Hole In The Ground

Having just received a leaflet from my area's local (Labour) councillors, I was immediately reminded of that classic Bernard Cribbins song 'Hole in the Ground', as they are making a bit of a song-and-dance about (pot)-holes in the roads – again...

As usual, rather than tackling the issues directly (as I have long been doing, for example, including in this and other Labour-represented wards in Medway) they are more interested in making party political capital out of the issue and say that they have submitted 'several petitions'. I wonder how long that took?

Of course, it is done that way so that they get 'seen to be doing something', with the expectation of electoral reward as a consequence. Meanwhile, the roads remain unrepaired, unless a resident has reported them to the council using any of the several methods readily available.

For years now, I have been having issues such as these, broken kerbstones and other such 'street scene' matters fixed without fuss and without trying to draw attention to myself. Thus, over (say) the past five years, I have had a fair number of things fixed, usually promptly, mainly in Labour wards. That's not just here in Chatham Central, but also in Rochester East (with a couple of my recently-reported ones currently pending) and Twydall.

These have been, in the main, instances of obvious long-term neglect – and I checked Google aerial and street view imagery from years before to ascertain that they clearly hadn't been bothered with by the local councillors or others. I also checked whether they were simply in a queue and already programmed to be fixed: none of them ever was.

The real joy came after I had been doing this for a while, for with my record-keeping and 'before and after' photographs I was to demonstrate very clearly who had been active and interested, and who merely made a lot of noise. As the old saying puts it: empty vessels make the most noise.

Another saying that needs a little tweaking could now be written: If you want something talked about and politicised, ask a Labour person. If you want something *done*, ask a Conservative. With me, you don't usually even need to ask...

Chatham Mural in the Making

Here's a four-minute video by Creatabot (a local outfit) of the creation of the Chatham Community Mural I mentioned a few days ago, and a great panaoramic shot of the finished production...

Chatham Mural

This short video clip from Medway Council celebrates the official 'opening' of what has been coming together in public view for several days: the Chatham Community Mural, painted by a number of residents of the Chatham area. The clip comes in a little late, barely catching Councillor Jane Chitty and her words, but you can get the flavour of the moment from these ninety seconds.

I shall be going to the High Street to take a look at it myself a little later this afternoon...

Medway (Easter) Monday 2013

It was interesting going out shopping this morning and returning soon after midday, to see how quiet Chatham town centre was – I'd say little more than a third its normal level of activity at that time on a weekday.

However, inside the Pentagon Centre, it was more like somewhere between half and two-thirds normal activity level, say three-fifths or thereabouts for a rough-and-ready figure. This includes inside Sainsbury, which seemed to be a little over half its usual weekday 'footfall' level at this time (around 11.30 to 11.50 am).

The only outdoor situation that closely resembled normality was outside a couple of the four pubs I pass on my way to and from the Pentagon, one of which has no provision for 'street patronage' (for want of a better term) anyway. In Military Road, though, the usual size gathering outside the Prince of Wales showed that some institutions are scarcely affected by the significance of the day.

Whether or not that is a good thing I cannot say; but there it is...

I have no idea what the other Medway town centres were like, but I thought this brief first-hand snapshot might be useful to place on the public record.

The Snow Arrives – 18 January 2013

The forecasts have been essentially correct, although where I am and hereabouts for a fair distance it has not been at all serious, at least not so far. It started at precisely 11 am today, very light at first, then cranking up a gear a bit later.

Kent's gritters have been out already, in advance, gritting primary and (I believe) secondary routes, so we here are as well prepared as anyone can reasonably expect to be, at least on those routes.

This weather is expected to continue, with more snow falling, throughout the coming weekend. As it is really cold outdoors (as I can attest from when I was outside at 11 am when it all started) so it will no doubt be distinctly dodgy on some lesser roads and the footpaths by Monday morning.

Here's a pic of the Close where I live in Chatham, taken just minutes before I wrote this post...

Monaxle Photo-Walk Pictures

Back in August 2009 I participated in the photo-walk in recognition of the ordeal through which local photographer Monaxle had been put by over-zealous police. Mark Reckless, at that time just a candidate and not yet an MP, posted this concerning the incident.

At the time of the photo-walk I posted this short item with the photos themselves being stored and made publicly visible elsewhere.

Since then, that photo-hosting social media site has been taken down, so here is the full set of 35 photos I took on that occasion. Clicking on any of the following images will display a larger version (though still reduced in size from the original to be manageable on a normal computer display) and your browser's Back button then enables you to return to this page...

Remembrance Sunday 2012

This year Remembrance Sunday has fallen on the 11th day of the 11th month, and as always the two minutes silence was observed at the 11th hour of this day.

