Musings from the Merse
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Just got this Good Evening, Sir. I was recently reading your blog, and I thought...
Why is there no comment on the hideous and environmentally unfriendly blue lidded recycling bins? Huttonian, you should be at the helm of the community on this one! One of your Whitsome correspondents lives in a row of 7 cottages to which 5 were delivered and solemnly counted out by the expensive hired van with its 2 staff. The bins were all ajar and none closed properly until the second week, by which time water had got into them from the lousy weather. None of the bins had the full complement of items explaining at great length all the bits that can’t be recycled (most of your rubbish, thanks to Messrs Morrison, etc) let alone the bag that allows you to keep a dustbin extension of garbage in your very own kitchen for up to a fortnight. Rural areas are just a hideous welter of these plastic aliens. Why didn’t they at least order aesthetic green ones like those enjoyed by the couthy burghers of Edinburgh? There was a rumour that the collection was to be fortnightly but, no further notice having been given, both types of bin are being collected weekly. Following collection there is a competition between the bin people to spread the bins across any place where it might cause maximum disruption to a motor vehicle.
W
Yrs in the highest of dudgeon,
Cheviot Hill
Amen
And this : Good Morning, Sir. I was recently reading your blog, and I thought...
The new and very hideous rubbish bins have been delivered – 5 for a row of 7 cottages. Why on earth can’t they at least give us green ones like the posh folk in Edinburgh? It’s all supposed to be in a green cause. Given all the restrictions on what we can put in them I’m surprised they bother. Now how do I recycle all the excess clear plastic recycling bags? And, oh, the ruddy things don’t shut properly either.
Yours in despair
Rees I. Kohl
Why is there no comment on the hideous and environmentally unfriendly blue lidded recycling bins? Huttonian, you should be at the helm of the community on this one! One of your Whitsome correspondents lives in a row of 7 cottages to which 5 were delivered and solemnly counted out by the expensive hired van with its 2 staff. The bins were all ajar and none closed properly until the second week, by which time water had got into them from the lousy weather. None of the bins had the full complement of items explaining at great length all the bits that can’t be recycled (most of your rubbish, thanks to Messrs Morrison, etc) let alone the bag that allows you to keep a dustbin extension of garbage in your very own kitchen for up to a fortnight. Rural areas are just a hideous welter of these plastic aliens. Why didn’t they at least order aesthetic green ones like those enjoyed by the couthy burghers of Edinburgh? There was a rumour that the collection was to be fortnightly but, no further notice having been given, both types of bin are being collected weekly. Following collection there is a competition between the bin people to spread the bins across any place where it might cause maximum disruption to a motor vehicle.
W
Yrs in the highest of dudgeon,
Cheviot Hill
Amen
And this : Good Morning, Sir. I was recently reading your blog, and I thought...
The new and very hideous rubbish bins have been delivered – 5 for a row of 7 cottages. Why on earth can’t they at least give us green ones like the posh folk in Edinburgh? It’s all supposed to be in a green cause. Given all the restrictions on what we can put in them I’m surprised they bother. Now how do I recycle all the excess clear plastic recycling bags? And, oh, the ruddy things don’t shut properly either.
Yours in despair
Rees I. Kohl
Labels: Whitsome
Monday, June 22, 2009
TRAFFIC MERSE: FLASH
Our motoring correspondent, Rhoda Hogg, has just sent this by pigeon post:
urgent news flash :
If driving down the section of the B6347 south of the Whitsome Hill crossroad with the B6461, beware a yellow and green tractor. This vehicle judders from side to side like any other indifferently driven agricultural vehicle in the Merse. If behind it do not attempt to overtake. If driving toward it, pray or hope that suddenly mounting the embankment will not scupper your vehicle’s underpinnings. The tractor driver is clamped to his mobile phone and unaware of the road ahead. This has happened twice in the past week. Third time……….
NB Military Traffic Reports of relevance to the B6461 and the Fishwick Bypass will now be semaphored in by Major Rhode-Ahead TD and Bar.Retd
Our motoring correspondent, Rhoda Hogg, has just sent this by pigeon post:
urgent news flash :
If driving down the section of the B6347 south of the Whitsome Hill crossroad with the B6461, beware a yellow and green tractor. This vehicle judders from side to side like any other indifferently driven agricultural vehicle in the Merse. If behind it do not attempt to overtake. If driving toward it, pray or hope that suddenly mounting the embankment will not scupper your vehicle’s underpinnings. The tractor driver is clamped to his mobile phone and unaware of the road ahead. This has happened twice in the past week. Third time……….
NB Military Traffic Reports of relevance to the B6461 and the Fishwick Bypass will now be semaphored in by Major Rhode-Ahead TD and Bar.Retd
Labels: B6461, Borders Traffic, Rhoda Hogg, Whitsome
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Winning The Pooh?
This letter to the Berwickshire:
SIR - I read with interest the regular correspondence regarding dog fouling across the Borders.
My team and I have been working hard to get the message through to everyone that dog fouling will not be tolerated.
Part of the publicity/awareness campaign has involved the team putting up around 200 posters reminding dog owners of their obligations and providing contact information for people to ask questions or report offenders.
In the past few weeks, a large percentage of the posters have been ripped down in the Chirnside and Swinton area.
This means that tax payers’ money and council staff time has been wasted.
We would ask the parties involved to please stop destroying these posters.
I would also ask anyone with an issue about dog fouling to contact us on 0800 376 1030 to discuss it.
