Incredible edible

Malcolm was watering the new Transition Town Cheltenham garden in Sandford Park when I biked past this lunchtime. After only a short while, it's looking good, and people were pausing to look at Jacqui's boards whilst I talked to Malcolm. As it fills out, more people will take notice - and (let's hope) be inspired to think of growing some vegetables of their own. I gather the original request to the Council was for some space in Imperial Gardens, which would have given the project a rather higher profile; but this spot isn't at all a bad one, being just off the High Street. It's good there's water close at hand. Monday evenings are the time to go down there to help, if you have any spare time then.

A cyclist moans

Our local paper is always ready to print letters complaining about lawless, reckless and/or thoughtless cyclists. Speaking as one who has in his time been all or any of these, and is repentant, I am now retaliating.

I have been complaining for years - literally - about cars blocking cycle access to the main road crossing in Montpellier, Cheltenham. This photo, taken on Saturday morning last, shows what is happening: more often than not, the access is partially or wholly blocked by lawless, reckless and/or thoughtless drivers parking their cars/vans in the Keep Clear space!

It should be possible, with a little street furniture, to ensure the access way is kept clear. Cheltenham Borough Council: if you read this blog, please DO SOMETHING!

The house opposite

We returned from our travels last evening to find the house opposite had been sold. Which is rather galling, when you consider how hard we tried to sell our house throughout the first nine months of this year!

The comfort is that we continue to have this nice view across the road looking out upon an evidently attractive property. With its characterful bargeboarding, it was indeed picked out as a "key unlisted building" in Cheltenham Borough Council's Park Character Area Appraisal and Management Plan (part of their recently-published local development framework). Meanwhile, its new owners look back on our Cinderella semi, stubbornly unsold.

But no longer am I going to be able to put, for the return address on the back of envelopes that I commit to the post, my name "Davis M" with just our postcode; because the house over the road, which is in the same postcode area, evidently has for its new owner a "Mr M Davies" - judging by mail already delivered here while we were away, and opened by me in error late last night!

Leckhampton warming

Our nearest Council tip is just up the hill from us here in Leckhampton. It's just back from the Cotswold edge, close to some old open-cast stone mines. On dog duty once more, I walked past it the other morning, and was appalled to see the remains of a truly vast bonfire.

And there was I thinking that all the garden waste we have been putting out in our green sacks was going to make compost!