They Are Coming Back.

I hear that Alan and Maureen Haydon will be back from their continental adventures on sunday. The blog will, I have no doubt soon be receiving an increased flow of comments to the comments box and the Lamb Inn will be receiving an increased amount of cash flow.

Hacking Away.

Nothing to do with dodgy journalistic practises on this occasion. I have been at work again hacking down overgrown bushes at Wyndham road and I wondered which genius first decided that having bushes like Buddlia's in your garden was a good idea. The things flower for a short period and look great but the rest of the time seem to grow a foot every time your back is turned. Unless you keep a tight rein on them you have all the bother of cutting them down and trying to dispose of the branches, not a difficult job in the days when every good gardener had a regular bonfire but a lot less easy in these pollution concious days when bonfires are frowned upon, when not outright illegal. A chopped up Buddlia takes up your Wheelie bin in no time at all and its not always easy to find transport to take the stuff to the tip.

My answer eliminate the pesky bushes before they take over your garden and your life.

Buggers

According to reports in 'The Guardian' and not denied by News International. it seems that the ' News Of THe World' has been invo;ved in a who;esale bugging operation against the mobile phones of anyone it seems to think might provide a story and that many of those so targetted were never informed of these activities by the police despite the OIld Bill being well aware of them.

I dont doubt that if you or I indulged in such activities against our neighbours mobiles we should very soon have had our collars felt but it seems that only the former royal correspondent of the NOtW got his just cumuppence for such activities. If this practice was as widespread within the newspaper as seems may well have been the case, lets hope that many more of the colleagues of the former correspondent, Mr Moncrieff, will soon be following his footsteps for a spell at her majesty's pleasure.

I would imagine that 'Public interest' is no defence for those trawling peoples in boxes in the hope of finding a story.

Dont Forget Folks.

Dont forget folks that voting for Silverton's favourite barperson ends on Saturday morning. If you have not voted yet please do so and make sure that your significant others, family. friends. workmates and anyone I have not thought of do likewise.

It could be a tight finish.

Marching On.

The continuing struggle to maintain and devolop the Community Band set me to thinking about my former area of residence... the west of Scotland. There is a part of the world with no shortage of community bands of one sort or another, although not all of them are to everyones taste. As I mentioned on the blog last year you have the pipe bands which are usually uncontroversial, but you also have the marching bands, mainly the flute, accordion and drum bands associated with the Orange Order and carrying such names as 'Brigton True Blues' or 'The Loyal Sons Of King William'. At this time of the year, in Glasgow and the surrounding counties, on a saturday or sunday morning you will find them, dressed in a variety of colourful uniforms, gathering in some back street prior to marching off to one of the local gatherings that culminate in the huge''Orange Walk' that goes through the centre of Glasgow on the first saturday in july. Then the city centre echoes to the thunder of the Lambeg Drums and the shrill wistle of the flutes as the bands blast out the orange repotoire invariably containing the Orange anthem 'The Sash My Father Wore'. The bands and lodges are often accompanied by huge gangs of young people from arreas like Dennistoun or parts of Lanarkshire or Ayrshire, drunk on Buckfast, draped in union jacks and screaming abuse at anything deemed catholic, Irish or anyone they consider less then white.

On the other side of the religious divide, smaller but still active, we have the Republican flute bands usualy named after a deceased member of the IRA, one of the best known being the 'Volunteer Sean McIlvena Republican Flute Band'. Before the IRA ceasefire these bands were usually restricted in parading to certyain defined areas but have in recent years seem to be more accepted. One of the strangest incidents involving a RFB that I can remember was on the huge demonstration in Glasgow in 1988 to mark the 70th birthday of Nelson Mandela when ' The Rising Pheonix RFB' from Edinburgh turned up to take part. Because of the controversial nature of the band the events organisers band them from taking part in the procession with their instruments and they marched at the back in correct formation whistling their repotoire.

So other parts of these islands dont have the same problems that we do in forming community bands. Whether we would be wanting some of the bands that they have elsewhere may be open to question but we could certainly do with some of their enthusiasm and perhaps they could spare us a flute player or a couple of Lambegs for Street Market.

Wind Turbine Plant To Close.

An addition to the story on wind turbines we carried recently. From a story on another blog I see that the only plant in Britain, its on the Isle Of Wight, that manufactures wind turbines is threatened with closure by its owners, The Vestas Corperation. 600 people look set to be made redundant.

Given the rapid spread of wind turbines across the countryside the decision to close the only British plant that makes them seems bizarre. It would appear that its possible that those who oppose the turbine planned for Aishe Barton may not only been getting an unwanted turbine but a non British one as well.

Band Call.

Once more I have an appeal from the community Band for more musiciaNS. It would seem, that due to holiodays, some of the existing members will not be available for Street Market. Potential band members should head for the Community Hall next tuesday evening.

Charity Ambush.

I was in Tiverton this morning and there seemed to be collectors for a cancer research charity all along Fore Street and into Bampton Street.While no one would argue with the validity of the cause being collected for, it was obvious that people were getting fed up with being harrassed over such a small area of pavement by so many collectors. Given that the whole of Tiverton town centre is in a small and contained area I would have tgought that about three strategically placed collectors could have done the job which seemed to have involved something like double that number.

Frog Off.

Rory the dog became very excited at something lurking in the bushes at the top of Coach Road yesterday morning and dragged a very irate young frog out of the undergrowth which subsequently hopped off at high speed up the road. It never fails to amaze me that so long after the building of Wyndham Road and the loss of The Meade and 'The Stugs' it contained, that so many amphibians of one sort or another still use the area as home.

Rear View.

A young woman of our aquaintence was recently complaining about walking along the rather dangerous peice of road between Red Cross and the village. She said that she had been involved in near misses on occasions and on others had been shouted at by passing motorists. Her partner rather ungallently commented that the motorists had not been shouting at her because she was taking up road space but rather were shouting at her in appreciation of her rear view.

We could not possibly comment of course.

Walkers.

Its good to see that organised groups of people from within the village are now using our lanes and streets for regular walks. Beyond being a physically healthy activity this is also an opportunity for people of all ages to get out of their homes and meet other people thus preventing lonliness and isolation. Additionally, it also means that people within the village are increasingly aware of the problems that confront pedestrians from the increased traffic that seems to afflict parts of the village, notably the square. Its also good to see that groups of walkers from outside the villaghe are increasingly using our footpaths at weekends and also using some of our local hostelries for refreshments.

We also of course, have increasing numbers of cyclists using our roads at weekends and holiday periods. Cycling is another physical activity that should be encouraged and many of the cyclists who pass through the village are friendly and observe most of the rules of the road. Sadly however most still seem to still lack the bells and other warning devices that this blog has commented on previously. It is a shame when the healthy alternatives to the motor car, walking and cycling, end up in opposition to each other.