Musings from the Merse
Monday, September 18, 2006
One of Huttonian's favourite walks in Scotland's favourite short break destination is from down town Hutton to Hutton Castle via the Lady's Walk along the top of the Great Whiteadder Gorge with stunning views of the Edington Mill development fortunately obscured by the trees in the summer and early autumn. To reach the Lady's Walk means about a mile or so along the Hutton-Hutton Castle Barns Expressway. Not to be tackled after heavy rain as the road can be a continuous chain of deep puddles and small lakes winding its way through sudden verges. Yesterday we surprised to find mystical symbols along the road. Ah, the Borders' Tourist People had placed signs for visitors pointing towards trees and other points of local interest especially important for townees confused by such a variety of greenery. Good idea But some of them did not seem to be indicating a tree or even a clump of killing nettles-just featureless pasture. Actually one arrow (if this is what it is) was indicating the presence of 'Fairly Big Business' a visiting Bull-possibly gay as he was ignoring a vast array of feminine talent. But surely bulls move from time to time so a fixed symbol was hardly appropriate in this case.
Or could it be the site of an orienteering event; part of next year's Jim Clarke Rally, early advertising for Christmas Trees; secret messages for people participating in a local Al Qaida training camp? Black Magic? Imaginations boggled.
But the real explanation may be even more exciting. It is a Scottish Borders Council puddle filling exercise. The Highheidyins in St Boswells have finally accepted local pleas to do something about the habitual flooding on this section of the Hutton and environs highway system.The arrows point to the worst puddles and the other symbols are other complicated instuction to the engineers to put matters right. Good on them, mate. We will be able to get to the castle without our long waders and in fairly small cars.
Comments:
A trip along the A698 from the East Ord roundabout to West of Coldstream is a similar exercise in highway hieroglyphs both sides of the border - including some pretty intricate patching (which has included someone from SBC putting enough survey paint on the road to fill most of the gaps that he wants the SB Contracts blokes to fill).
I can't help thinking that some preventative maintenance might be worthwhile because a lot of the potholes are generated by the action of weeds on the road fabric (as you'll see on the Tweed Bridge on Berwick bypass) a smidge of chlorate would have gone a long way to keeping that down and helpfully lengthening the life of the road surface.... perhaps I'm in the wrong job ?
I can't help thinking that some preventative maintenance might be worthwhile because a lot of the potholes are generated by the action of weeds on the road fabric (as you'll see on the Tweed Bridge on Berwick bypass) a smidge of chlorate would have gone a long way to keeping that down and helpfully lengthening the life of the road surface.... perhaps I'm in the wrong job ?
Roadies in SBC HQ please note although I think A roads are not a local responsibilty but B raodas need some preventative maintenance as well. Not to mention the D and E roads we have around us hereabouts
Only the A1, A68, A6091 and A7 south the big-roundabout-at-the-south-end-of-Galashiels-the-name-of-which-escapes-me are not SBC's responsibility - those are Amey's.
51 separate patches of highway hieroglyphs are marked out and numbered between Coldstream Police Station and the front gate of the Hirsel - not bad for a stretch of less than 1km.
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