A Special Memento

I had meant to pop down to the shops fairly briefly to get my meals for the day, and also call by The Good Earth art gallery for another look at an original watercolour painting I liked. Just as I was going to the car I spotted my neighbour Geoff, who has done so much to help with all the information required during the flat sale. An hour later we were still chatting, by now joined by his wife Rosemary. So much for a quick trip out!

Once parked at Waitrose, I walked along to the gallery in Lacey’s Yard (pictured in my main blip), and headed straight up to the room where I’d seen the painting. Reader, I bought it! The gallery owner Peter Hawkes rang the artist, Paul Chappell, and they very kindly gave me a discount. It was an impulsive extravagance, but I wanted something special to mark my three decades in Chesham. A photo of the painting is in Extras, together with a picture I took this morning of the same view. It’s the other side of the clock tower from the photo I blipped yesterday - that whole area being Market Square (Chesham has always been a market town). In this same place used to stand the old Town Hall and Corn Exchange, which was tragically demolished by the uncaring County Council in 1964. I’ve included an old postcard of it in Extras. It had a similar clock tower to the one that is now there. This was built in 1992, and houses the original clock and bell - the only things saved from the original building. Sad to say, Bucks Council are still neglecting Chesham - currently the once-beautiful River Chess (a rare chalk stream) is choked up with a massive amount of weeds, which is causing it to flood the adjacent road, the original course of the river before it was diverted centuries ago to create a mill pond. The County Council are the riparian owners of the Chess, and they have let it fall into this terrible state. It speaks volumes that my recent dealings with Bucks Council have so far been immensely frustrating, whereas to make contact with Colchester City Council last week was quick and pleasantly straightforward. There are some things I certainly won’t miss about Chesham…