Some snippets from yesterdays work

Dutifully did my job as a poll clerk yesterday in a little village in Cambridgeshire.

Thought I would share some snippets of information.

Firstly we had a turnout of almost eighty percent of those eligable to vote (not including postal) which was more than for the last election by a few voters. Good if not for the result.

Secondly we had at least twenty people, and not just because they had just reached 18 years old, who you could tell had never voted before by the way they behaved and what they said including a couple over 60.

Thirdly we had at least three people asking why we only had pencils in the polling booths, at least one suggesting the votes could be changed. Some of the secondlies above.

Fourthly and you might not know this but there is a piece of plastic to help visually impaired people to vote in the right box. They have liftable flaps and braille and raised lettering. For the referendum this was modified to just Remain and Leave and was supposed to be stuck on the voters ballot paper then taken off again for reuse if necessary with someone else. I heard at the training session they had got problems with it. On the day a piece of paper nay a letter with the device that proved to be a laugh. It included the words, the adhesive used was too aggressive, I swear I heard it growling at times. It then detailed how you should use two paperclips of a certain size to hold it on the ballot paper and described how to fix the paper clips with the long leg behind the ballot paper even had diagrams to illustrate that point.

Smell vinegar in Bristol? That will be the weed killer

The BT website is running a story about Bristol today using vinegar as part of a trial to control weeds, rather than using Glyphosate.

Very commendable I would say, I use it where I can, the only other options for weeds are pulling or chopping which are not always successful on paved areas.

I use half a litre of value white vinegar at the strength it is sold in this country with a dash of washing up liquid in a hand trigger sprayer or in a bigger sprayer I up the washing up liquid. The washing up liquid helps the vinegar stick to plant leaves. Best to use it on a dry day when there is going to be some sunlight or heat afterwards in my experience.

Dont be tempted by stronger vinegar the acid level could burn you if you get it on your skin.

Remembrance is continuous

Yesterday I went along to a friend and customers 90th birthday tea which was lovely. I met some folk I had lost touch with and swapped stories and we caught up remembering each other and hoping it wouldn't be so long till next time.

This morning I had just stopped at a site to carry out some ecology work and my mobile phone peeped. I checked a text, a very special customer also well advanced in years passed away this morning a very special lady. I stopped what I was doing and toasted her from my bottle of juice.

Bless you Molly.

Im gonna have a rant

So this morning I went out early to do some ecology work at two sites, one close to Royston the other close to St Albans. The driving was lovely and quiet all the way until I left St Albans for home, by then it was well past nine and people were getting out and about.

Why do people need to rush around all over the place, why do they need to dive from the far lane to the kerbside lane of a three lane roundabout in the space of twenty metres weaving between cars at a stupid speed just to get down a slip road.

Why when I am tootling along at 60 do in the kerbside lane to they speed up close behind me before indicating and then moving to the middle lane.

And why do so many drivers not know what that funny stick thing is below the steering wheel that makes a greenish light twinkle on and off on there cars dash.

To me its symptomatic of the pressure people are under to work and make money at all costs, nothing is sacred anymore and I'm not just talking about religion.

There is a saying, stop the world I want to get off, I think I sympathise with the person who wrote it!

Twas a nice walk though

Controversy aside I did enjoy my walk around Ely Country Park. Its managed by a mix of landowners and perhaps because of this has no real corporate feel to it. Its got surfaced paths and unsurfaced nay really muddy ones as well, but then thats where you can choose where you want to go.

After walking through a short grass area you enter tree and shrub lined Springhead Lane then reach the old pits with ducks, geese and great crested grebes, oh yes and a couple of kingfishers dobbing about. Then its through the gate in the hedge and along by the river back to town.

 Lovely views of the cathedral on the way round as well this one from the path by the river.

And for a bit of variety you can watch the trains and imagine its the Flying Scotsman you are seeing. An enjoyable walk to my mind.

opinions are onions with a pi right!

     

My local paper has been carrying a story about the way a footpath that runs through a Country Park in Ely has been managed recently. The lane called Springhead Lane or Lovers Lane has been opened up by a contractor working for the county council cutting back trees and shrubs and by cutting back bramble.

Some of the locals have been complaining bitterly to the local papers and getting quite a bit of coverage, one lady says she is horrified by what has happened down at Lover's Lane.

Its one of the reasons I went for a walk down there yesterday to see what outrageous damage has been caused partly because I have long held the view that the path was too shaded and might make users feel insecure. The picture below is a Cambridge News picture which shows part of the lane now.


         

Now far be it for me to tell anyone how to manage anything especially as I only managed parks for twenty years, but to my mind its great, even further towards Ely itself where the increase in light will lead to a lot of growth this year including from the cut tree and shrub stems and a safer feel to the path, see picture below also Cambridge News of that section, but then what do I know like I say.

I can remember a few years back a paper was published about public perceptions of the countryside, it looked at what made people feel they could use the countryside and what made them feel they couldn't. Overgrown paths and not being able to see a reasonable distance were high on the lists of not encouraging use for both women and men. So like I said earlier well done county council I think its great.

But then thats my opinion, others think differently. Opinions eh onions with pi in.

Which came first aorta or hadnabinfer

I had a late afternoon appointment at the local hospital last week, all connected with my recent spell of ill health and well it had me confused by the end and no mistake.

First an ultrasound, well surely ultra means really good but I didnt hear a thing, then the doctor says me kidneys are fine and so was me aorta. Well first off what does he know about my shopping at the butchers and then aorta what.

Already slightly confused I heads of for a blood test, take a ticket here and wait the sign says, so you takes one of them tickets you used to get at supermarket meat counters you know them ones with numbers on. The nurse calls out the number and off you go to get your blood took.

I says to her when do we get some meat then with this ticket, she looked, that got me wondering had they run out, then I got to thinking about that doctor and what he said about kidneys, was that all they had left!

I came out like I said confused with no meat or kidneys come to that and thinking. Aorta known that Id get nothing but if it hadnabinfer a late apointment then perhaps I might have.