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Back home in Torquay, yes I know this isn't Torquay, did I get a warm welcome? Not a chance.



It was cold,
wet
and windy.

But it is December in England so nothing unusual there.

First thing I noticed was it appeared that lots of trees had been torn down. I quickly realized that it wasn't the trees that had gone but the leaves had been blown away. Autumn had arrived while I was away and done what autumn does best. Make everything look cold and bleak for winter which is just round the corner.

Then as I drove up towards Newton I noticed contractors at the side of the road were pulling down trees and bushes with gay abandon. Coming back down Lymington Road more, even older trees had been cut down. I will get down there one day and find out exactly how old they were, I suspect they were even older than me. They had stood there quietly pulling in carbon in a desperate attempt to save the world for us. Now the have a carbon foot print the size of a football pitch. Then on to Long road where our council are building a business park and even more tree stumps testified to the fact that trees once stood here but now no longer do so. Through Churston on the way to Brixham even more trees had gone. not quite the destruction of the Amazom rain forest but someone needs to form a society to protect Torbay's own little forest before it is too late.





Nothing else much had changed. The 12 and 12A still ran as well as all the other wonderful bus services we run round Torbay. Oh yes. For years we have started our working week on the first day of the week, Sunday. Now, following a European directive Monday is the first day of the week and we have to change. From Christmas. There is a slight irony in that somewhere. Should be a fun time.



One more thing, the lucky winner of the photo competition recently held will be disappointed to know that I have had to change the prize from the one offered. I went to check how much the insurance for such a tour would be. I explained to the man behind the counter what was required. He rolled his eyeballs round in the time honoured fashion, one went clockwise and the other went anticlockwise, I can't exactly remember which did what, then through gritted teeth he sucked in enough air to fill the new Wembley Stadium before pointing out that 'one off' events like this created huge risks and meant massive premiums would have to be charged. He then mentioned a figure that would have made Big Gates, sorry that should be Bill Gates shudder. It certainty made me cough discretely and head for the door. I know there will be a certain amount of disappointment, sorry. The new prize is still a tour but this one is a tour round the Cider Press, the best pub in Fleet Street, in my humble opinion anyway. This tour will be limited to me pointing out where the bar is and going and finding a seat at one of the many tables while the lucky winner buys me a pint. Then, a little later, to make sure I had got the directions right I will make my way to the bar and back to the table carrying a couple of pints. Still later I will give clear, I hope, directions to where the gent's toilet is. And still later I will probably check I had got these directions right by paying a visit to said gent's. The toilet that is. Then even later we will make our way to the exit and stand in Fleet Street for ten minutes and watch 8 buses go by.



The lucky winner by the way is Steve from Brisbane who rightly said Coolangatta. So, Steve, next time you are in Torquay please claim you prize.