I was at the War Memorial on nearby Victoria Gardens in Chatham, along with around 180 other adults and (less visibly, but only because of their height, or lack thereof) a good sixty or more younger folk, many from Scout/Cub/Guides/Cadets troupes and similar. There were a few dogs with their owners too, including one with poppies all around its collar.

We also had the local Salvation Army band, who played Abide With Me, Rule Britannia, some themes from around the United Kingdom (e.g. Men of Harlech and The Londonderry Air) and finally the National Anthem.

I carefully and respectfully took a number of photographs non-intrusively at the event itself, and another batch close to Chatham railway station as the band-led procession marched past on its way back from Victoria Gardens. Here are just a few of the more than thirty I took.

First, at the War Memorial...

Then, the parade...

Nowrein Part 2

I am just back from a delicious (late) lunch at the newly-opened Nowrein Indian buffet restaurant I mentioned a few days ago. It really is very, very good – though I ought to mention that they can't yet take cards for payment (that facility is expected to be put in next week) so take some real money along – you won't need all that much anyway...

Especially bearing in mind that they are in competition with several long-established Indian eateries close by, and with the possible confusion of yet another such place that has also just opened this week, it is remarkable indeed that they have already served over 600 customers in just these few days. I hear that the word is getting around that this is the best in the area – something I already knew but locals probably did not, on the whole.

Their buffet varies from day to day, the owner confirmed to me in conversation today, and over a week covers the entirety of styles of main, side and starter dishes that one expects to encounter on a conventional Indian menu. Today, for example, there were four starters, plus puppadoms and chutneys, also Korma, Tikka Masala, Jalfrezi, Vindaloo and other main dishes that I don't recall offhand, along with at least five side dishes and three styles of rice.

The garlic mini-naans were a little dry for my taste, but were okay. Everything else was truly superb (and I'm a well-known fusspot!) and well up to the standard I have come to expect from this outfit.

My intention is to go there once a week if I am able and available; and at just under a fiver (from Thursday: half price meanwhile) for an eat-all-you-can buffet, it is not only affordable but, frankly, irresistible!

Nowrein Indian Buffet Restaurant, 74 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4DS. Tel: (01634) 400 450

Open noon to 11 pm every day, including Sundays and Bank Holidays

Chatham Buck's Fizz

I have just learned that we here in Chatham, Kent have our own (less expensive!) variant of Buck's Fizz.

The original is (apparently) two parts orange juice to one part Champagne.

The Chatham version is half a glass of Lucozade on top of which is poured half a glass of Cava. I gather it's important that it is done that way round. The result is presumably 'stirred, not shaken'.

Hmm... I don't think I'll bother with it myself – actually I don't really fancy the original either – but offer it as a way for even the chavvy folk of my home area to participate in the idea at a more readily affordable cost.

Chatham Jubilee Beacon

As promised, I was there for the entire beacon-lighting event and what went on before, and have now edited and uploaded my video-recording of not only the lighting of the Beacon, but highlights (such as they were!) from the preceding half-hour and all of the fireworks display from the Great Lines Heritage Park that followed shortly after the lighting itself...



UPDATE: This is all that remained of the beacon, now contained within a much smaller enclosure, by the following afternoon...

Naughty Drivers!

Despite the signs, road markings, and cautions during the early weeks of the Chatham Waterfront 'Bus Facility's operation, drivers are still driving through there, which they have no right to do. It has now been in operation for around six months.

This web page on Medway Council's website illustrates the danger that at least some of this drivers present, complete with short video clips from the cameras on the site. I don't fancy having any avoidable hazards there, and certainly not this one, so I hope that all those caught on camera are dealt with in a strong enough way to act as a deterrent for the future.

If all else fails, I suppose that elevating barriers could be installed, something like the fixed one-way one at the nearby Richard Street car park's exit but these ones to be operated by coded signals from authorised vehicles ('buses and taxis).

There'd have to be a suitably narrow way through for bicycles, which are also allowed – though I can't see why they are permitted anyway: there seems to be no valid reason for this.

A Walk in the Gardens

Town Hall Gardens, that is. That's the name of one of the public green spaces that we have here in Chatham, adjacent to the Great Lines where the naval memorial stands.

I walked around the gardens earlier today, and took some photographs. As usual, clicking on any on the images below will display a larger version.

 I have previously shared photographs of other such open spaces, such as Victoria Gardens, and will shortly be uploading a video of the Great Lines Heritage Park (as it is called these days), so in effect this is another in that occasional series.

First, here is a general view looking across Rope Walk from Whiffens Avenue...

This way in is about two-thrids of the way up Whiffens Avenue, which is a fairly steep hill, as can be seen...

This is set into one of the inside walls of the entrance archway...

Looking south-east...

It's actually quite good here, raised above the busy Brook to its south/south-west.

At the eastern corner, near the steps leading up from King Street...