Peak Poppy

The weather we were withdrawing from in North Devon has drifted up behind us, to gently water the gardens but not in any way top up the water in the pond lost to evaporation. The poppies are coping, but you know that a gust of wet wind will have them shedding their petals all over the garden. The bees are working as fast as they can...

Something red flew buzzing over the house this morning. It was the Gloucester Air Ambulance (G-HEMN, we usually get the green one from Bristol, G-GWAC). It landed in the farm field just over the railway bridge, followed quite swiftly by several paramedic vehicles and the police, all on blues and two's.

Once the air ambulance had lifted again, about half an hour later, I wandered down. It turned out some children had crossed the road at an established but unmanaged crossing at a car coming over the hump back railway bridge had knocked one of them over. The air ambulance took her away, so she was alive at the time and I can only hope she's ok.

After the thoughts about children, parents and the rest it's time to think about the issues with a Councillor's head on. This piece of road has long been known to be hazardous due to the blind bended hump back bridge, complex junction with a service station, pub and playground nearby as well as several residential and service roads.

The area is already under development, with a recently permitted supermarket with new access on the junction, and a reopened railway station with associated car park fed from this same junction, and a greenway to the nearest town is proposed to use the same but widened crossing where the incident took place. Not to mention increased local and through traffic from further development.

I don't ever seem to be able to switch off from the Parish Council work, and although I love it there's a permanent stressor there in the back of my mind. I couldn't give it up though... I know too much now and I'd still be as aware, but then also out of the loop. The only good thing is even if I'm bad at my job (which in fact I'm not) they can't take it out of my pay...