep, McDonald’s. But the remainder of the site remained untouched.

And now the council appear to have given the go ahead for a new KFC, Aldi, and Costa.

It’s not as if our little town doesn’t lack for coffee shops and cafe’s. As for fast food drive thru’s, we are surrounded. Nor are we short of Aldi stores, we actually have seven within a ten mile radius. Costa Coffee is even more pervasive with ten in a four mile radius.

There is a significant amount of residential construction in and around Waterlooville. With all the new residents I would agree that there is a need for eateries. But I would argue that there is a greater need for entertainment centres. Waterlooville residents frequently call for a cinema complex / bowling alley. Sadly nobody hears the call

And so, the construction of these three businesses leaves me disappointed. I feel that we, the residents of Waterlooville, have been let down again.

Last Knockings


This is pretty much the last knocking of our tomato crops this year. There are just a few green tomatoes yet to ripen.

We have had a good crop this year, but sad to say, it could have been better. We sort of  screwed up.

We have two pyramid planters, but we, by mistake, planted bush/trailing varieties in one.

Oh well, lesson learnt. Overall, we are pleased, and the flavour of homegrown fruit and veg is always superior.

These varieties are all very sweet, but the little orange ones are sooper sweet.

View From The Conservatory


I’m a lumberjack and I’m OK
I sleep all night and I work all day

He’s a lumberjack and he’s OK
He sleeps all night and he works all day

Well, thank you Monty Python.

Today, we have the guys taking down a dead tree, which is threatening to fall in mine and my neighbours backyard.

The tree doesn’t belong to us but we couldn’t cope with the bureaucracy of dealing with the Highways Agency, who moved their boundaries, and the local council, who have not “adopted” the remaining, abandoned, strip of land.

So, we have taken matters into our own hands.

The tree is a goner.

View From The Conservatory


Grey squirrel with an albino in the background. The albino has been hanging around for a few weeks now.

Local Council At Fault


Simon Carter states that the only way to reinvigorate our town centres is to shut down the internet !!!

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-22-1834/content.html

To a certain extent, he is correct. The Internet is a contributing factor but not the sole reason Waterlooville is in such a sorry state.

And, of course, 60’s architecture isn’t wholly to blame either. But, it doesn’t help to alleviate the sad, drab appearance of Waterlooville centre.

Bright sunshine goes a long way to enhance the appearance of the shop fronts. But despite the sunshine, what is notable is the lack of people. Just two people walking thru and nobody sitting at the tables outside the cafe.

Compare that view to the picture I took last week on a dull day.

Not a single person in sight and no amount of sunshine is going to improve this view.

A significant factor in Waterloovilles’ demise was the decision to divert the A3 and to pedestrianise the main thoroughfare and therefore removing passing trade.

Further planning decisions to allow the development of retail parks away from the town centre have further reduced the footfall needed to sustain the businesses that have disappeared over the years.

The diverted A3 subdivided Waterlooville, and with the retail park providing free parking, while the town centre car parks charged for the dubious pleasure, there was further incentive to stay away.

Blaming the Internet is too easy and distracts from the part that Havant Borough Council had to play in getting Waterlooville to its current state.

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