PHIL PARRANS,
Senior Dog Warden
is indicative of how dog fouling remains one of the main issues in rural villages, not just in the Merse but throughout the UK. Much noise and heat is generated at Community Council meetings with most people supportive of attempts to reduce the Berwickshire crap mountain. So one wonders what the problem in Chirnside and Swinton with posters being torn down? Are thes anal rtentive dog owners (the orifice pertaining to the canine, not the owner) fed up with constant unnecesary admonitions?
Or local anarchists. And if you don't approve of this anti poo campaign what arguments can you deploy on 0800 876 1030 to convince the Crap Czar to lay off?
Perhaps A Peasant can shed some light?
At risk of overkill I repeat a post of some years ago:
Dogged does it
At the (fairly) recent Scottish Border council elections most candidates pledged to do more about dealing with the mountains of dog poo which besmirch our villages and sure enough a plan of action was pledged in the aims of the new administration. A 'vision' rather than a plan of action in councilspeak. This pome(?) by a local bard is seemingly based on a vision-poppy/puppy induced? Who knows. I am advised that although considered by some as possible line of action it was never actually implemented. A pity.
The Hutton Solution
‘ The Notice reads:
'Dogs who offend will be shot’
and in smaller letters:
‘Owners of offending dogs.
You have been warned!’
‘That should do the trick’
said the large man
with a baseball hat’.
putting another shell
into his shotgun.
stepping carefully over
the spent cartridges
and
the corpses
There were some dead dogs
as well.
‘I sometimes think
that the chairman
of the Community Council
takes his duties too seriously’
said
the lady with the pooper scooter
and the bullet proof
vest.
NB very carefully. The chairman of the community council thus depicted must have been well before Huttonian's time
The image is obviously to encourage the responsible disposal of poo while it is still fresh and steaming. Worth trying in Whitsome? But perhaps put it into Gallic rather than Welsh?
Labels: Berwickshire, Dog Poo, Hutton, Whitsome
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Green Box (of tricks?)
A bloggee from Whitsome has sent in this image of a glorious winter's scene outside the village and wonders how fellow villagers will deal with the proposed development mentioned in the previous post and goes on : Not sure what can look worse than the green box attached though..
I agree it somewhat detracts from the rural view but seems to be a bog standard agricultural building-so many in the Merse which is after all mostly a farming community. And to my untutored eye the bigger eyesore is the hall(?) in front of the green whatever. But in Huttonian's view better what they have than a 'residential development' of executive houses, on good agricultural land, not affordable by the locals and ugly to boot.They escaped that in Paxton thanks to communal popular action.
This may be a case of being thankful for small mercies?
And may the credit crunch last long!? Stalled development is one obvious upside
Labels: Inappropriate Development, Whitsome
Friday, December 12, 2008
Concreting the Merse. Episode the twenty fifth
Poor old Whitsome seems to be heading for the title of the most badly developed settlement in the Merse if this writer to the Berwickshire is to be believed :
SIR, - I see that yet another inappropriate and unwanted housing development is to be foisted upon Whitsome.
The Local Plan and other policies of Scottish Borders Council appear to have been altered. We have already endured well over a year of filth and noise resulting from an earlier planning decision.
A previously glorious view south has been destroyed by unsuitable buildings which are well out of local people’s pockets.
Nobody seems interested in the heritage of small Borders hamlets or in the opinions of their inhabitants. Many people don’t bother to go through the hassle of preparing a submission against planning applications any more because they know their voices don’t matter to anyone.
At least the coming financial doldrums could call a temporary halt to the gradual dissolution of a once lovely environment. Scottish Borders Council would do well to address the real housing issues of the region.
‘DISCOURAGED’,
Whitsome
'Amen' we say and a fervent thanks that Paxton (apart, of course, from the unfortunate Kanes Close and the mud splattered Orchard)has been spared further inappropriate development with the fading of the monstrous prospect of 100 plus houses in Knowes Close. Well and truly killed by the credit crunch, one hopes. People power originally scuppered that little scheme-perhaps the people of Whitsome should follow suit; Not that seems necessary for the moment.
Poor old Whitsome seems to be heading for the title of the most badly developed settlement in the Merse if this writer to the Berwickshire is to be believed :
SIR, - I see that yet another inappropriate and unwanted housing development is to be foisted upon Whitsome.
The Local Plan and other policies of Scottish Borders Council appear to have been altered. We have already endured well over a year of filth and noise resulting from an earlier planning decision.
A previously glorious view south has been destroyed by unsuitable buildings which are well out of local people’s pockets.
Nobody seems interested in the heritage of small Borders hamlets or in the opinions of their inhabitants. Many people don’t bother to go through the hassle of preparing a submission against planning applications any more because they know their voices don’t matter to anyone.
At least the coming financial doldrums could call a temporary halt to the gradual dissolution of a once lovely environment. Scottish Borders Council would do well to address the real housing issues of the region.
‘DISCOURAGED’,
Whitsome
'Amen' we say and a fervent thanks that Paxton (apart, of course, from the unfortunate Kanes Close and the mud splattered Orchard)has been spared further inappropriate development with the fading of the monstrous prospect of 100 plus houses in Knowes Close. Well and truly killed by the credit crunch, one hopes. People power originally scuppered that little scheme-perhaps the people of Whitsome should follow suit; Not that seems necessary for the moment.
Labels: Inappropriate Development, Paxton, Whitsome
