Musings from the Merse
Sunday, June 25, 2006
More Home Thoughts
Poor old Greenlaw, the Ancient (as in French ancien) Capital of Berwickshire continues to get slated in the letter columns of the Berwickshire (see below) and the debate has (mostly) moved on from Dog poo. The mention of a Town Trail has reminded Huttonian of an idea once canvassed by the Hutton Think Tank (Heritage and Haystacks section) to create a village trail perhaps to coincide with the next Jim Clarke rally* when the hamlet is flooded with tourists for almost three hours. The Trail might start at the Kirk, take in New Village Hall, Johnny Rutherfords Yard, the Old Smiddy, the surviving phone box, the old pub (alas now a private house) , the play ground, the old (closed ) school and then the Bus Stop where more adventerous tourists can take the No 32 to the Cross Pub in Paxton and end their adventure after an outstanding pub meal touring the Orchard Site. Next bus back might not be until the following morning but it onlyis a 2.3 mile walk-and after all it is A TRAIL . Now for the Greenlaw Letter-we at least avoid that sort of thing in our tidy villagr.
We are very much supportive of wildlife and its habitats here in Greenlaw (after all we have the famous Hule Moss and Moorland on our doorstep).However, the sights that yet again meet us in the middle of the village take wildlife habitat preservation a bit too far!Let’s take a Town Trail around Greenlaw. For the umpteenth year the state of the graveyard on Fathers Day brought tears to the eye for a very different reason than the sentiment attached to this time for loved ones.There have been an increasing number of complaints in the past few weeks about the usual grass cuttings left lying around - that’s after the grass does eventually get cut because it has been left until it is far too long.The weeds surrounding the whole place is akin to somewhere derelict. I think Highgate Cemetery in London is looked after better - and it is generally ignored!!Then take the children a walk to the park where the same applies and the weeds in the play park area are higher than some of the children. Grass lies everywhere amid the dog dirt (which would be a lot easier to spot if the grass was cut and kept). The bark underfoot is almost non existent and the polythene laid under as a ‘weed suppressant?’ is a grave danger to little ones tripping all over it.A couple of planting boxes either end of the village have had some plants put in, and lo and behold the weeds around the boxes peep over the top to see what they have to contend with this year!The planting areas on the green and at Wester Row have been treated to some hebes and ‘greenery’ - no need for lovely bedding like the thousands of plants in Bank Street Galashiels, Wilton Park Hawick or all over Duns flower beds and many other areas. A minute amount of these would fill the flower beds in Greenlaw.Why bother trying to make the village look good when you can put in a few hebes and leave them to fight the weeds for growing room?Whatever happened to the promises to make all areas the same?Why is the same year after year? Nothing ever changes, certainly not for the better.Once again we will hear there is no money, the budgets are tight, they are trimmed to the limit.Well maybe they are, but there are still seasonal workers hired and there is still money for the places that always get more ….. so just what did happen the the scheme for harmonisation in the whole of the Scottish Borders region?
Poor old Greenlaw, the Ancient (as in French ancien) Capital of Berwickshire continues to get slated in the letter columns of the Berwickshire (see below) and the debate has (mostly) moved on from Dog poo. The mention of a Town Trail has reminded Huttonian of an idea once canvassed by the Hutton Think Tank (Heritage and Haystacks section) to create a village trail perhaps to coincide with the next Jim Clarke rally* when the hamlet is flooded with tourists for almost three hours. The Trail might start at the Kirk, take in New Village Hall, Johnny Rutherfords Yard, the Old Smiddy, the surviving phone box, the old pub (alas now a private house) , the play ground, the old (closed ) school and then the Bus Stop where more adventerous tourists can take the No 32 to the Cross Pub in Paxton and end their adventure after an outstanding pub meal touring the Orchard Site. Next bus back might not be until the following morning but it onlyis a 2.3 mile walk-and after all it is A TRAIL . Now for the Greenlaw Letter-we at least avoid that sort of thing in our tidy villagr.
We are very much supportive of wildlife and its habitats here in Greenlaw (after all we have the famous Hule Moss and Moorland on our doorstep).However, the sights that yet again meet us in the middle of the village take wildlife habitat preservation a bit too far!Let’s take a Town Trail around Greenlaw. For the umpteenth year the state of the graveyard on Fathers Day brought tears to the eye for a very different reason than the sentiment attached to this time for loved ones.There have been an increasing number of complaints in the past few weeks about the usual grass cuttings left lying around - that’s after the grass does eventually get cut because it has been left until it is far too long.The weeds surrounding the whole place is akin to somewhere derelict. I think Highgate Cemetery in London is looked after better - and it is generally ignored!!Then take the children a walk to the park where the same applies and the weeds in the play park area are higher than some of the children. Grass lies everywhere amid the dog dirt (which would be a lot easier to spot if the grass was cut and kept). The bark underfoot is almost non existent and the polythene laid under as a ‘weed suppressant?’ is a grave danger to little ones tripping all over it.A couple of planting boxes either end of the village have had some plants put in, and lo and behold the weeds around the boxes peep over the top to see what they have to contend with this year!The planting areas on the green and at Wester Row have been treated to some hebes and ‘greenery’ - no need for lovely bedding like the thousands of plants in Bank Street Galashiels, Wilton Park Hawick or all over Duns flower beds and many other areas. A minute amount of these would fill the flower beds in Greenlaw.Why bother trying to make the village look good when you can put in a few hebes and leave them to fight the weeds for growing room?Whatever happened to the promises to make all areas the same?Why is the same year after year? Nothing ever changes, certainly not for the better.Once again we will hear there is no money, the budgets are tight, they are trimmed to the limit.Well maybe they are, but there are still seasonal workers hired and there is still money for the places that always get more ….. so just what did happen the the scheme for harmonisation in the whole of the Scottish Borders region?
* NB Verb. Sap. The Jim Clarke Rally might not be good time to sample the Hutton Village Trail or at least that part which follows the Rally Route. Blog-ed
Comments:
Of course if the residents of Greenlaw wanted to improve their local planters they could appeal to their community council and local businesses to do something about it - like other communities do - often you see "Name_of_Town in Bloom - sponsored by Bob's Garage 234986"
The High Heidians at SBC could be engaged via the vehicle of SBLocal to cut the grass in the cemetry - if SBC are to be believed of course.
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The High Heidians at SBC could be engaged via the vehicle of SBLocal to cut the grass in the cemetry - if SBC are to be believed of course.
